Sam: Welcome to Monkey Off my
Backlog the podcast where we
exorcise our pop culture demons
by tackling our media to do
lists one week at a time. I'm
your host, Sam Morris, and with
me are my co host, Andy Bowman
and Tessa Swehla. This week,
Andy gets spicy and checks a sci
fi classic off his list. Tessa
travels into the Expanse, and I
entered an author's horrific
hellscape. And no, I did not
read a Stephen King novel. So I
wanted to start off this week by
talking about a very serious
issue that affects many of us
today. Netflix cheating. I, I
live with somebody who is a
repeat Netflix cheater. It's
true. She's the worst. So I want
to talk about that for a little
bit today and how that hinders
our pop culture to do this
checking off.
Tessa: You all didn't know this,
but you were actually privy to
like a counseling session that's
happening right now. About
Andy: Hold on. Hold on, let me
get the let me get like the
German Freud glasses and put
them on.
Sam: I'm actually I'm actually
lying down on the couch right
now.
Tessa: So what what would we
define Netflix cheating as then
Sam?
Sam: It's the thing you do when
I'm not here. And I have said
don't watch this without me. And
then you do it.
Tessa: What is Netflix cheating
for you, Andy? Is this a problem
in your house?
Andy: Oh, Okay, okay, um, this
is not a problem in my house. It
has been a problem in prior
relationships I've had. I know
exactly where Sam is coming
from. Right, I completely 100%
know where Sam is coming from.
Unfortunately, I have kind of
the exact opposite problem in my
house and we'll discuss that in
a second.
Sam: I see so I have a terrible
memory which, which if you if
you haven't picked up on yet I
do. Tessa, why don't you share
some of the things that you have
cheated on?
Tessa: Oh, you want me to self
incriminate.
Sam: Yes, I would like you to do
that.
Tessa: Okay. I will share some
of the things that I have
supposedly Netflix cheated on.
However, I would also like to
follow it up by explaining why I
think Netflix cheating happens
or at least why I have done it
unintentionally in the past. So
that I some of the things I've
Netflix cheated. I started
watching Master of None the
second season without you.
Sam: Oh that's right, the time
you accidentally watched more
episodes than you meant to.
Tessa: I remember that, and I
would like to point out this
only happens when he's out of
town. It never has happened
while he is he's in the house.
So the Master of None. What else
have I Netflix cheated on you. I
did. Oh, I did Always Be My
Maybe, which you were really mad
about because Keanu Reeves is in
it.
Sam: Mm hmm. Um, Keanu Reeves is
mine.
Tessa: And did I start...did I
do Glow too?
Sam: No, no Glow wasn't it;
suffices to say, you know what
you did.
Tessa: Anyway, point is I have
done it before. I'd like to talk
a little bit about why I think
it happens. Why I think it
happens actually has to do with
backlogs quite a bit. And if you
live in a house with another
person who theoretically you
love and want to watch things
with ...
Sam: In theory!
Tessa: There's there is a
problem. I think sometimes with
either you both want to watch a
lot of the same things. And that
ends up causing more of a
backlog because you don't have
as much time to get through all
of the things because you have
to wait until both of you are
ready to watch it. Or you aren't
interested in some of the same
things and you can't find time
to watch the thing that you're
interested in because that other
person wants to watch something
else. So I think that sometimes
Netflix cheating happens,
because you're in an emotional
place where you want to watch
that second season of that show
that that you know is comforting
or what have you or you're
really excited about. But you
haven't been able to watch it
for several months because
someone doesn't want to watch it
before watching some other show
or movie. So I think that part
of it actually does have to do
with backlog somebody else what
someone in the relationship
prioritizes whatever it is,
they're watching higher than the
person that they're with the
person that they're with
prioritizes it lower on the
list, I think in some cases.
Andy: Okay. Now Sam How does
that make you feel?
Tessa: Use I feel statements!
Sam: Well, I so will I it makes
me feel sad because she actually
really lays out the case; I
think that's I think that's why
a lot of it happens. I always
think of...I mean it's it's used
as a plot on television shows
quite a quite a bit. How I Met
Your Mother has an episode about
Downton Abbey or whatever it is
they call it.
Tessa: Whatever their Downton
Abbey is.
Sam: Yeah about it. I know I've
seen it in at least a few other
shows. You know, it's really
interesting. So, Tessa is going
to talk about the Expanse later.
I really want to watch The
Expanse. I feel like it's even
been on my radar for longer than
it has yours. But, I didn't. I
didn't have time to watch it
with you for this. So I've just
not seen a show and it hurts. It
hurts. It's not Netflix
cheating. But it still doesn't
feel good.
Andy: Well, and I think that's
how you have to combat Netflix
cheating is by agreeing that
you're both not going to
necessarily agree which shows
are really important for you to
see at the same time and then
which ones are okay to watch on
your own because there is just a
finite amount of time. And if
you just wait to always watch it
with someone, you might not
necessarily get there when you
want to.
Okay, okay, now, I actually do
have a solution to Netflix
cheating. Let's hear it. Okay.
This is this is very simple. All
right. You guys get two shows
that you determine you will not
watch without the other person.
Everything else is fair game.
Sam: Two shows.
Tessa: I like that. That's
strict.
Sam: And look, let me let me let
me go to the let me go to the TV
show app. Let me see. See,
there's one, two, three, four...
Tessa: No, you only get two.
Sam: five, six, seven, eight,
nine, ten, nine. So my No What
I'm saying is they're like on
the on on the app of shows that
we my app list of shows that we
want to watch in the near
future. There are I just counted
nine that we want to watch
together. that's a that's a lot.
Tessa: It's a lot. I mean, yeah.
So I like this idea of maybe
putting a cap on it like, okay,
you can reserve this many.
Andy: Right, now. Now, here's
the other thing, okay. Basic
decency dictates two more
stipulations to this. One. When
either of you are going to sit
down and watch a show that's not
in those two. You just give the
Hey, sweetie. Hey. pooky? I'm
about to watch the Expanse.
Would you like to join me? And
if they say, you know, and if
your significant other just
goes, Oh, I'm busy right now.
But I really do want to watch
this. All you do is say, Okay,
well, the timer starts now. And
that timer is just a couple
days. And if you know if it Sam,
if you want to watch The
Expanse, and Tessa doesn't get
back to you and those few days,
you just watch it.
I given you a deadline, this is
the deadline.
Right? That's this is this is
the thing, right? Basic, you
know, just basic human decency
will dictate. Well, you know,
I'm going to let her know that
I'm about to watch this give me
the option to watch it together.
But if it's not important enough
on her list that she can make
the time to do To watch it in
the next few, I'd say 48 hours.
Right just then it's not
important enough to her it's not
high enough on her list to
warrant waiting for her.
Tessa: Yeah, I think that
that's...
Sam: Yeah. And and also never
watched anything with Keenu
Reeves without me.
Tessa: Okay, first of all, I
really didn't know Keanu Reeves
was in that movie.
Sam: You could have stopped then
and there.
Andy: I just imagine Tessa
screaming, no!
Sam: You should have said no.
Tessa: You should have said no.
Should have thought twice fore
you let it all go.
Sam: Yep, that's right. So So
Andy, how did you come across
this sage wisdom? How have you
learned?
Andy: Andy: I have, I have just
learned because I have the exact
opposite problem where me and my
lovely lovely wife. She does not
like tell me that she doesn't
want to watch stuff with me. So
I will assume that she wants to
watch stuff with me. And I will
prevent my own self from
watching or enjoying something
for a year, maybe two years.
Before I just go, okay, Sarah, I
really, really, really would
like to watch this movie. I
would really, really like to
watch Green Book. And she goes,
Oh, well, you can go ahead and
watch it. I don't I don't really
want to watch it.
Tessa: Tessa: You can go ahead
and watch that.
Sam: Sam: Yeah. Or you could
just forget it ever existed?
Andy: Andy: Yeah, no, no, I
don't actually have any desire
to watch Green Book. But the
point I'm making is that there,
I put these things on the list
and don't experience them
because I'm waiting for Sarah to
be in the right mood and in
reality, it's just not as high
on her list. Now, I never really
like talk to her about this or
said anything about right. You
know, it's my fault for not
communicating with her that oh,
this this horror movie that I'm
saving, I'm saving it because
I've heard it was good. I think
she'll like it. But I didn't ask
her. Hey, do you want to watch
it? So on my, on my Plex server,
I have an entire playlist of
movies Sarah doesn't want to
watch.
Sam: Sam: I feel like these are
this is the kind of problem that
only people who are really into
pop culture have, which is great
if you're listening this because
you have that problem to
probably, I don't know, I feel
better now. Does everybody else
feel better?
Tessa: Tessa: Do you feel like
you exorcised this pop culture?
Sam: Sam: Sure, let's say. All
right. All right. Good talk. All
right. I'm gonna throw it over
to Andy now because you're going
to tell us about Dune. You read
Dune one of Tessa's favorite
books so I'm sure she'll have
things to say but but tell us
about Dune.
Andy: Andy: Okay, well first of
all Dune was very dry.
Tessa: Tessa: Well, it is on a
desert planet.
Andy: Andy: Alright, so Dune has
been one of these books i got i
might be giving too much of a
peek behind my own personal
habits. But it's been what I
call a bathroom book. I have had
it sitting on my toilet at
various points in time of my
life and every once in a while I
forget to bring my phone into
the bathroom and I will try to
read Dune I will try to start
and hope that it hooks me. It
has failed so many times to hook
me up since I was like 15. Dune
has been one of these things
that just has never hooked me
right I've I've forced myself to
to try I was in a relationship
with somebody who very, very
much loved Dune and tried to get
me to read it. Not Tessa, Sam,
you don't have to worry. I just
have not been able to crack
this, this this book, I haven't
been able to get myself there
and I decided, you know, early
on I really wanted to make the
point that we are going to be
covering a bunch of different
kinds of culture a bunch of
different things that can be on
your backlog, right? And I was
like, I'm going to do it. I'm
going to read Dune. I am going
to force myself to get through
this. So at the very least I can
say I have finally done it. All
you sci fi nerds that I know
who've tried to get me to read
Dune can finally get off my back
right this is not just the
monkey of Dune This is the
monkey of every well read person
that I respect also being on my
back about this.
Tessa: Tessa: That's that's a
lot a lot of monkey on your
back.
Sam: Sam: Yeah, a lot of
pressure, man.
Andy: Andy: Yeah. Yeah. And it's
it's a dense book it is a, a
dense book and I am happy to say
for people who know my gaming
habits I really like the Dark
Souls games the sounds like what
you're known for their crushing
difficulty. And it's this thing
where you keep pounding your
head into a concrete wall, and
eventually you break through
that wall. And much like much
like something finally clicking
for you with with one thing,
Dune finally clicked for me.
Sam: Sam: So let me ask you what
is doing about like, Can you can
you sum it? Like, I'm actually
really interested in somebody
who's just read it fresh. Can
you sum it up in as few words as
possible? Because if you talk to
Tessa about it, she'll sum it up
in five minutes.
Andy: Andy: Dune is about a
family of royalty coming to a
new imperialistic planet and the
the trials and tribulations that
come with that and the fact that
their child might be a Messiah.
Sam: Sam: Good times. Does
that...you don't look like
you're about to explode, Tessa?
Tessa: Tessa: Oh, I'm screaming
inside right now it's fine. It's
Tessa: Tessa: No actually that
was actually a fairly good
fine.
Sam: Sam: So
that's a pretty good pitching of
the premise because you can't
really get into a lot more
detail without I don't know if
you could really get into more
detail about going down the
rabbit hole and...
Andy: Andy: I can't get into
detail because I don't know.
Yeah.
Sam: Sam: And and British
musician Sting shows up at some
point.
Andy: Tessa: That's just in the
David Lynch adaptation.
Sam: Sam: Okay, yeah, so but
what but Sting is going to be
played by Timothy Chalamet in
the new movies?
Tessa: Tessa: No, you don't know
this at all. No.
Sam: Sam: I read Dune many years
ago, I actually a student
brought it to class one day and
said here, you need to read this
and you know, you can't you
can't you can't say no, say no
to that. So I read it, but it's
been many many years. Go ahead.
Andy: Andy: I mean, it's
basically just politics in space
would be my current. My current
where I am in the book because
this is a this is a dense book.
Have I mentioned that it's a
difficult read?
Sam: Sam: How dense is it? Huh?
That dense.
Andy: Andy: Okay, okay. I spend
all my day reading, uh, you
know, scholarly articles for for
my program, my, my graduate
program, I feel that there is an
economy of word in Dune that
every single word is important
to read is important to absorb
and to live with for a little
bit. Like this is book you do
not devour in a week, or devour
and do like a short weekend or
something. This is a book you
kind of have to live with, I
think and that's one of the
things about it is the world
building. And this is so good
that you feel like you're kind
of a part of this world. It's
it's a fascinating, fascinating
book I, it's just so hard to
recommend because it's a rough.
It's a rough introduction. The
author Frank Herbert felt very
okay, using a ton of different
words that people don't know
because, you know, this is a,
this is a fantasy world and you
know, that's part of the thing
is, you just use these words.
And while context clues can
help, it's kind of hard to put
new words and titles and all
these different things into my
mental vocabulary as I'm reading
it. So I keep like, you know,
going okay, this is the
character's name is, you know,
is one thing but then they refer
to him as another thing. It goes
back and forth. And eventually
it clicks. Eventually you start
remembering the character. All
the different things that the
characters can be called. You
know, it clicks. But this is
weird. And also, I always
thought Dune was more fantasy
than sci fi and I'm not sure I'm
wrong.
Sam: Sam: So where would you so
Okay, so now that you mentioned
it? What's your point of
comparison? If it was sci fi or
fantasy? Do you think that Dune
stands alongside?
Andy: Andy: Ooh, sci fi or
fantasy? It stands alongside? I
mean, so so a basic premise with
the world of Dune is that it
clearly takes place billions of
years in the future. And at that
point, taking place so far into
the future. There's this there's
this thing where some
technologies or even human
mutation can feel kind of like
magic. And that's why I'm having
a difficulty, you know, going
whether this is sci fi or not,
there are some strands of sci fi
in it, but it feels very much
fantasy to me.
Tessa: Tessa: Well, and the
technology is very limited for a
sci fi novel, as well.
Andy: Andy: Right, right.
Tessa: Tessa: as well because
it's in...this is the part of
the problem, I think is that
Herbert doesn't really believe
in exposition like at all. So
which I mean is good in some
ways for world building but in
other ways can be really
difficult to just dive straight
into. But the the technology
that exists in the universe of
Dune is very limited because
they don't trust technology.
They don't trust anything that
could become like artificial
intelligence.
Andy: Andy: Right, right. And
they and they kind of let you
know that early on that like,
oh, at one point, man was stupid
enough to rely on computers. We
don't do that anymore. We can
just do the math ourselves.
Tessa: Right. And and you do
like you said, there is like
things that seemed magical. Like
there's a whole order of of
sisters that that's introduced
at the beginning, which is one
of my favorite parts of of Dune,
the Bene Gesserit sisterhood and
they're definitely visit
presented as being magical
beings.
Andy: Right. But they are also
maybe not quite met like, like
one of the things that I really
am enjoying so far. And this is
so early on in the book. You
know, I'm like 200 pages in So,
but it's just there's hints that
this sisterhood they have a lot
of prophecies, but there's hints
that they've been specifically
putting seeds of prophecies, you
know, thousands and thousands of
years ago, knowing that
eventually just knowing the
general patterns of humanity,
this will come true. And we
guide it towards coming true.
Tessa: They're playing like
eight dimensional chess.
Andy: Yeah. So it's it's just
fascinating to read. I am
enjoying this on a level I don't
think I've enjoyed a book on
especially a book with a. I
mean, this feels like a book
that's from from the 60s.
There's there's this and you
know, maybe you guys can really
comment on this, like a narrator
that can jump in the heads of
characters mid scene, right that
that tells us exactly what
characters are thinking. And
then goes to another character
and gives us that character's
inner thoughts within the same
scene, and I'm used to, you
know, like Game of Thrones or
any other modern fantasy where
it's a chapter is that
character's POV and you stick
within the head of that
character.
Sam: Sam: So I as your it's
funny, as you're describing
this, I think I realized
something and I'm gonna ask
Tessa this question So it seems
like when you were describing
Dune earlier, I was reminded of
something. So Tessa loves
Russian literature. Is that why
you love Dune?
Andy: Tessa: Maybe? I mean, I
don't think Dune is quite as
bleak as Crime and Punishment.
Sam: Sam: Well, it's not it's
not so much bleak. The
writing's...Yeah.
Andy: Tessa: It's sort of the
layering in the complexity and
there's like, a lot of
symbolism. But it's not like a
literary like, it's as close to
a literary text as you can get
without being a literary text.
Like but but yeah, like the
you're right about the POV like
he, he definitely has an
omniscient narrator,
Andy: Right. It's just not
something I run into very often,
I do have to say the density and
just the quality of writing in
this I have to compare it to
something like Name of the Wind.
Sam: Sam: Mm hmm.
Andy: Andy: Which is a you know,
from from my never I mean, I I'm
not as deeply immersed in what
literature is You know, as you
guys are, but I consider Name of
the Wind to be literature.
Sam: Sam: It's good stuff.
Andy: Andy: Right? Right. I
consider it to be just like of
the highest quality that you
that we can get in like
contemporary fiction. The the
last novella, the one that's
written from the other, the
girls perspective.
Sam: Sam: Yeah, that one that
one's kind of on a different
level. That's, I think that one
especially is what you're
saying. True?
Andy: Tessa: Are you are you
being reminded of other sci fi
or fantasy or fantasy writers
that have come after Herbert at
all?
Andy: Well, not after but I'm
being reminded of, of the
Foundation series by Asimov.
Tessa: Yeah, there's a very
similar kind of bent I think
it's just kind of a style of
writing in sci fi.
Andy: It's looking at these
cultures millennia into the
future instead, and modern sci
fi i think is more Interested in
100, 200 years in the future?
Tessa: Right? Well, because we
see the catastrophes happening a
lot sooner.
Andy: Right? Overall I recommend
this is I think it's worth
bumping your head against that
brick wall and when to click
with you because I'm not gonna
be able to put this down over
the next probably week and a
half or so that I need to finish
this the story of a tradies is
very, very interesting and I
just love this world and all
these new customs and a good
political intrigue story will
always get me interested.
Sam: Sam: So what you're saying
is, if people have not read Dune
yet they should not fear reading
it.
Andy: Andy: Right. Fear is the
mind killer.
Tessa: Fear is the mind killer.
Gosh, I love Dune. I want to go
read it again right now.
Andy: All right, well, Tessa you
get your chance to talk about a
different sci fi. What did you
watch this week?
Tessa: Tessa: So I watched the
first season of The Expanse
Which is a television, a sci fi
television show based on the
series by James S. A. Corey, who
I actually hadn't read. I have
not read this series, so I can't
really speak to it as an
adaptation. I know the first
season season is based on the
first book in this series, which
is called Leviathan Wakes, which
is the name of the last episode
in the first season. It was
originally on ScyFy It premiered
in 2015. They had three seasons
on sci fi, it is now on Amazon,
I think they've they've only had
one season on Amazon, there's
four total. Each season is about
10 to between 10 and 14
episodes. They're about an hour
long, 40 minutes to an hour
long. I feel like that
information is important for for
some people who are looking to
take stuff off of their backlog.
So yeah, I mean, it's definitely
a show that had been on my radar
for a while a lot of people had
recommended it to me, especially
sci fi people, I'd heard a lot
about the production value
especially, and how it for a
show that has a very low budget
it was doing a lot of really,
really cool things with that
budget. I think the reason it
took me so long to get to this
was one accessibility and when
it was on Scyfy, it was a little
harder to track down. And to
some of the people who
recommended it to me I will not
name names
Andy: Andy: Are probably
listening to this podcast,
Tessa: Are really hard science
fiction fans, and I love science
fiction. I'm writing a
dissertation about science
fiction, I mean, a huge science
fiction nerd. However hard sci
fi is not really my my
particular cup of tea as a sub
genre. And so I think I was also
a little afraid that this was
going to be hard sci fi in the
vein of like Robert Heinlein or
someone like that. It's not it's
definitely a lot more realistic
than than some sci fi that's on
television right now, but it's
definitely not It's not
interested in telling you all
the science and math behind why
stuff happens. So that was kind
of a relief once I started
watching it and realizing that
that that was the case.
Andy: Okay, interesting. What is
this show about? Because it's
been on my list too. This is
something I want to watch.
Tessa: Tessa: Oh, so I'm the
only one who's seen it. Yeah. So
far. Okay, cool.
Sam: Sam: Yeah, remember, we
talked about it before,
Tessa: Tessa: Right. Okay. So
The Expanse takes us to a future
where Earth has colonized the
Moon, Mars, and the asteroid
belt. Earth and Mars are locked
in a cold war with what with the
people who live in the asteroid
belt. They're called belters
caught in the middle of this
Cold War. The first season
follows a few anti heroes in
sort of a multi strand
narrative. A police detective,
Josephus Miller, who's played by
Thomas Jane, who I did not know
was involved in this before I
started watching it. UN Security
council leader Chrisjen
Avasarala, who's played by
Shoreh Aghdashloo, and a crew a
crew of space freighter have a
space freighter led by James
Holden, who's played by Steven
Strait. And there's a lot of
other actors. This is definitely
an ensemble show more than it is
a lead show. But those are the
three that I really wanted to
mention here. But basically,
it's a multi screen narrative
where you're following all these
different narratives that start
throughout the season coming
closer and closer together. They
basically all these people start
to put together pieces of a
conspiracy that threaten the
status quo and possibly the
safety of the universe. And so
first I wanted to mention, when
talking about Thomas James'
character Miller, with the
recent stuff that's been
happening there's been a lot of
calls for the downplaying of
cops in television. I do want to
mention this is not a cop show
he is he does play a police
detective on a space station in
the astroid belt, but it's
definitely not a show that
valorizes cops or valorizes him
to a certain extent, like I
said, all of these characters
are anti heroes. So he's not,
he's definitely not someone
that's presented, you know, as a
good cop in the way that people
are kind of concerned about. But
yeah, like it's a really, really
fascinating story because you
get all these different
perspectives on this universe
that basically exists in a
dystopian state of everyone
holding a gun to another
person's head. Earth and Mars
hate each other. They're sort of
using the belters as proxies to
fight their war, but they're
also all the resources have been
exhausted on earth. And Mars, of
course, does not have very much
natural resources. So they're
also relying on the ice that the
belters harvest for water. And
so there's a lot of like stuff
about exploitation. There's a
lot of stuff about environmental
over mining and overuse of
resources. There's a lot of
stuff about how you systemically
oppressed someone so that way
they'll do the work for you. And
they'll they'll do things for
you.
Andy: Andy: Wait so I can learn
how to systemically oppressed
people.
Tessa: Tessa: I don't know if
you could learn it. I think it's
just like telling us how people
do it.
Andy: Andy: It would be really
great if this show is a
tutorial.
Tessa: Tessa: It's not like a
step by step how to be a fascist
or anything. But like, it's,
it's really interesting, because
there's also not really like a
central villain. I mean, there
isn't one yet. I don't know,
I've only watched the first
season. But it's more like just
a set of people who don't really
care about anyone else. And so
it's it's just a really
fascinating show that looks at
all of these sort of issues,
through the lens of sort of a
future a futuristic look. The
message the main message of The
Expanse seems to be that leaving
Earth won't solve our problems.
We'll just bring them with us,
which I think is always a really
interesting take for sci fi.
Andy: Andy: Now a question here
because you you mentioned early
that you were told that this has
very good production values and
when I think Scyfy channel I
think Mega Shark Versus Giant
Octopus.
Sam: Sam: Yeah, I once heard I
once heard all the shows on
ScyFy including The Expanse and
when they whenever, as the best
TV that you can get made in
Canada for $12 an episode.
Tessa: Tessa: Yeah it's it they
do not have a good budget but
man the show does so much with
their budget because I am very
used to ScyFy being not like you
said they're not they're not the
greatest shows when it comes to
production value. But they do so
many great things. It is an
absolutely beautiful show to
watch. The stuff that they do,
they they use real sets, they
designed all of the interiors of
the ships they actually built
them. They built the the inside
of the space stations as well.
So all the interiors are real
this these are not actors out
against a green screen. This
shots from space look really
really cool, too. And they do a
lot with artificial gravity and
there's a lot of like they do a
lot with wires a lot with
certain effects that make this G
zero, zero G looked very
believable. And so like and
there's a lot of really great
artwork in it as well. So I
don't know how they managed to
do all this on a really great
budget. It's definitely not Game
of Thrones budget. There's no
dragon, you know, coming out of
you know, the ice or anything,
but it's definitely a very, very
beautifully done show. It's one
of the I think for a lot of
people that's one of the big
draws to the show is just how
good it looks.
Andy: Andy: Overall, you seem
pretty glowing about it.
Tessa: Tessa: Yeah. So I just
want to mention a couple of
other things that I thought
worked really well for this
show. The pacing is really good.
There wasn't a point during the
10 episodes for the first season
that I felt like it lagged or
that at all, they do a really
good job of balancing exposition
with character development. The
character development is so, so
good in this show, like all of
the characters are interesting.
None of them are really good or
really evil. They're all very
complicated and they have very
complex motivations. But for the
most part, all of the characters
you understand them, you
understand where they're coming
from. And I think sometimes in
sci fi, there's this urge to in
dystopian sci fi, there's this
urge to make all the characters
super hard and super badass and
they all have like terrible
histories. But like these
characters, even though they
they do have that they come from
a really difficult time and a
really difficult place. They all
have show certain
vulnerabilities throughout the
series that make them really
engaging and really
understandable as characters,
Thomas Jane and Shoreh
Aghdashloo, are standout
performances, they both do a
great job. If you have ever
played any sci fi video game you
have heard Shoreh Aghdashloo's
voice, like she has one of the
most recognizable voices in
video games. I think she's...you
said she was in 24 as well.
Sam: Sam: Yeah.
Tessa: Tessa: So she has like a
pretty long TV career. And I was
very excited to see that she was
in this and Thomas Jane as well.
I don't know how many of you are
familiar with his body of work,
but he does a very good job in
this. But yeah, there's just
there's a there's a little the
world building is really great.
There's a little cyberpunk in
it. There's a little Mormonism
in it weirdly. Um, there's,
there's a...
Andy: Andy: There's Mormonism in
all sci fi. Have you not seen
Battlestar Galatica?
Tessa: Tessa: There's a there's
intrigue. There's a lot of
politics. And there's, like you
were saying there's a lot of
political stuff. There's a lot
of social stuff and there's
space battles, anything you
could possibly want out of sci
fi, they definitely have it.
Andy: Andy: Okay, awesome.
Awesome. Well, I will hopefully
be giving this a try sometime
soon.
Tessa: Tessa: Yep, highly
recommend I would recommend for
pretty much almost anyone even
if you're not a huge sci fi fan.
Alright, Sam, tell me about what
you did. What monkey did you
tackle?
Sam: Sam: Well, I tackled Alan
Wake. Alan Wake is a video game
came out. It's a it's an Xbox
360 it was an exclusive it's
made its way to PC I believe.
But it's, it's by Remedy and
Microsoft so they have their
hands on it as well. Alan Wake
is a crime fiction author who is
suffering from writer's block,
tale as old as time. His wife
urges him convinces him to go to
a small town to you know, kind
of flushes system out so we can
find inspiration and maybe start
writing again.
Andy: Andy: You write what you
know about...
Sam: Sam: Right, right, right.
Again, this is not a Stephen
King property at all. But it
very much sounds like it. His
wife goes missing very, very
quickly. And so there's a lot of
plot threads that kind of get
woven in here. There is in very
Stephen King terms a capital D
dark capital P presence around
this small town. There's also a
psychiatric Institute for
Troubled Artists. You can take
that for what you will.
Tessa: Tessa: Are artists more
likely to be troubled, do you
think is that what this is?
Andy: Andy: It's rehab Tessa.
It's Stephen King writing in his
coke problem.
Sam: Sam: So there's also plot
threads about local color.
There's a big town festival
that's about to happen. There's
the there's the local police and
the feds. So there are some law
enforcement threads in there.
And of course, Alan Wake has the
most annoying agent ever in the
history of ever. So there's a
lot of stuff that goes into
this. There's a lot of a lot of
narrative threads going on here
but basically the question in
Alan Wake is another question
that we've seen a lot in pop
culture before. Is this
supernatural? Or is this
insanity?
Tessa: Tessa: The the question,
isn't that the question of a lot
of pop culture? Supernatural or
insanity? Yeah. So what drew you
to the game? Why play it now?
Sam: Sam: So Alan Wake is
something that I have I have
seen talked about online. I've
heard people play it and just
everybody seems to really have
nice things to say about this
game. For you know, like I said
the last decade. I thought I had
missed my chance. It was removed
for a while in 2017. You
couldn't buy it at the online
store, due to music licensing.
issues. You see, back in the day
back before everything was
digital and online games TVs
movies, it said well not movies,
but TV shows and apparently
games had not figured out that
they needed to have
eventualities in place
contractually for music. So you
see a lot of TV shows on
Netflix. They don't have the
original music on episodes.
Andy: Andy: Skins. I'm looking
at you, Skins.
Sam: Sam: Yeah, the early couple
of seasons of How I Met Your
Mother have some of that. But
anyway, so you know, when I saw
it was back, I was very happy to
get ahold of it. The reason I
played it most recently, Tessa
played Control.
Tessa: Tessa: And I had no idea
about any of this by the way
when I was playing Control.
Control just looked like a good
game to play. And it was it was
I loved it.
Sam: Sam: So Control is
published by Remedy it's their
latest game remedy has been
slowly building A connected
universe of their games I played
Max Payne one and two when they
came out, which were made with
Remedy and Rockstar. So Alan
Wake is actually a game that was
produced after Max Payne as an
open world idea. It had a
cancelled there's a spin off but
there was a canceled sequel that
eventually became another game
Quantum Break and now control is
the latest in line and they're
all having a shared universe
Tessa: Tessa: They're all in the
same universe which is
interesting.
Sam: Sam: Yeah, Tessa found
easter eggs to Alan Wake in
Control. There are easter eggs
for Max Payne in Alan Wake. I
can say that much. One of the
really cool things about Alan
Wake is is divided into six
episodes like a television show.
In fact, Episode Two of Alan
Wake starts with previously on
Alan Wake, and each one has its
own credits and song the credits
it's very much emulating a TV
show meant to be played. Each
episode is meant to be played
non stop, depending on your
style of play took me about
three hours I'm a very
methodical search for things
kind of players. So that's about
how long it took me. And I'll
say one other thing about what
drew me to this game and that is
it does remind me in many ways
of Lost and just for a second
I'd like to break in here and do
the podcast within a podcast
that I'd like to call has tests
on watching has Tessa watched
Lost yet. On this episode of has
Tessa Tessa watched Lost yet?
Tessa: Tessa: No.
Sam: Sam: Thank you for joining
us for this episode of has Tessa
watched Lost yet. Lost is my
favorite TV show ever. It is the
monkey of all monkeys on Tessa's
back because I am the worst
about trying to get her to watch
it.
Tessa: Tessa: He really is he
brings it up probably at least
three times a week.
Sam: Sam: So if you have a
property for me that is
described as Lost-like I will
hate myself for doing it but I
will absolutely consume it.
Tessa: Tessa: So one of the
things I this this might reveal
too much about our personal life
but one of the things that we
like to do when we're both
playing video games but they're
not the same video game is to
start a voice chat and talk to
each other while we're playing
video games. I know gross but he
absolutely refused to do that
with me while playing Alan Wake
because he didn't want me to
hear his him jump whenever there
was a jump scare. So are there a
lot of jump scares? and Alan
Wake would you recommend this
for someone who is perhaps
sensitive to jump scares like I
am?
Sam: Sam: Well, you should
absolutely play it anyway. It is
very much in the horror genre.
In terms of immersion, it is a
10 year old game for the Xbox
360 it's it's it's good quality
for what was all what what was
on deck in 2010. But But you
can't really immerse yourself in
in it as much as you could.
Something that was for this
current 10 video games The other
thing and just you know my
gameplay style is I am most of
the time and Achievement Hunter
100 percenter, you take a game
where you have to do multiple
multiple playthroughs and lots
of stuff I will not I'll just
leave it behind. But if it is
easy, it's not easily
achievable, but if it is
achievable, I will try to do it.
Alan Wake has collectibles. A
practice I do at this point wish
we could end in video games all
together. So that takes a little
bit away from the plot is
hunting for these things. You do
have to go through the game more
than twice. I'm trying to decide
if I'm going to do that or not.
I don't know. I guess I probably
will because I know I can.
That's why I don't get to a lot
of video games because I spend
so much time on them. And of
course I'm on Assassin's Creed
number 18 so that that slows me
down as well.
Tessa: Tessa: So would you
recommend this overall.
Sam: Sam: I would absolutely
recommend this. This was a this
was a fun experience. I'm glad I
finally got to it. It definitely
makes me more excited to play
Quantum Break, which we just
picked up and eventually
Control. So definitely
recommend. Alright,
Andy: Andy: Is that it?
Sam: Sam: I think that's it. So,
tune in next week, we'll be
joined by Steve Guntli, of the
Ultra 64 podcast, Andy will
review the comic book series
East of West, Tessa will discuss
Beyonce's visual album Lemonade,
and I'll talk about Ava
DuVernay's documentary 13th. So
let's see where can you find us,
Tessa?
Tessa: Tessa: My you can find me
on Twitter @SwehlaTessa, Swehla
is spelled S-W-E-H-L-A, and you
can find me on Letterboxd under
the same name.
Sam: Sam: Andy?
Andy: Andy: You can find me on
Twitter and Letterboxd
@hebrewspaleale
Sam: Sam: And you can find me on
Twiter @sam_morris9 and on
Letterboxed at @Archieleach9.
Find us on Twitter
@monkeybacklog, email us at
monkeyoffmybacklog@gmail.com.
Let us know what you thought
about any of the stuff that
we've talked about on the
podcast.
Tessa: Tessa: And tell us about
your backlog. Yeah, right. Yeah,
recommendations we want to hear
about what you guys are doing.
Sam: Sam: Our lists aren't long
enough. They do not stretch all
the way to the sun yet.
Andy: Andy: Our theme song, Hot
Shot by Scott Holmes can be
found at scottholmesmusic.com
Sam: Sam: Please rate review and
subscribe on iTunes, Spotify or
wherever you listen to podcasts.
