Sci Fi Fidelity

SFF100: Best Podcast Memories

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 08:00:00 GMT

When the Sci Fi Fidelity podcast began in the fall of 2016, Den of Geek was just over half its current age and podcasts were experiencing a surge in popularity. As a result we dove into our analysis of science fiction and supernatural television shows with fervor and were able to introduce listeners to the unsung heroes of the genre TV field through thoughtful reviews, insightful interviews, and discussions of our favorite aspects of this corner of the entertainment world. Alas, the journey comes to an end just shy of the podcast’s fourth anniversary as we move the discussion to our video outlets, but we wanted to take some time to look back at the best moments from our hundred-episode run.

We immediately found ourselves recalling some of our more memorable interviews, including Dave's solo chat with Christian Kane of The Librarians, the one with William B. Davis during The X-Files revival in January of 2018, and when we spoke with Battlestar Galactica and Lucifer star Tricia Helfer almost exactly a year later. It was difficult to choose our favorite show topics, but we had to go with two of our most downloaded episodes: our reviews of A Discovery of Witches and The Umbrella Academy, both in February of 2019.

We end our retrospective with a remembrance for our favorite discussion topic — our very first one called “Spaceship Characters” from the January 2017 episode. We then turn it over to our listeners who took the time to share their own favorite moments from the past four years of Sci Fi Fidelity. Thank you to everyone who listened and participated!

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SFF99: Motherland: Fort Salem

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 08:00:00 GMT

We went into our viewing of Motherland: Fort Salem with some skepticism before choosing it as a topic for the podcast, but the show exceeded our expectations. Far from having the cheesy humor, aggressive feminism, or underdeveloped mythology that the series easily could have fallen prey to, we found the story to be deeply engaging, the premise to be wholly unique, and the characters to be immediately magnetic. With the podcast coming to an end with episode 100 next week, we were happy this was the final show topic of our run.

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SFF98: Tales from the Loop Interview

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 08:00:00 GMT

Tales from the Loop is an unusual sort of sci-fi anthology show in that each separate story is united by a common pastoral setting and a dominant central family. This is no doubt in part because the series takes its inspiration from a series of unrelated but commonly themed paintings by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag, which combine scenes of everyday life with a normalized science fiction sensibility. When we spoke to showrunner Nathaniel Halpern and actor Paul Schneider, they both emphasized this subtle style of storytelling as the hallmark of the show.

When we spoke to Halpern, it was well before Tales from the Loop dropped on Amazon on April 3, 2020, so we were still getting a sense for what the show was about and how the paintings inspired him. Schneider joined us later after we had seen a few episodes, and he told us about his character George Willard, the son of the Loop’s founder with whom he has a strained relationship.

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SFF97: Amazing Stories

Sun, 05 Apr 2020 08:00:00 GMT

Does the Apple TV+ version of Amazing Stories, which still has Steven Spielberg’s name attached to it, live up to the more optimistic vision of the stories we’ve come to expect from the 80s original? As we break down the first two episode of the series, “The Cellar” and “The Heat,” the answer becomes clear that the positive messaging is intact even if the intended audience might skew a bit younger. Both stories have minor narrative flaws that wouldn’t have bothered us in the least back when the original Amazing Stories aired. Remember, this is the show that had a World War II cartoonist draw landing gear on a crippled bomber!

We approached Amazing Stories the same way we would any other show that’s outside our normal wheelhouse by judging it by what it intends to be rather than what we want it to be. The episodes we watched were enjoyable from start to finish despite their shortcomings, and they were both fit with the feel of the original series, which should be counted as a success. Plus the great thing about an anthology series is that each episode can be a fresh story with its own merits.

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SFF96: Devs

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 08:00:00 GMT

It’s not surprising that Alex Garland, who is known for films like Ex Machina and Annihilation, is the creator behind Devs, a series on Hulu that features his trademark obsessed tech guru that has let his own invention become way too powerful. In this case, the world is one in which predictive algorithms have become so sophisticated in their ability to anticipate future actions that free will is disproven and fate is set. This is perfect fodder for the podcast, which loves to explore the nature of time and the ability to change the future or glimpse the past.

As usual with the podcast, we take a look at the first two episodes of Devs to discuss the premise and characters that make up the cast of the show. We note that the premiere really sets up the overall mystery through the eyes of Sergei, a new recruit to the Research and Development division (known as Devs) of the tech corporation called Amaya who vanishes under mysterious circumstances. But really Devs is about Lily, Sergei’s girlfriend who is understandably suspicious about the disappearance of the man she loves.

The spoiler zone of the podcast goes deeper into other episodes of Devs that have aired so far, specifically exploring the bombshell advancements inside Devs, but we also share our admiration for Lily’s daring plan to gather evidence. We admit that we were fooled by her subterfuge just as much as those at Amaya, and although there's evidence her life is in danger, we’re hoping that the introduction of the multiverse theory will allow her to change her fate.

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SFF95: Groundhog Day Episodes

Sun, 22 Mar 2020 08:00:00 GMT

In these days of coronavirus quarantine, one day can feel exactly like the next, and it reminded us of the many repeating days that appear in time loop episodes of some current and classic TV shows. Bill Murray in Groundhog Day may have set the standard for this formula in cinema, but imitators on the small screen have taken the idea to new creative levels even as they emulate certain familiar aspects that have become the norm for episodes of this type.

For example, usually only one or two characters notice that a specific period of time is repeating, and they typically have a very difficult time convincing those around them that this has all happened before if they even try. Assuming there is a scientific or magical cause for the loop, there usually is a singular solution that the aware characters must find to break out of the cycle. Often, the show in question is able to use the Groundhog Day scenario to force growth on the trapped characters that they would not have otherwise been able to achieve.

As usual with our discussion topics, the listeners contribute their own favorites including examples from several spin-offs of the Star Trek franchise, magical loops in fantasy series like Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and many more. The Groundhog Day episode has become a genre television standard that usually produces more enjoyment than the average bottle episode.

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SFF94: Cosmos: Possible Worlds Interview

Sun, 15 Mar 2020 08:00:42 GMT

Cosmos has been around since 1980, and the optimistic tone of both the late Carl Sagan’s show and the current iteration hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson has been the hallmark of the series. In its effort to make science more accessible and more inspirational to the average viewer, Cosmos: Possible Worlds has taken us on powerful visual journeys through space and time, and much of the credit for the impact of the show’s message must go to writer and executive producer Ann Druyan and the always relatable host Neil deGrasse Tyson, who spoke to us before the March 9th premiere on Nat Geo.

In the podcast, Druyan and Tyson share some of the topics the new season of Cosmos: Possible Worlds will explore and appreciate along with our hosts the attention to detail that goes into the design of this science show.

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SFF93: Outlander Season 5

Sun, 08 Mar 2020 08:00:00 GMT

Outlander is long overdue for a discussion on Sci Fi Fidelity even though some might argue it’s more of a historical drama than a science fiction offering. However, we couldn’t resist sparing the time to admire the time travel implications of the first few episodes of season 5 which has main character Claire increasingly dismissive of any consequences her life-saving measures might have on history as we know it. For that reason alone, it deserves an episode of the podcast, but we also acknowledge the success of the show given how long it has lasted and found a sizable fandom on Starz.

Before we dive deep into the first two episodes, as is our wont, we take some time to look back at the story that has led Outlander across two decades and as many continents. Claire Randall’s time as a World War II surgical nurse has served her well over the seasons, and her relationship with highlander Jamie Fraser has stood the test of time and periods of separation. In fact, it’s the passage of time that led to their daughter Brianna being born, which has been a key part of their relationship and a central part of season 5 thus far.

There’s not much of a spoiler zone in this edition of the podcast since only three episodes of Outlander had aired at the time of recording, and the third one was a bottle episode that wasn’t all that enjoyable. Nevertheless, we have high hopes for more intrigue and adventure to come for the series, which has become fan phenomenon from one of our favorite showrunners, Battlestar Galactica’s Ronald D. Moore.

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SFF92: Locke & Key

Sun, 01 Mar 2020 09:00:00 GMT

There was much anticipation for the arrival of Locke & Key on Netflix once the trailer hit the scene, and although the adaptation was not without its flaws, we enjoyed the magical, gothic feel of the spooky Key House and the similarly creepy powers the keys bestowed upon the Locke family. The young protagonists were immediately charming, and the complexity of their evolution throughout the series made for an enjoyable narrative even without the fantastical elements.

As always, we discuss the first two episodes at the start of the podcast, covering both the premise and our thoughts on the main characters we’re introduced to. We also acknowledge the graphic novel origins of Locke & Key and how Joe Hill’s story differs between page and screen. The discussion takes note of the balance between the central mystery of the keys, their origins, and those who seek them out and the social lives of the Locke family.

Of course, part of the conversation has to be centered on the keys themselves and what they do,and once we dive into the spoiler zone, a more in-depth breakdown of the various keys is undertaken. There is undoubtedly plenty to parse about the twist ending as well, and we take the time to speculate about where season 2 might be headed given some background we uncovered from the comic.

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SFF91: Charismatic Vampires

Sun, 23 Feb 2020 09:00:00 GMT

Although vampires have been using powers of seduction to wile their way into their victims’ hearts for more than a century in literature, it’s only been a few decades since the creatures of the night became the beautiful, brooding immortals in television and film that fought against their bloodthirsty urges to seek human companionship. Despite the occasional misstep, many of these monsters became the misunderstood heroes of our favorite shows, and this week’s podcast seeks to identify the most likable of the lot. As always, the listeners add their own favorite vampires to the discussion in the feedback segment.

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SFF90: Alison Schapker Interview - Altered Carbon

Sun, 16 Feb 2020 09:00:00 GMT

For those wondering if Altered Carbon season 2 will have the same flavor as the dark and violent cyberpunk adaptation that was season one, the answer is yes and no. The new showrunner for the series, Alison Schapker, previewed the season on the podcast, talking about how the story will not only build on the same consciousness transferring foundation of the first run; it will also bring a new kind of energy both in Anthony Mackie’s portrayal of Takeshi Kovacs, played last season by Joel Kinnaman, and in the more hopeful quest to find his long lost love, Quellcrist Falconer.

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SFF89: Star Trek: Picard

Sun, 09 Feb 2020 13:34:31 GMT

Star Trek: Picard brings back all the feelings of watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and builds off of many familiar elements from other sci-fi properties, including bits of plot from Star Trek: Nemesis and the 2009 film reboot. We discuss the brilliance of the show's premise and immediately appreciate the cast of characters that we're introduced to.

The body of our podcast is dedicated to talking about the first two episodes, including the nature of Dahj and Soji and the history that has brought Jean-Luc Picard, Starfleet, and the Federation to the present state. The spoiler zone then digs a bit into the ragtag crew Picard assembles in episode three and specuates about the nature of what's going on with "The Artifact."

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SFF88: The Gift (Atiye)

Sun, 02 Feb 2020 09:00:00 GMT

We've enjoyed plenty of Netflix's international fare on the podcast, but nothing quite like The Gift, a supernatural series known as Atiye in its native Turkey. With the same family history dynamic as Dark and with similar crazy visions to Siempre Bruja, this series delves even deeper into the nature of life and death while maintaining its archaeological mystery, fantasy adventure feel. It's a truly unique show that we couldn't wait to review!

The Gift tells the story of Atiye, a successful artist whose works center around a mysterious symbol she's been painting since she was a small child. When the same symbol shows up in a thousand-year-old archaeological dig site, she is compelled to investigate what it means, even when it causes others in her life to question her sanity. As the discoveries start to uncover the involvement of others in her own family, the real puzzle starts to reveal itself.

As is our wont, we discuss the first two episodes of The Gift in detail, laying out the story premise and character development for review. We share our appreciation for the use of a real historical site for the main setting and note the added benefits of watching a show that originates from a culture that Americans could learn a lot from, artistically and otherwise.

In the spoiler zone, the family connections are explored further, and we try to get to the bottom of what Atiye's visions mean, and the reality of her very existence comes into question. We're reminded of our previous podcast discussions of Undone and The OA, both of which also pleasantly tied our brain in knots trying to figure out what was really going on. With plenty of speculation left over for more storytelling, we wonder about a possible The Gift season 2.

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SFF87: Cinematographers Interview - Manifest, Lost in Space

Sun, 26 Jan 2020 09:00:00 GMT

The director of photography is the unsung hero of any set, making the lighting and framing of a scene as important as what the characters are saying or doing, but in television, where episode directors rotate in and out, a consistent vision is particularly crucial. Science fiction shows have the extra challenge of creating a sense of realism in speculative environments, and to find out how it’s done, our Sci Fi Fidelity podcast hosts spoke to Sarah Cawley, DP of NBC’ Manifest, and Sam McCurdy, DP of Lost in Space on Netflix, who shed some light on the process.

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SFF86: Best Theme Music

Sun, 19 Jan 2020 09:00:00 GMT

There are certain theme songs from genre television that are immediately recognizable after just a few notes have been played, but what shows have the best opening credits music of them all? The discussion topic each month has the daunting task of narrowing the choices down to three for each of us, and that was quite difficult here in January of 2020.

Even the hosts themselves interpreted the topic at hand differently. In some cases, the iconic nature of the theme was at play. At other times, the instrumentation or the inclusion of hauntin vocals was more important for the theme’s standout status. And then, of course, there’s the sheer catchiness of a theme's tune or an essential singalong quality that lyrics bring. Luckily, we had plenty of help from our listeners, who contributed their own favorites to the conversation in our feedback segment, submitted via our Facebook group.

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SFF85: Lost in Space Season 2

Sun, 12 Jan 2020 09:00:00 GMT

There’s no denying that Lost in Space is an edge-of-your-seat space adventure for the whole family, and much of the audience enjoyment comes from seeing how the Robinson family will escape from their latest life-or-death situation. On this week’s Sci Fi Fidelity podcast, we talk about the importance of viewing this series through the right lens, checking any nitpicks about scientific accuracy at the door and just enjoying the ride.

We explore some new details that Lost in Space season 2 introduced about the robot race and talk about the Netflix series’ choice to focus so much of its mythology on the Robot. We break down the first few episodes as usual, including specific praise for the rounding out of the Dr. Smith character and some background context for Judy’s parentage, but by far the most significant success of the season is discussed in the spoiler zone, where we can’t help but be excited that the setup for season 3 indicates a completely new direction for the series with plenty of mysteries to speculate on during the hiatus.

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SFF84: The Witcher

Sun, 05 Jan 2020 09:00:00 GMT

The Witcher quickly became a favorite here on the podcast as we delved deeper into the three central characters of the show: Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri. The show may be based on a series of novels and short stories from Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski and a popular video game, but we were able to enjoy the story of the monster hunter and the sorceress and princess whose fate became wrapped up in his on its own merits.

As we are wont to do, we begin with an analysis of the first two episodes of The Witcher, the first of which introduces Princess Cirilla just as her kingdom falls to an invader's attack and she must flee with only one command from her grandmother, the Queen: "Find Geralt of Rivia; he is your destiny!" We also see the witcher himself, as he defeats a fearsome beast on behalf of ungrateful townspeople and a conniving mage. The second episode presents a skillful introduction of a captive sorceress-in-training, Yennefer of Vengerberg, who quickly became our favorite character.

In the "spoiler zone" of the podcast, we share our overall impressions of The Witcher and pay specific attention to two story arcs: that of the genie and the three wishes and final battle of the season, which introduces plenty of questions about where season 2 might be headed since a renewal has already been secured. There is particular praise for the thematic ideas of destiny and legacy, especially as it applies to Yennefer and the many choices that lie before her in the finale and beyond.

We're betting that much of our audience also enjoyed The Witcher and will hopefully appreciate our take on the critically maligned show — all opinions are welcome here!

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SFF83: Jonathan Lloyd Walker Interview - Van Helsing

Sun, 29 Dec 2019 09:00:00 GMT

Jonathan Lloyd Walker took over duties as showrunner of Syfy's Van Helsing in season 4, his first head writing and producing gig in a career that includes the sci-fi hit, Continuum, which helped launch our podcasting career. In fact, although The Expanse's Dominique Tipper was the first interview subject on this podcast, Jonathan was our first interviewee ever back in 2012! Here in the wake of last week's season 4 finale, he talks to Dave about the broadening of the Van Helsing legacy, the larger scope of the vampire scourge, and a possible direction for season five, which will be there series' final run.

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SFF82: Watched More Than Two

Sun, 15 Dec 2019 09:00:00 GMT

Ever since we began our two-episode rule, which keeps our show discussion to the first couple of episodes of the season, we knew we'd have to be flexible. Maybe we'd add a third or fourth episode for a half-hour comedy or if a shift in the story warranted it, and anything else would be in the spoiler-zone if we were able to squeeze in a few more in our own viewing before recording the podcast. But certain shows were just too irresistible for us to stick with just two installments, and others we binged after the discussion even if we didn't necessarily have time.

We each share three shows that we got sucked into this year including Russian Doll, The Umbrella Academy, and more. We even have one or two that drew us in because of an interview or by other means. Then, of course, our listeners get in on the action and tell us which shows they specifically binged because of our two-episode discussion on the podcast. It's nice to know we've been able to draw attention to some new science fiction and supernatural programs since that's exactly why we started Sci Fi Fidelity!

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SFF81: The Expanse Season 4 Interview

Sun, 08 Dec 2019 09:00:00 GMT

Dominique Tipper, who plays Naomi Nagata on The Expanse, was the very first interviewee we ever had on the podcast back when we began in September of 2016, just when the Syfy show was getting started, and showrunner Naren Shankar visited with us in February of 2017 during season 2. Now, the two key players in the success of this space science fiction TV show join us once more from the set of season 5, which is currently filming in Toronto, to preview season 4. We asked them to tell us more about the storyline to come taking place on Ilus, the first planet encountered by humans beyond the Ring gates.

The first thing Tipper had to mention was the challenge for Naomi, with her brittle Belter bones, to be planetside for the first time. “We very much get to see this season what it takes for a Belter to change themselves and show what they need to do to their body to step foot on a planet or be in atmosphere,” she tells us. “And so I think there’s a lot of things riding on Naomi going to Ilus… She’s the only Belter perspective in the group, and also her own curiosity and for her and Holden as an option. So there’s a lot riding on it for her personally.”

Not that Ilus is all that hospitable! Tipper told us how cold it was on location on the Ilus set, while Shankar appreciated its sparse beauty. “When you see even the first episode of season 4, it’s a beautiful location,” he says. “We were looking for a desolate frontier, and we shot in an active quarry. We used a lot of drone photography to get the vistas, and it’s really quite striking. And what you’re seeing in there is actually — we did virtually nothing in terms of visual effects cleanup or changing it. That’s the way it looks; it looks alien as hell.”

For more insightful moments, fans will have to wait until The Expanse season 4 returns on Amazon Prime Video on December 13, 2019. In the meantime, enjoy the podcast, in which we announce the winners of our giveaway of The Art and Making of The Expanse from Titan Books.

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SFF80: For All Mankind

Sun, 01 Dec 2019 09:00:00 GMT

As alt-history science fiction stories go, For All Mankind on Apple TV+ is right up there with The Man in the High Castle and Watchmen, both of which we discussed on the podcast as well. Speculating on what the world would be like if the Soviet Union landed a man on the moon first, this series starts out as a sort of historical drama inside 1970’s NASA but begins to show the larger effects on society of a continuing space race during the Cold War, taking things in a much more sci-fi direction as time goes by.

As is usual for the show topics on Sci Fi Fidelity, we discuss the first two episodes of the series and share what we think of the established characters and the central conflict. The spoiler zone includes broad discussion of the later episodes in the series that have aired so far and predictions about where things might be headed.

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SFF79: His Dark Materials

Sun, 24 Nov 2019 14:03:21 GMT

HBO has done a much better job of adapting Philip Pullman’s fantasy adventure series His Dark Materials than Hollywood did for 2007’s The Golden Compass, and we’ve been enjoying watching Lyra Belacqua work through the mystery of the missing children in an alternate world ruled by a restrictive theocracy. It’s hard not to be charmed by the concept of each human having their own familiar-like daemon as their animal companion, and the world-building is rich with witches, Gyptians, and armored bears.

As is usual for the show topics on Sci Fi Fidelity, we discuss the first two episodes of the series and share what we think of the established character and central conflict. At first, there were some reservations that His Dark Materials was more oriented towards children with its young protagonist and “chosen one prophecy” premise, but we quickly gained appreciation for the thematic depth and attention to detail with the various culutures in this parallel world.

Then we dive into the spoiler zone for some real talk about passages between worlds, the nature of Asriel’s investigation of Dust, and the fight that surely lies ahead for the Gyptians.

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SFF78: Aron Eli Coleite Interview - Daybreak

Sun, 17 Nov 2019 09:00:00 GMT

Daybreak is one of those shows that makes everyone think that it falls into a specific genre (zombie apocalypse comedy) with a particular audience demographic (Gen-Z young adults), but it actually has much broader appeal and may not be about zombies at all. So says showrunner Aron Eli Coleite in our interview with him in which he talked about how Matthew Broderick joined the cast, why Josh is not necessarily the central character, and why we should be worried about the change of leadership in the season finale. WARNING: spoilers within for Daybreak season 1!

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SFF77: Streaming Service Wars

Sun, 10 Nov 2019 09:00:00 GMT

With the launch of the Apple TV+ streaming service on November 1st and the Disney+ debut right around the corner on November 12th, a question arises for us to discuss on the podcast: what is worth watching on these new subscription channels, and does the content justify the additional monthly fee? HBO Max also announced part of its lineup for its May 2020 premiere, and it's becoming clear that tough decisions will have to be made very soon.

This first part of the podcast tackles the price breakdown of each service and compares their various chances for survival in the coming "streaming service wars," as we're calling them. Apple, for example, is trying to lure customers in with their low price point and with free trials and a year's subscription for those who purchase new iPhones or computers. Disney has less of a battle ahead with the built-in draw of their massive Star Wars, Disney, and Marvel libraries, but with so many players in the game, who can tell?

Our list of genre content we're looking forward to includes one choice from each of the three services in question. Plus our listeners get in on the action, too, via our Facebook group!

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SFF76: Watchmen

Sun, 03 Nov 2019 09:00:00 GMT

When we decided to take on Watchmen for the podcast, we had no idea how different the series would be from its graphic novel source material. The show has proven to be exactly the “remix” that showrunner Damon Lindelof said it would be, but a central question of our podcast discussion is this: Do you have to be familiar with the 1986 Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons comic in order to understand what’s happening in the HBO series?

Other points of analysis include why this version of Watchmen decided to make race a central factor, whether or not police chief Judd Crawford is a good guy, why the costumed vigilantes like Red Scare and Looking Glass have such simplistic costumes, and what the heck is going on with Will and Adrian Veidt: two equally mysterious characters. We also break down nods to the original comic such as the squid storms, the Minutemen biopic, the Rorschach masks, and the many references to Dr. Manhattan.

As with most of our show discussions, we focus on the events in the first two episodes of the season, and because that’s all that has aired on HBO so far (until tonight anyway), there is no “spoiler zone” in this edition of the podcast. However, the opening story gave us plenty of fodder for discussion and debate even as far as analyzing the delightfully cumbersome episode titles: “It’s Summer and We’re Running Out of Ice” and “Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship.”

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SFF75: Impulse Season 2

Sun, 27 Oct 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Impulse snuck up on us. Having aired on YouTube's premium service, it wasn't until the entire first season of this series was made available for free that it drew our attention, especially since the fact that it was loosely based on the Stephen Gould Jumper novels wasn't necessarily a strong draw. However, Doug Liman, who directed the 2008 film and also executive produces on Impulse, may have finally found the correct formula in this iteration of the teleportation story.

Impulse is a show that not enough people are watching, but everyone should. Centering around Henry Coles (Maddie Hasson), a sullen, rebellious young woman who has followed her drifter mother to yet another sleepy town, the show sees her teleportation powers awaken after a sexual assault triggers a deep-seeded sense of self-preservation and a hidden anger that activates her ability.

Because of the "hidden gem" nature of Impulse, the podcast critiques the premise and the characters of the show before discussing the first two episodes of season 2 in the spoiler zone. YouTube is airing episodes of Impulse season 2 one at a time each Wednesday for non-susbscribers even though the entirety of season 2 is available to those who pay for YouTube Premium, so anyone can access the show to enjoy along with us.

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SFF74: The Good Place Season 4

Sun, 20 Oct 2019 11:00:00 GMT

With The Good Place season 4 being the show’s final run, the story, which often had paradigm shifting twists each season, should provide an satisfying ending for fans of the unique, metaphysical, philosophical series. On this episode of the podcast, we analyze the four episodes that have aired thus far to determine whether things are on track to give a sense of closure to its audience, and the good news is: they very much are.

It’s interesting to explore the possibilities for improving the behavior of all four of the new experiment’s subjects, particularly gossipy John and the truly horrible Brent, but with the continuing sabotage and the differing missions that present themselves, it seems an almost impossible task. However, the true strength of the season, as is discussed in the podcast, lies in the powerful dialogue taking place in the many heartfelt conversations between our main characters. On that alone, The Good Place season 4 is deserving of praise.

To leave room for those who have not fully caught up on The Good Place season 4, we begin by discussing the first three episodes without referencing the big reveal that happened in the latest in installment, “Tinker, Tailor, Demon, Spy.” That episode instead is broken down and appreciated in the Spoiler Zone

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SFF73: Series Finales With Closure

Sun, 13 Oct 2019 08:00:00 GMT

It's never pleasant to learn a favorite TV series is ending, but if the writers are able to bring the narrative to a satisfying conclusion, it can go a long way towards giving a sense of closure to fans. This is especially true for science fiction and supernatural shows that have super-dedicated viewers. On this week's podcast, we discuss some of our favorite examples of shows that were able to end well. Paradoxically, we found that some of the best finales provided closure by leaving the story open-ended enough to allow the audience to decide what happened next. To avoid spoilers, skip ahead approximately 4 minutes for shows you haven't completed.

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SFF72: Undone

Sun, 06 Oct 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Undone on Amazon is a genre-defying, literary, artistically animated masterpiece, and we're not just saying that because it involves time travel (although that could only help). In this podcast, we discuss the premise of the show and how it came to be, and then we dive into the first three episodes in more detail. The spoiler zone shares overall impressions of season 1 for those who have seen all eight episodes.

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SFF71: Jazmyn Simon Interview - Raising Dion

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 08:00:00 GMT

The premise for Raising Dion may seem simple: a single mother struggles to raise her seven-year-old son when suddenly he begins to manifest superpowers. But this family drama from creator Dennis Liu and executive producer Michael B. Jordan is anything but a typical superhero tale. When the show premieres on October 4, 2019, audiences will certainly see a boy with powers, but they will also experience the community that surrounds him, including family members like his “Auntie Kat,” played by Jazmyn Simon.

Simon spoke to us about her role in the show as well as her own experience with motherhood, having just had a son with her actor husband Dulé Hill, whom she met on the set of Ballers. Simon also played a doctor on the HBO show, but this time around she's in a more active hospital role, also acting as the family skeptic when it comes to Dion's powers. Simon covers everything from the show's setting in Atlanta to Michael B. Jordan's involvement in this interview, giving us a quite complete picture of what we can expect when Raising Dion comes to Netflix on October 4th.

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SFF70: Elder Elite

Sun, 22 Sep 2019 08:00:00 GMT

We have nothing but respect for actors who choose to continue in their profession into their 70s and beyond, and there are many who have graced science fiction and supernatural television with their proven talents. In many cases, these actors have long and illustrious careers in film and on stage as well, but we always appreciate when they show up as wise mentors or grizzled villains or other similar roles in the genre shows that we love. The latest Sci Fi Fidelity discussion topic podcast entitled “Elder Elite” covers six of our favorite examples and shares listener contributions as well.

The criteria we used for qualification was that the actor in question must be 70 or older in 2019 and must have worked on a science fiction, fantasy, horror, or supernatural television series in the recent past or be currently working on or about to work on a show. To participate in our discussion topics, be sure to join the Sci Fi Fidelity Facebook group where the listener participation aspect of the podcast unfolds the week before the episode releases.

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SFF69: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

Sun, 15 Sep 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Even though we’ve covered plenty of science fiction, fantasy, supernatural, and horror shows on Sci Fi Fidelity, we’ve never reviewed anything quite like The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Billed as a prequel to Jim Henson’s 1982 film of the same name, the Netflix series wowed us with its artistry, its worldbuilding, and its impressive slate of voice talent. Although there is some debate in the podcast about the appeal of puppet-based storytelling, there was no doubt about its compelling mythology and enjoyable characters.

As usual, the podcast centers around the first two episodes of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance with a “spoiler zone” towards the end of the discussion for those who have seen the whole thing. This allows for plenty of critiquing of the premise of the show and of the effectiveness of having three protagonists while also setting aside time to speculate on what the ending means and where the series might be headed in season 2.

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SFF68: Carnival Row

Sun, 08 Sep 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Carnival Row takes Amazon Prime Video to new territory as the tale of an oppressed race of faeries living among disdainful humans in a world reminiscent of Victorian England explores a mashup of steampunk, fantasy, and allegory. The series stars Orlando Bloom as the Burghish detective Rycroft “Philo” Philostrate and Cara Delevingne as the headstrong pixie Vignette Stonemoss. Several mysteries unfold as a series of murders and the supposed kidnapping of the Chancellor’s son intertwine in unexpected ways.

Mike and Dave tackle the first two episodes of this series in a spoiler-free fashion, but if you’ve watched the entire eight-episode run, the Spoiler Zone towards the end of the podcast has some overall impressions to share with you. Since Carnival Row season 2 has already been assured, there are plenty of things to speculate about given how open-ended the finale episode was.

Carnival Row Review (Spoiler-Free) by Sci Fi Fidelity host, Mike

Carnival Row Executive Producer Interview

Carnival Row Season 2 Confirmed

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SFF67: Michael Emerson Interview - Evil, Lost, Person of Interest

Sun, 01 Sep 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Michael Emerson is known to most sci-fi fans as Ben Linus of Lost or more recently as Harold Finch of Person of Interest, but now he returns to CBS as a decidedly creepy antagonist known as Townsend on the CBS supernatural law drama, Evil. Emerson talked to us about his role in the new show and revisited some favorite aspects of his roles in Lost and Person of Interest. Evil arrives on CBS at 10/9c on September 26, 2019.

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BONUS: Apocalypses We'd Live In

Sun, 25 Aug 2019 08:00:00 GMT

In our final hiatus episode, we revisit a topic that highlights some of our favorite post-apocalyptic science fiction and supernatural television. After breaking down "apocalypse" into categories like environmental, technological, viral, nuclear, and others, we talk about why certain disaster areas would be more enjoyable than others to live in if we had to. Usually it ends up being a question of who would help us survive or be enjoyable to go have a beer with (if beer still exists). We'll be back next week with the start of season 5!

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BONUS: The Expanse Interview Mashup

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Our very first interview in Sci Fi Fidelity episode 1 was with Dominique Tipper just as we were getting to know her character Naomi Nagata on The Expanse. We revisit our chat with her as well as our season 2 conversation with The Expanse showrunner Naren Shankar. Plus, as a treat during this hiatus episode, we have ALL NEW audio to share with Shoreh Aghdashloo (Avasarala) and Frankie Adams (Bobbie) about the direction The Expanse will take as it moves its season 4 to Amazon Prime Video starting December 13, 2019.

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BONUS: Spaceship Characters

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 08:00:00 GMT

How would Star Trek have been different if Majel Barrett-Roddeberry had been the voice of the U.S.S. Enterprise itself rather than just its computer? As it turns out many space science fiction shows have ships that are themselves characters in the show. In this rebroadcast of our very first "super six" discussion topic back in January of 2017, both hosts pick three shows that feature spaceship characters, some of which are currently airing and others which come from the sci-fi vault. This episode continues are season 4 hiatus; the podcast will return in September with new content!

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BONUS: Killjoys Interview Mashup

Sun, 04 Aug 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Killjoys season 5, the last of the series on Syfy, is in full swing, and we thought it would be a great idea for the first hiatus episode (before our own season 5 begins on Sci Fi Fidelity) to revisit some of the best parts of our Killjoys interviews with showrunner Michelle Lovretta, female lead Hannah John-Kamen (Dutch/Aneela), and male lead Luke Macfarlane (D'avin). These clips are shared in a montage style, concentrating on details that are still relevant and not season-specific, effectively acting as a reflection on the five-season run of Killjoys and the characters we've come to love.

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SFF66: Before They Were Famous

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Thanks to listeners Mo and Richard for this discussion topic idea! The concept is we looked into the earlier acting history of stars of our favorite sci-fi and supernatural shows to see if they had ever been in genre television content before they were famous. For example, did you know that before Peter Dinklage was in Game of Thrones, he was in a science fiction one-season wonder called Threshold? We each share three examples as usual, and our listeners join in the game, and for the first time ever, none of our choices overlap, giving our audience their own unique contributions to the discussion. NOTE: This episode marks the end of season 4 - we'll be back in September!

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SFF65: Stranger Things Season 3

Sun, 21 Jul 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Stranger Things clearly has no intention of resting on its laurels as season 3 has not only improved on its Halloween-themed predecessor; it has also returned to the horror elements that made the original run such a creepy 80's romp while refusing to back off on its nostalgic notes. It would have been a crime had our genre television podcast hosts not taken on this Netflix juggernaut once again.

This time around we're focusing on the first two episodes and the premise of the season as we've been doing in the past, mostly for those who either haven't started on Stranger Things 3 yet or are just a few episodes in. Don't worry, though! For those who have binged the whole thing, we're sharing our overall impressions and some of our favorite season 3 hightlights in our spoiler zone at the end.

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SFF64: Clark Gregg Interview - Agents of SHIELD

Sun, 14 Jul 2019 08:00:59 GMT

Given what's been going on with Sarge in Agents of SHIELD season 6, we had to find out from Clark Gregg what he thinks of his new character after playing fan favorite Agent Phillip J. Coulson for ten years, both on TV and in the MCU. When did he know that his beloved role would be coming to an end? What would Coulson think of what's been going on in his absence? These questions and more are answered in this interview, coming on the heels of Agents of SHIELD's presence at San Diego Comic Con this weekend.

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SFF63: Dark Season 2

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 08:00:00 GMT

It's like we never left the town of Winden! Dark season 2 builds on the remarkably complex, intricately woven story of the first season in which four families' lives are wrapped up in the twists and turns of time travel and a disaster that has befallen their town and will likely visit it again. Our podcast discussion tackles the first two episodes only, but spoiler-free impressions of the overall season are also shared. Dark season 2 returned to Netflix on June 21, 2019, which for those who have seen the series is no coincidental premiere date.

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SFF62: Black Mirror Season 5

Sun, 30 Jun 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Black Mirror season 5 has been available on Netflix for awhile now, and opinions have certainly been mixed. With anthology shows, there are always going to be some episodes that are better than others, but we make the argument on this edition of the Sci Fi Fidelity podcast that all three episodes of this latest offering were better, and specifically more thematically rich, than most critics give them credit for. We each picked our own representative episode to discuss, talking about the many philosophical questions about love, cheating, and personal identity posed by the central conflict of "Striking Vipers and honing in on the teenage perspective in "Rachel, Jack, and Ashely Too" and how the story must be seen through younger eyes to appreciate.

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SFF61: World Building

Sun, 23 Jun 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Although we wouldn't necessarily want to live in some of the worlds imagined by some of our favorite science fiction, fantasy, and supernatural television shows, there are certain settings that amaze us with how deeply cultural they are. On the latest Sci Fi Fidelity podcast, we bring up six exemplary worlds, three from Mike and three from Dave, that contain details such as language, religion, and history that really make watching an immersive experience. We also share the listener contributions from our Facebook group.

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SFF60: Good Omens

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 08:00:05 GMT

Good Omens will go down in history as one of the most faithful novel adaptations ever to grace the small screen (in some cases, maybe a little TOO faithful). David Tennant and Michael Sheen are brilliant as the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale respectively, and the two characters anchor the show even more than they did the story in the book. We break down the first two episodes in the spoiler-free first half of the podcast, and then we do a deep dive with overall impressions in the spoiler zone. Good Omens is a one-and-done six-episode miniseries that dropped on Amazon Prime Video on May 31, 2019.

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SFF59: Patrick Macmanus Interview - Happy!, Slaughterhouse Five

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Before we knew about the cancellation of Happy!, we had a chance to talk to executive producer of the madcap Syfy series, Patrick Macmanus. Although we mourn the loss of this unique series, which was adapted from a Grant Morrison comic in the same humorous-but-violent style as Preacher, we're happy to report that Macmanus has signed an overall deal with UCP to produce more shows to shop around. He spoke to us about two upcoming adaptations he has in the works: one for Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five and another for the true crime podcast, Dr. Death.

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SFF58: Lucifer Season 4

Sun, 02 Jun 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Lucifer is one of those rare shows that saw itself resurrected from cancellation as it made the move from FOX to Netflix for season 4. We talk a little bit about the changes we noticed resulting from its new home, and then we break down the major storylines of the recently concluded season. With plenty of story left surrounding the prophecy, the angel baby, and Chloe's new knowledge, we're left wondering -- will there be a season 5?

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SFF57: Agents of SHIELD Interview

Sun, 26 May 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Just before the Agents of SHIELD season 6 premiere, we spoke with executive producers Maurissa Tancharoen, Jed Whedon, and Jeff Bell about the story to come. By now, a few episodes have aired, so we know that the show, like much of Marvel TV, has severed its ties with the MCU. The showrunners explain why that's the case and also foreshadow some of the storylines to come, including Mack's stint as director of SHIELD, Clark Gregg's new character, and the adventures in deep space. We also spend some time discussing Agents of SHIELD outside of the interview.

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SFF56: Game of Thrones Season 8

Sun, 19 May 2019 08:00:00 GMT

When we decided to discuss Game of Thrones before season 8 began, we thought we would be talking about its grand exit, but as it turns out, we find ourselves having to defend the series against an onslaught of fan backlash. Where does the controversy come from, which aspects do we agree with, and which do we feel are unjustified? Join us as we parse the highs and the lows of the epic final season of HBO's juggernaut flagship fantasy series, Game of Thrones.

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SFF55: What We Do in the Shadows

Sun, 12 May 2019 08:00:00 GMT

We are absolutely loving the vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows on FX based on the award-winning New Zealand film of the same name, and we couldn't wait to break down the different characters and story arcs at the start of the season. With four vampires living in a Staten Island home together trying to navigate the modern world with a new mandate to conquer America, there is a wealth of episodic content as well as underlying mythology to discuss. And yes, the show has been renewed for season 2, which is welcome news that hadn't broken when we recorded this episode.

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SFF54: Deborah Ann Woll Interview - Daredevil, Relics and Rarities

Sun, 05 May 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Deborah Ann Woll actually came on the podcast at Sony's behest to promote the home entertainment release of her horror movie, Escape Room, but this is a genre television podcast! So we snuck in a few questions about her time as Karen Page in Marvel's Daredevil and about the topic we really wanted to discuss with her: her D&D campaign show for Geek & Sundry, Relics and Rarities. We think that, like us, you'll find her enthusiasm for tabletop gaming infectious, and since it ties in nicely with the cooperative gaming aspect of an escape room, it works as a cohesive discussion.

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SFF53: Resurrected Characters

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 08:00:00 GMT

In genre television, dead isn't always dead. We took an article from the Den of Geek website and turned it into a discussion topic for our podcast, but it turns out that a lot of TV shows over the years have resurrrected characters who viewers thought had shuffled off this mortal coil. In addition to the six choices we make, we share the multitude of equally valid examples from the portion of our listening audience that belongs to our Facebook group. Thanks to everyone who participated!

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SFF52: The OA Part II

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Having come to The OA too late to discuss it on the podcast for season 1, we knew we wanted to talk about Part II as soon as it became available, and the second season did not disappoint. As usual with our new formula, we stick to the first couple of episodes before diving into the spoiler zone to talk about yet another cryptic ending for the series. Do you agree with our interpretation of what's really going on? Join us for our in-depth discussion of the metaphysical journey that is The OA.

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SFF51: The Twilight Zone

Sun, 14 Apr 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Jordan Peele had a daunting task in rebooting the classic anthology series, The Twilight Zone. In a follow-up to our discussion last week of the original Rod Serling series and other genre anthologies it inspired, we talk about the successes and shortcomings of the episodes of the newest incarnation on CBS All Access. There was lots to love, but also plenty to criticize.

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SFF50: Genre Anthology Series

Sun, 07 Apr 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Genre anthology series have experienced a resurgence since Black Mirror, and with The Twilight Zone getting a reboot, it's time to recognize our favorites from the past. After giving Love, Death, and Robots a quick nod, we dive in with anthology shows from the 60s, 90s, and modern day. Sometimes we're surprised at how well some of the reboots do, including not only The Twilight Zone but The Outer Limits and even Apple's upcoming Amazing Stories revival. Favorites from the listeners who participated on our Facebook group also get a mention.

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SFF49: The Order

Sun, 31 Mar 2019 08:00:00 GMT

The premise of The Order sounds a bit crazy: a secret society of witches and warlocks on a college campus finds itself at odds with a pack of werewolves tasked with fighting the abuse of magic. Huh? But once you get past the iffy pilot, The Order has plenty of humor, adventure, and romance to satisfy just about any audience. Give this one a try on Netflix! NOTE: we recorded this podcast before the recent season 2 renewal announcement.

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SFF48: Brittany Curran Interview - The Magicians

Sun, 24 Mar 2019 08:00:19 GMT

Brittany Curran has taken the character of Fen from a minor character to a pivotal player in season 4 of The Magicians on Syfy. We spoke to her about the journey in the role as the show's only Fillorian series regular, her life as an actor from a very young age, and her favorite parts about filming in Vancouver, among other things. WARNING: Spoilers for season 4 of The Magicians within!

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SFF47: Doom Patrol

Sun, 17 Mar 2019 13:03:32 GMT

We explore the origin stories of Doom Patrol on DC Universe and share our growing admiration for darkly comic superhero shows of late. For those who have not seen the show, we have a spoiler-free discussion leading up to the clearly delineated spoiler zone to help you decide if you want to check out the series. Let's be honest, though, anything with Alan Tudyk attached is worth checking out!

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SFF46: Siempre Bruja (Always a Witch)

Sun, 10 Mar 2019 08:00:00 GMT

As a follow-up to our Subtitled Sci Fi discussion, we decided to tackle one of Netflix's latest international offerings, Colombia's Siempre Bruja, or Always a Witch in English. This supernatural time travel tale brings a slave from the time of the Inquisition forward to 2019 where she must defeat a powerful evil in order to return to her own time and her true love. This episode of Sci Fi Fidelity introduces our spoiler zone so that people who haven't seen the show can still listen to the beginning while those who have can enjoy a more in-depth discussion.

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SFF45: Subtitled Sci Fi

Sun, 03 Mar 2019 09:00:00 GMT

Netflix has been killing it with bringing international genre shows to an American audience, and after discussing Dark and The Rain on earlier editions of the podcast, we felt it was time to acknowledge a wider field of programming from around the world. In fact, the selections on our "super six" list each come from a different country! Plus we share our listener selections from our Facebook group.

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SFF44: The Umbrella Academy

Sun, 24 Feb 2019 09:00:00 GMT

In order to keep things relatively spoiler-free, we discussed only the first two episodes of The Umbrella Academy, which released on Netflix on February 15, 2019, to appeal both to those who have watched the show and those who are thinking about trying it out. As it happens, the series goes to some pretty crazy places later in the season, so we brought in a special guest, executive producer Jeff King, to tease some of where the series heads in future episodes.

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SFF43: Russian Doll

Sun, 17 Feb 2019 09:00:00 GMT

When we found Russian Doll on Netflix, we knew we had stumbled onto something very special! Get ready for a spoiler-filled discussion of all the metaphysics, symbolism, character significance, timeline mechanics and more in our breakdown of the Natasha Lyonne series that's taking the streaming audience by storm. Never have we seen a more bingeable series!

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SFF42: Felicia Day Interview - Voyage to the Stars

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 09:00:00 GMT

Felicia Day has explored nearly every avenue an actor can peddle their wares and even pioneered a few paths of her own when she followed up her guest appearances on Buffy the Vampire Slayer with her breakout web series The Guild back in 2007. Her transmedia roots are apparent in her new project, the improvisational comedy podcast, Voyage to the Stars, in which she plays Elsa, a science officer with focus issues. The podcast begins its run on February 12, 2019, and we spoke with her about the project and some of her classic roles that we love.

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SFF41: A Discovery of Witches

Sun, 03 Feb 2019 13:23:54 GMT

A Discovery of Witches offers a new twist on the "handsome vampire" formula by focusing on a lost book of magic and a powerful witch among vampires and demons. The romance element of the story is bolstered by two actors, Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer, with fiery chemistry. Join us as we attempt a relatively spoiler-free discussion of this UK import on Sundance Now and Shudder as of January 17,

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SFF40: Star-Crossed Lovers

Sun, 27 Jan 2019 09:00:00 GMT

Alien-human love stories abound in sci-fi television, and this month's discussion topic shares some of our favorites. This podcast was inspired by an article on Den of Geek that published in conjunction with the premiere of Roswell, New Mexico on the CW. We also share some listener selections that we hadn't thought of.

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SFF39: The Passage

Sun, 20 Jan 2019 06:00:00 GMT

The Passage, based on the trilogy by Justin Cronin, just premiered on Fox, and we were impressed by the initial premise. On this episode of the podcast, we break down the pilot episode and ask, "Where are they going with this? Will it be a government conspiracy thriller? A vampire virus horror? Or will it evolve into a post-apocalyptic sci- series?" Regardless, this is a promising start.

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SFF38: Tricia Helfer Interview - Battlestar Galactica, Lucifer

Sun, 13 Jan 2019 06:00:00 GMT

She played the iconic cylon Number Six in the sci-fi classic series Battlestar Galactica, and now Tricia Helfer is doing a rewatch podcast with journalist and writer Marc Bernardin called Battlestar Gala. We spoke to Helfer about how her podcast began, what guests we can look forward to, and how she feels about her time on BSG. We also talked a bit about her role in the most recent seasons of Lucifer on FOX.

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SFF37: Timeless

Sun, 06 Jan 2019 06:00:00 GMT

The new year brings a new weekly format for the podcast! Our first discussion of January covers the series finale movie of Timeless, a 2-hour event that gave the beloved time travel series a chance to tie up loose ends after its abrupt season two cancellation. Was the movie successful, and did it satisfy the fans? Join us and decide!

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Bonus Interview: Reilly Dolman (Travelers)

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 15:10:20 GMT

Travelers season 3 drops on Netflix on December 14, 2018, and we had the opportunity to talk to Reilly Dolman, who plays Philip Pearson on the show. Philip, of course, is the team's historian with the photographic memory of everything that happened in the 21st century - definitely one of the more interesting characters in Travelers.

Reilly spoke about his approach to the character of Philip as well as his journey as an actor in this insightful interview. The article version is available on denofgeek.com.

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SFF36: Nightflyers, Mars, Justin Marks (Counterpart)

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 15:33:30 GMT

In our final super-sized podcast before the new year brings a new format, we start our discussion with our favorite space battles ranging from the civil war of Babylon 5 to the sneaky maneuvers in The Expanse.

Our show topics this month include a look at the premiere of Nightflyers on Syfy, which began on December 2, 2018, and a breakdown of the episodes that have aired for MARS season 2 on Nat Geo, which started its six-episode run back on November 12, 2018.

The interview this time is with Justin Marks, the creator of Counterpart on Starz, which premieres its second season on December 9, 2018.

Timecodes: Best Space Battles - 3:03 Nightflyers - 22:23 MARS - 41:56 Counterpart Interview - 61:25

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SFF35: Charmed, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Adi Shankar (Castlevania)

Fri, 02 Nov 2018 14:43:32 GMT

It's Halloween, so it's appropriate that we talk about the scariest monsters in genre television. We take a fairly broad definition of the term "monster," but we think you'll agree our choices are pretty creepy.

Our show topics this month also include holiday appropriate discussions for two new witch-related shows: the Charmed reboot on the CW, which began its run on October 14, 2018, and Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which released its ten episodes on October 26, 2018.

The Halloween fun continues with our interview with Castlevania showrunner, Adi Shankar, whose animated adaptation dropped its second season on October 26, 2018 on Netflix.

Timecodes: Scariest Monsters - 3:41 Charmed - 18:42 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - 41:26 Castevania Interview - 63:49

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SFF34: The Good Place, Manifest, Dominic Lewis (High Castle)

Fri, 05 Oct 2018 02:10:57 GMT

It was surprisingly difficult to select just the right shows for our discussion of "one season wonder," shows worth talking about that only lasted a single season. We got a lot of help from our listeners, and we think you'll enjoy our choices.

Show topics this month include a look at the one-hour premiere of The Good Place season 3 on NBC, which premiered on September 27, and a critique of the first two episodes of the new supernatural mystery series also on NBC, Manifest, which began on September 24.

For our interview, we talked to Dominic Lewis, the composer of the score for all three seasons of The Man in the High Castle. Season 3 of that show premieres on October 5.

Timecodes: One Season Wonders - 2:08 The Good Place season 3 - 21:31 Manifest season 1 - 36:52 The Man in the High Castle Interview - 55:52

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SFF33: The Innocents, The First, Bridget Regan (The Last Ship)

Fri, 07 Sep 2018 15:26:33 GMT

In the calm before the storm of new fall genre shows hits, we start the podcast this month with a discussion of some of the more peripheral new and returning series we're looking forward to in the next month or so as a sort of fall TV preview.

Our show topics this month include a look at the first few episodes of Netflix's new supernatural thriller, The Innocents, which premiered on August 24, 2018, and a spoiler-free preview of the Sean Penn vehicle on Hulu following humanity's first mission to Mars, The First, which begins on September 14, 2018.

The interview is a must-listen for fans of The Last Ship as Bridget Regan joins us to talk about the show's fifth and final season on TNT.

Timecodes: Anticipated Fall Shows - 2:53 The Innocents - 17:22 The First - 37:48 The Last Ship Interview - 57:26

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Bonus Interview: Hannah John-Kamen (Killjoys)

Mon, 13 Aug 2018 13:07:20 GMT

As a follow-up to our discussion of Killjoys, we're excited to share with you our interview with leading lady Hannah John-Kamen, who of course plays Dutch in the Syfy series. Plus with her star on the rise because of recent appearances in Marvel's Ant Man and The Wasp as well as Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One, we couldn't resist the chance to talk to sci-fi royalty's newest member.

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SFF32: Killjoys, Castle Rock, Luke Macfarlane (Killjoys)

Fri, 03 Aug 2018 12:18:00 GMT

A fun discussion kicks off our August podcast as we share our list of the best anti-heroes in genre television, those protagonists we still love despite all of their moral gray area. It seems we love our good guys slightly bad!

Our show topics this month include a look at the first couple of episodes of Killjoys season 4, which just began on July 20th on Syfy, and a critique of the new Stephen King anthology series on Hulu, Castle Rock, which dropped its first three episodes on July 25th.

Stick around for our interview with Luke Macfarlane, who plays RAC Agent and baby-daddy D'avin Jaqobis in Killjoys.

Timecodes: Best Anti-Heroes - 1:55 Killjoys - 19:22 Castle Rock - 38:13 Killjoys Interview - 56:42

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SFF31: Reverie, Preacher, Sherman Augustus (Into the Badlands)

Fri, 06 Jul 2018 13:34:22 GMT

Before diving into show topics, we detour into "shipping" territory as we discuss some of our favorite contemporary couples in genre television, some of which are quite popular and others of which should be.

Our show topics this month include the latest sci-fi procedural hybrid from NBC, Reverie, which began its run on May 30, 2018, and AMC's Preacher, the comic book adaptation that began its third season on June 24, 2018.

This month's interview is with Sherman Augustus, who plays Nathaniel Moon in Into the Badlands, which is in its mid-season three hiatus on AMC.

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SFF30: The Rain, Humans, Joe Pokaski (Cloak & Dagger)

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 13:08:12 GMT

This month's opening discussion kicks off with a continuation of our genre showrunner discussion. This time we're focusing on our favorite female executive producers/writers in the sci-fi, fantasy, and supernatural field, a trend which will hopefully grow over time.

Our show topics this month include a look at the first season of The Rain, a Danish import on Netflix that joins the streaming giant's increasing focus on international fare, and the season 3 premiere of Humans, which aired on June 5, 2018 here in the states on AMC.

Join us for our extremely entertaining conversation with Joe Pokaski, the showrunner of Marvel's Cloak & Dagger, which premiered on Freeform on June 7, 2018.

Timecodes: Female Showrunners - 2:07 The Rain - 12:35 Humans - 37:57 Cloak & Dagger Interview - 59:50

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Bonus Interview: Mina Sundwall (Lost in Space)

Mon, 21 May 2018 15:30:39 GMT

As a follow-up to our May podcast in which we discussed Lost in Space, we talk to actor Mina Sundwall, who plays Penny Robinson in the Netflix series. With the recent announcement that the show would be getting a second season on the streaming service, we figured we'd speculate with Mina about the future of the Jupiter 2 and reflect on her character in season one.

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SFF29: Lost in Space, The 100, Malcolm Barrett (Timeless)

Fri, 04 May 2018 14:50:20 GMT

The summer is almost here, but we've honed in on some of our favorite recent shows! Our discussion kicks off with our picks for the most distinctive showrunners who have helmed more than one genre TV show. It was tough paring it down to six!

Our show topics this month include a look at the full first season of the Lost in Space remake on Netflix, which has been capturing viewers attention since it dropped on April 13, 2018, and the established post-apocalyptic show The 100, which just began its fifth season on the CW.

For our interview segment, we spoke to actor Malcolm Barrett, who plays Rufus Carlin in the NBC time travel hit, Timeless, which is currently in its second season.

Timecodes: Multiple Series Showrunners - 2:02 Lost in Space - 16:30 The 100 - 36:17 Timeless Interview - 58:44

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Bonus Interview: Dan Dworkin & Jay Beattie (The Crossing)

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 11:13:05 GMT

Spoiler warning! Creators Dan Dworkin and Jay Beattie heard our discussion of The Crossing on the last podcast and wanted to talk once episode 4 of their show, which contained a pivotal twist at the end, aired on ABC. We went on to ask them about their unique time travel tale and some of the storytelling decisions they made.

For a discussion of the series premiere of The Crossing, check out our previous episode.

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SFF28: Jessica Jones, The Crossing, Aaron Pierre (Krypton)

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 15:05:37 GMT

On the April edition of our podcast, we starts off with a discussion topic suggested by one of our listeners that took us down the rabbit hole of medium-mixing episodes where shows experimented with animation, parody, and the ever-popular musical episode.

The show discussion begins with a look at Jessica Jones season 2, which dropped on Netflix on March 8, 2018, and how it has changed in tone somewhat from its first season. Then we dive into the premiere episode of ABC's time travel drama, The Crossing, which just began its run on April 2, 2018.

Our interview this month is with Aaron Pierre, who plays the enigmatic character of Dev-Em on Syfy's new Superman prequel, Krypton.

Timecodes: Medium Mixing Episodes - 1:59 Jessica Jones - 20:15 The Crossing - 39:07 Krypton Interview - 56:08

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Bonus Interview: Thomas Schelesny (Game of Thrones)

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 02:07:48 GMT

We spoke with Thomas Schelesny, visual effects supervisor for Image Engine, who created Drogon the dragon for the loot train sequence in Game of Thrones season 7 episode 4, "Spoils of War." Schelesny helped us understand how CGI integrates with practical effects to make it look like Daenerys and her dragon are decimating the Lannister lines. We also spoke about Schelesny's other work on Starship Troopers, Enchanted, and Drag Me To Hell.

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SFF27: Hard Sun, Stargate Origins, Nazanin Boniadi (Counterpart)

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 17:21:27 GMT

This month, we take on the varied world of shows that continued on without one or more principal characters. It was a difficult task to find just the right "success" stories (relatively speaking), but once we found our candidates, some interesting differences appeared.

Our show topics this month include two new shows. The first is Hard Sun, a UK import from BBC One that's airing on Hulu here in the states. Is it really sci-fi? The other is Stargate Origins, an exploratory web series that MGM has released on its new Stargate Command service. Is this the right approach to reviving the franchise?

Lastly, Nazanin Boniadi speaks to us about her Counterpart character, Clare, who took a surprising turn in the latest episode of this Starz series.

Timecodes: Shows Missing Principal Character - 3:00 Hard Sun - 17:07 Stargate Origins - 32:43 Counterpart Interview - 57:31

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SFF26: Altered Carbon, Counterpart, Katherine Ramdeen (Supernatural)

Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:55:21 GMT

In honor of the start of The Magicians season 3 and the recent Charmed reboot cast announcements, this month's discussion topic is our favorite spellcasters on television, and we discover that they're not exclusive to fantasy shows!

Our show topics this month include Altered Carbon, which had its 10-episode first season released to great acclaim on Netflix on February 2, 2018, and Counterpart, which also kicked off its first season on Starz to favorable critical response on January 21, 2018.

Katherine Ramdeen also spoke to us about her character Alex and the backdoor pilot for Wayward Sisters which aired as part of Supernatural's thirteenth season on January 18, 2018.

Timecodes: Spellcasters - 2:25 Altered Carbon - 19:56 Counterpart - 35:21 Supernatural Interview - 53:51

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SFF25: Dark, Travelers, William B. Davis (The X-Files)

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 14:40:55 GMT

American television hasn't cornered the market on good sci-fi, but some networks (particularly Netflix) have been very savvy about rebroadcasting and reinventing the best from overseas and up north. We talk about six imports and reboots that are worth your time.

Our show topics this month, in fact, are a couple of imports, both featuring very innovative time travel themes. The first is Dark on Netflix, which released its first season on December 1, and the other is Travelers season 2, which dropped on Netflix as well on December 23.

The cherry on top of this month's podcast is our full interview with William B. Davis of The X-Files, which just began its 11th season on January 3 on FOX. He shares his experiences playing the iconic role of Cigarette Smoking Man on the show.

Timecodes: US Imports & Reboots - 2:10 Dark season 1 on Netflix - 16:30 Travelers season 2 on Netflix - 35:35 The X-Files interview - 56:28

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Bonus Interview - Preview: William B. Davis (The X-Files)

Mon, 01 Jan 2018 13:00:00 GMT

We'll be sharing our full interview with William B. Davis, who plays the iconic cigarette-smoking villain on The X-Files, in our January podcast, coming soon, but since the season 11 premiere is January 3, we simply had to preview our discussion in the lead-up to the exciting return of The X-Files reboot.

We chose the juiciest five minutes from Davis' discussion of the new season and where his character may be headed in The X-Files season 11. Tune in to our next podcast for more details about this history of the character and Davis' journey as an actor.

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Bonus Interview: Christian Kane (The Librarians)

Thu, 28 Dec 2017 16:04:26 GMT

Christian Kane joins the podcast to talk about The Librarians season 4 and an episode coming on January 3, 2018 in particular in which he plays a pivotal role. Kaniacs will no doubt enjoy the installment which features a team-building retreat that simply can't be missed.

Kane also talks a bit about his time on Angel and Leverage as well as some upcoming projects. You can see Kane in The Librarians each Wednesday at 8pm ET on TNT.

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SFF24: Runaways, Agents of SHIELD, Lindy Booth (The Librarians)

Sat, 09 Dec 2017 02:25:41 GMT

Since Mike and Dave chose two Marvel shows to talk about this month, they decided to make their discussion topic about TV shows featuring superpowered groups that were not based on comics, of which there were surprisingly quite a few. They also share some listener choices in the category.

Show topics in December include Marvel's Runaways, which began on November 21 and is now halfway through its first season on Hulu, and Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, which just began its fifth season on December 1 on ABC.

Dave spoke with Lindy Booth in our interview segment; she plays Cassandra Cillian on TNT's The Librarians, which begins its fourth season on December 13.

Timecodes: Non-Comics Superheroes - 2:41 Runaways - 17:16 Agents of SHIELD - 38:44 The Librarians Interview - 55:27

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SFF23: The Gifted, Stranger Things, Ben Karlin (Future Man)

Wed, 08 Nov 2017 15:11:44 GMT

Sometimes the antagonist of a show is just as enjoyable as the hero, and this month we share some of the villains we love even though we're not supposed to. Our listeners get in on the game as well and share some of their favorites.

Our show topics this month include season 1 of The Gifted on FOX, which is over halfway through its 10-episode run, and Stranger Things season 2, which released its nine episodes on Netflix on October 27.

We preview the time travel comedy Future Man, 13 episodes of which Hulu will share on November 14, by talking to Emmy Award-winning producer and showrunner, Ben Karlin, in our interview segment.

Timecodes: Likable Villains - 1:47 The Gifted - 15:48 Stranger Things - 36:55 Future Man - 57:55

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SFF22: Star Trek Discovery, The Good Place, Samuel Barnett (Dirk Gently)

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 15:40:52 GMT

This month's discussion kicks off with our list of genre characters who we think deserve their own shows. We select from a host of diverse shows, from Orphan Black to Iron Fist, and solicit audience opinions on whom they'd pick for a spinoff.

Show topics this month include Star Trek: Discovery, which began with no small amount of controversy on CBS All Access on September 24, 2017, and The Good Place, which premiered its second season on NBC on September 20, 2017.

Our interview segment is with none other that Dirk Gently himself, Samuel Barnett of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, who previews the second season coming to BBC America on October 14, 2017.

Timecodes: Spinoff Characters - 2:21 Star Trek: Discovery - 13:50 The Good Place - 34:19 Dirk Gently Interview - 49:02

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Bonus Interview: Luvia Petersen (Ghost Wars)

Thu, 05 Oct 2017 19:28:30 GMT

Mike and Dave spoke to Luvia Petersen about her upcoming role as Val McGrath-Dufresne on Syfy's Ghost Wars, premiering on October 5, 2017. The horror series reunites her with showrunner Simon Barry, whom she last worked with on Continuum, where she played Jasmine Garza. Ghost Wars joins the horror line-up on Thursday nights alongside Van Helsing, which has its season 2 premiere on October 5 as well.

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SFF21: The Orville, The Last Ship, Nick Antosca (Channel Zero)

Fri, 08 Sep 2017 16:56:24 GMT

Our "Sci Fi Royalty" segment continues with discussion of the iconic ladies of genre television. These are actors who have either created a role that became an archetype for sci-fi television or whose body of work is so broad that they've bridged multiple fandoms. You may be surprised by some of our choices!

Show topics include a spoiler-free preview of FOX's The Orville, a new comedic space drama from Seth McFarlane, and TNT's The Last Ship (Mike bingewatched it from the beginning), which is nearing the halfway mark of its fourth season.

This month's interview is with Nick Antosca, showrunner of Syfy's horror anthology series, Channel Zero. Antosca talks about the creepypasta inspiration for season 2: No End House, which begins on September 20.

Timecodes: Sci Fi Royalty - 2:09 The Orville - 18:05 The Last Ship - 30:01 Channel Zero Interview - 49:40

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Bonus Interview: Michael Gatt (Blood Drive)

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 02:17:56 GMT

In this special bonus interview edition of our podcast, we talk to Michael Gatt, the composer of the rockin' music in the Syfy grindhouse series, Blood Drive. He tells us about the wonderful musical choices he's been able to make in a series which explores a different sub-genre in each episode.

You can enjoy Michael Gatt's scores along with the rest of Blood Drive as it airs on Wednesday nights at 10pm ET on Syfy.

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SFF20: Midnight Texas, Salvation, Michelle Lovretta (Killjoys)

Fri, 04 Aug 2017 14:11:02 GMT

Our two-part "Sci Fi Royalty" segment begins with the men and our picks for the most iconic or far-reaching genre actors in the business. These are actors who have either created a role that became an archetype for sci-fi television or whose body of work is so broad that they've bridged multiple fandoms. Next month, the women!

The show topics this month include NBC's newest supernatural offering, Midnight, Texas, which began its run on July 24, 2017, and the asteroid-headed-for-earth thriller on CBS, Salvation, which is also a new series that began on July 12, 2017.

Our interview is with the amazing, talented, and enthusiastic creator/showrunner of Killjoys, Michelle Lovretta, who talks about the show's third season on Syfy and her hopes for a season 4 renewal.

Timecodes: Sci Fi Royalty - 2:04 Midnight, Texas - 12:28 Salvation - 26:58 Killjoys Interview - 46:20

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Bonus Interview: Stephan Zlotescu & Scott Glassgold

Thu, 20 Jul 2017 13:20:03 GMT

In a follow-up to our discussion of short-form sci-fi series in our July podcast, this bonus interview edition brings filmmaker Stephan Zlotescu and producer Scott Glassgold to Sci Fi Fidelity to talk about their new line-up of shows for the international streaming service, Blackpills.

Among the shows discussed...

Tokyo Red, created and directed by Stephan Zlotescu, written by Phil Gellat: In the future, we follow one man's journey to find his family through a highly irradiated, post-fallout Tokyo.
Isolated, created and directed by Tomas Vergara, written by Tomas & Manuel Vergara: Based on the hit short film, a man wakes up in the middle of what appears to be a zombie apocalypse. He has two hours to solve a puzzle that threatens not only his own life, but the world as we know it.
Product Wars, created and written by Stephan Zlotescu: When product mascots are genetically engineered to boost sales, our consumer crazy population overlooks the mascot's well being which leads to an unexpected uprising.
Future Sex, directed by Mac & Zac, written by Hank Woon: An anthology series that explores the future of sex.
Same Rights, written by Gary Hall: The world's attention is captured when, for the first time, an AI is put on trial for murder.

The slate of shows is entering production shortly and will be available for free on the Blackpills app in 2018.

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SFF19: The Mist, Killjoys, Graham McTavish (Preacher, Outlander)

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 13:55:34 GMT

Some of the best shows are hiding online with shorter episodes than televised series. Our discussion of short form sci-fi explores the viability and accessibility of episodes that are less than 15 minutes long and shares some examples you might enjoy including Con Man, H+, Project S.E.R.A., Blood and Chrome, Miss 2059, and Quantum Break.

The show topics this month include The Mist, the Stephen King adaptation which recently began its first season on SpikeTV, and Killjoys, a can't-miss space drama which just aired its season 3 premiere at the end of June on SYFY.

Our interview segment is with Graham McTavish, who plays the so-called "Saint of Killers" on Preacher, which is in the middle of its second season on AMC, and who also portrays Dougal MacKenzie on Outlander, which begins its third season in September.

Timecodes: Short Form Series - 2:21 The Mist - 21:11 Killjoys - 36:55 Preacher Interview - 51:22

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SFF18: The Handmaid's Tale, Blood Drive, Melanie Scrofano & Tim Rozon (Wynonna Earp)

Fri, 09 Jun 2017 14:50:50 GMT

We continue digging into the vault for our discussion this month; this time we're naming the shows that we think are ready for a rewatch. We even have a listener contributing his own suggestion - thanks, Scott! Which shows would you enjoy starting over with again?

Our show topics this month include The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu, which wraps up its first season next week and has thankfully long since been renewed, and a spoiler-free preview of Blood Drive, a grindhouse classic-in-the-making from Syfy, which begins its run on June 14, 2017.

Another double-header line-up for our interview segment includes two stars from Syfy's Wynonna Earp, which begins its second season on June 9, 2017. Melanie Scrofano - Wynonna herself - joins us as does Tim Rozon, who plays Doc Holliday.

Timecodes: Shows To Rewatch - 2:18 The Handmaid's Tale - 16:51 Blood Drive - 36:25 Wynonna Earp Interviews - 49:56

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SFF17: American Gods, Lucifer, Lance Reddick & Seth Gabel (Fringe)

Tue, 09 May 2017 16:27:01 GMT

Last month we talked about classic sci-fi we somehow missed out on, and this month we're discussing some more obscure offerings that might have escaped your notice over the years. See if you agree whether these under-recognized classics deserve more attention!

Show topics this month include American Gods, which began its run on April 30, 2017 on Starz, and Lucifer, which just began the back half of its second season on May 1, 2017 on Fox.

And our interview segment gets nostalgic as well as we speak with two actors from the much beloved Fringe: Lance Reddick and Seth Gabel, who talk about their time on the show and what they're currently working on. Guest interviewer: Darrell Darnell

Timecodes: Shows You Missed - 3:19 American Gods - 28:20 Lucifer - 38:44 Fringe Interviews - 49:07

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SFF16: iZombie, Humans, Dez Dolly (Dimension 404)

Wed, 05 Apr 2017 13:05:04 GMT

In the April 2017 edition of our podcast, we confess to having somehow missed out on six quite popular shows, with some overlap between the two hosts. You'll be shocked at which classics we haven't seen!

Show topics this month include iZombie, which began its third season on the CW on April 4, and a favorite we can't say enough good things about: Humans on AMC, which ended its second season recently and has already been renewed for season 3.

Our interview segment is with Dez Dolly, founder of RocketJump and showrunner for the production company's collaboration with Hulu, an anthology series in the vein of The Twilight Zone called Dimension 404 that began on April 4.

Timecodes: Shows We Missed - 2:30 iZombie - 18:04 Humans - 29:34 Dimension 404 Interview - 48:54

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Bonus Interview: Nick Frost (Into the Badlands)

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 14:58:47 GMT

In this special interview edition of Sci Fi Fidelity, we take a detour into the genre-bending martial arts drama called Into the Badlands. We spoke with Nick Frost of Shaun of the Dead fame about his new recurring role in season 2, which begins on March 19, 2017 on AMC.

It's a post-apocalypse world in which guns are forbidden and barons rule in a feudalistic society with armies of cutters to fight their battles. Frost's character will join Daniel Wu as an unlikely but powerful companion.

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SFF15: Legion, The 100, Ruth Bradley (Humans)

Wed, 08 Mar 2017 15:34:16 GMT

In the March 2017 edition of our podcast, we discuss as our Super Six topic what we enjoy seeing and what really doesn't work in season and series finales with examples from current and canceled shows.

Show topics this month include a look at the first half of the opening season of Legion on FX, which began its run on February 8, as well as a spoiler-filled discussion of the first five episodes of The 100 season 4, which started on The CW on February 1.

Our interview segment is with Ruth Bradley, who plays DI Karen Voss on the British import Humans, which is in the middle of its second season on AMC that began on February 13.

Timecodes: Finale Discussion - 2:20 Legion - 19:31 The 100 - 37:15 Humans Interview - 53:46

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SFF14: The Magicians, Colony, Naren Shankar (The Expanse)

Tue, 07 Feb 2017 17:49:30 GMT

In the February 2017 edition of our podcast, we continue with our "Super Six" discussion topic. This month we're debating which apocalypses we would least mind having to live in if we had to. We're calling it "Apocalypse Now."

Show topics this month include a pair of sophomore seasons. First, we'll go into The Magicians, which began its second run on January 25 on Syfy. Then we'll discuss the appropriately apocalyptic Colony, which started its season 2 on January 12 on the USA Network.

Our interview segment is with The Expanse showrunner, Naren Shankar, who shares with us his unique vision for this space drama, also in its second season on Syfy as of February 1.

Timecodes Apocalypse Now - 2:20 The Magicians - 28:45 Colony - 41:38 The Expanse Interview: 59:03

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SFF13: Travelers, Emerald City, Sera Gamble (The Magicians)

Thu, 12 Jan 2017 01:27:20 GMT

In the January 2017 edition of our podcast, we begin our new discussion format for the year: the "Super Six," in which we each pick 3 exemplars from a chosen category. This month's topic: spaceships as characters we've loved.

Show topics this month include Travelers, which dropped all 12 of its episodes on Netflix on December 23, and Emerald City, the modern take on Oz which just began its run on January 6 on NBC. Both shows are in their first but hopefully not their last season.

Our interview segment this week is with The Magicians executive producer and showrunner Sera Gamble, who gives a wonderful preview of what we can expect when the show begins its second season on Syfy on January 25.

The "Making of Emerald City" video mentioned in the podcast can be found here.

Timecodes Spaceship Characters - 3:34 Travelers - 27:20 Emerald City - 43:31 The Magicians Interview - 57:40

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Bonus Interview: Tim Davies (Trollhunters)

Thu, 22 Dec 2016 16:38:23 GMT

In this special interview edition of Sci Fi Fidelity, we speak with famed conductor and orchestrator Tim Davies about his composing debut on Guillermo del Toro's Trollhunters animated series on Netflix.

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SFF12: The Librarians, The Man in the High Castle, Eric McCormack & Brad Wright (Travelers)

Tue, 13 Dec 2016 16:52:08 GMT

In the December edition of our podcast, we discuss the role of androids in science fiction and how they reflect the human condition. Examples from Westworld, Star Trek, Agents of SHIELD, Battlestar Galactica, Humans, and many more are used to illustrate the themes of consciousness and sentience (see also 11 Androids on Television).

Show topics this month include The Librarians on TNT, which recently began its third season with more Noah Wyle and an added protagonist in Vanessa Williams, and The Man in the High Castle on Amazon Prime, which drops its second season of 10 episodes on December 16 (see also spoiler-free review).

Our interview segment this week is with actor Eric McCormack and producer Brad Wright from Travelers on Netflix, which has its debut on Netflix on December 23.

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SFF11: Black Mirror, Mars, Dirk Gently, Simon Barry & Kelly Overton (Van Helsing)

Tue, 08 Nov 2016 01:23:46 GMT

In the November edition of our podcast, we skip the traditional discussion topic to share a triple line-up of television shows, two of which we're currently enjoying and one of which will be beginning soon. We also did this to accommodate our double interview - a super-sized podcast all around!

First in the lineup is Black Mirror, which Netflix picked up for season 3 and 4; we break down the season 3 premiere. Then we preview Mars on Nat Geo, a hybrid fiction/non-fiction exploration of the challenges of colonizing the red planet. We round things off with a discussion of the series premiere of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency on BBC America, a zany look at investigating crimes in which everything, no matter how strange, is connected.

Our interview segment revisits Van Helsing as it wraps up its first season. We chat with the female lead, Kelly Overton, and the show's executive producer, Simon Barry, and get some inside information on the mythology of the vampire show.

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SFF10: Westworld, Channel Zero, David Ajala (Falling Water)

Wed, 12 Oct 2016 18:08:38 GMT

In the October edition of our podcast, we discuss what viewer expectations are and perhaps should be when watching a TV show based on a book, on a movie, or on comics. While opinions differ, are people generally more accepting of adaptations and under what circumstances?

Show topics this month include HBO's Westworld which has come out of the gate a genre fan favorite, and the complexities of this remake illustrate the earlier discussion topic nicely. We also talk about Syfy's new horror anthology series, Channel Zero, the "creepypasta" adaptation which starts this week.

And our interview is with David Ajala, who stars in USA Network's new mind-bending thriller, Falling Water, which also started its first season this month.

Link mentioned in the podcast: Kris Straub's Candle Cove on which Channel Zero is based.

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SFF09: Fall Genre TV Lineup, Jason Gallagher (Z Nation)

Tue, 13 Sep 2016 16:26:21 GMT

In the calm before the fall season storm, Sci Fi Fidelity takes a break from its regular show discussions to preview the genre offerings that are coming in droves over the next few months. The hosts break down what you'll be able to choose from on each night of the week and share their personal recommendations.

With the appearance of several sci-fi comedies, a debate develops over whether shows like The Good Place, Son of Zorn, and Making History qualify as genre fare. Geek television has already accommodated comics-based shows in addition to sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, so why not one more?

This month's interview is with composer Jason Gallagher, who wrote the soundtrack for the fun zombie romp on Syfy, Z Nation.

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SFF08: Van Helsing, Stranger Things, Anne Heche & James Tupper (Aftermath)

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 22:56:35 GMT

What’s with time travel showing up all over television this fall? The hosts of Sci Fi Fidelity try to track down the reasoning behind this science fiction sub-genre suddenly going mainstream. With shows like Timeless, Time After Time, Travelers, and Making History coming to big networks in the coming season, will stories about changing history catch on with general audiences, and will the concept be watered down such that it ruins the appeal for hardcore sci-fi fans?

The highlighted shows this month are Van Helsing, a Syfy show coming in September which has an uphill battle overcoming preconceptions about it being The Walking Dead with vampires, and Stranger Things, the Netflix 80’s nostalgia addiction that has been the talk of the summer. The guys discuss what makes each show work for the audience at which they’re each aimed.

The interview segment this month brings to the forefront another upcoming fall show on Syfy called Aftermath, which stars Anne Heche and James Tupper as parents of a family trying to survive in an ongoing apocalypse. The hosts speak with the couple about the story behind the show, their experience on the set of a disaster survival series, and what viewers can expect from the characters that make up the Copeland family.

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SFF07: Penny Dreadful, Killjoys, Joseph Mallozzi (Dark Matter)

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 22:55:03 GMT

With San Diego Comic Con on the horizon, the hosts of Sci Fi Fidelity take some time to discuss the importance of conventions both to the creative talent behind everyone’s favorite television shows and to the fandom they serve. What do they get out of the experience, both financially and personally? Why do people go to conventions in the first place?

The shows up for discussion this month are Penny Dreadful, a Showtime series that sadly ended its run this summer, and Killjoys, a space drama on Syfy that weaves a nicely complex culture and inhabits it with interesting and genuinely likable characters.

Killjoys’ companion series on Syfy is another spacefaring show called Dark Matter, and this month’s interview is with Dark Matter’s showrunner, co-creator, and executive producer, Joseph Mallozzi. He shares some of the vision behind the creation of the show as well as what viewers can expect from season 2.

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SFF06: Outlander, Preacher, Blake Neely (The Flash)

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 22:06:45 GMT

For the June edition of Sci Fi Fidelity, Mike and Dave are changing the format to make the podcast more topical. The main discussion centers around the pros and cons of showrunners participating in fandoms on social media, and the guys line up on opposite sides of the argument. With recent fervor over fandom being broken, opinions are shared as to the veracity of that assertion.

The new approach for show discussions has the hosts each selecting a show that they're currently enjoying and highlighting the current story in the most recent episodes. This month, Outlander and Preacher tae center stage and get glowing recommendations. The hosts also talk about the shows they're reviewing here on Den of Geek and what's on the horizon for future viewing.

The featured interview this month is with Blake Neely, composer of the soundtracks for Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow among other things in his TV and film music resume.

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Bonus Interview: Charlie Clouser (Wayward Pines)

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 22:05:16 GMT

In this bonus interview, we talk to Charlie Clouser, composer of the Wayward Pines soundtrack, about some of the things we can expect to see - and hear - in season 2.

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SFF05: Orphan Black, 12 Monkeys, Emily Hampshire (12 Monkeys)

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 22:03:32 GMT

Mike and Dave can’t think of anything bad to say about Orphan Black on BBC America or 12 Monkeys on Syfy, both of which began their seasons in April. With Orphan Black entering its fourth season, Tatiana Maslany's ability to play a whole host of characters never ceases to impress, and the conspiracy story is still going strong. Likewise, 12 Monkeys hasn't slowed down in its sophomore season; if anything it's getting better!

Added to the mix is an interview with Emily Hampshire, who plays Jennifer Goines on 12 Monkeys, giving some nice details about possible backstory for her group of badass women called "The Daughters," as well as characters that may emerge.

The podcast ends with a discussion of TV revivals and reboots, since 12 Monkeys is such a great example of how to do it right! The guys discuss everything from Xena to X-Files, which re-imaginings work and which don't.

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SFF04: Wynonna Earp, Agents of SHIELD, Britne Oldford (Hunters)

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 22:02:07 GMT

In Episode 4 of the podcast, Mike and Dave go off the beaten path as they discuss the new supernatural offering from Syfy, Wynonna Earp, and they also talk about one of their favorite ongoing shows, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. as it enters the back half of its third season. Together with their interview with Britne Oldford from another new Syfy show, Hunters, is a discussion of advanced digital releases.

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Bonus Interview: John Paesano (Daredevil)

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 22:00:57 GMT

In a bonus episode of Sci Fi Fidelity, Mike talks Daredevil season 2 and interviews the series' composer, John Paesano.

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SFF03: Legends of Tomorrow, 11.22.63, Ryan Condal (Colony)

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 21:59:32 GMT

In Episode 3 of the podcast, it's time to discuss the highs and lows of Legends of Tomorrow, dive into the past with Hulu's Stephen King adaptation, 11.22.63, and interview co-creator and showrunner of USA's Colony, Ryan Condal. Plus, Mike and Dave discuss the 2016 Saturn Award nominees.

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SFF02: The X-Files, The 100, Laura Vandervoort (Supergirl)

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 21:58:15 GMT

In Episode 2B of the podcast, Mike and Dave continue their discussion of the X-Files revival on Fox by analyzing the first three episodes of the new season. They also discuss the opening storyline in season 3 of The 100 and share a special interview with Laura Vandervoort of Bitten, who will be a recurring villain on Supergirl starting in February.

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Bonus Discussion: The X-Files

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 21:56:35 GMT

In a special edition of Sci Fi Fidelity, Michael Ahr and Dave Vitagliano discuss the long-awaited return of The X-Files. Guest Matt Allair from The X-Files Lexicon joins the podcast.

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SFF01: Doctor Who, The Expanse, Dominique Tipper (The Expanse)

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 21:54:57 GMT

In the first episode of Den of Geek's new podcast, Sci Fi Fidelity, hosts Michael Ahr and Dave Vitagliano dive into the Doctor Who Christmas Special, Syfy's new series The Expanse, and binge-watching television.

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