Lorin W.: And eventually their job leads them to Rushfield, Nebraska, where there's been a mass shooting at a football field. and Halleck immediately suspects that these victims were not homeo sapiens. Brandon: Yeah. I I thought that was interesting too. I that was an I didn't really know how that was gonna work. Well, I genuinely Lorin W.: Mm-hmm. Brandon: expected them to go to see like a mass shooting crime scene as bad as that sounds. That's what I was expecting. And I don't know, I Lorin W.: Yeah. Brandon: thought that was an interesting word. I I like when shows kind of drop you in a world 'cause there was no explaining to the sheriff, the cops, anybody that aliens exist. Lorin W.: If you're hearing this, we thank you for listening to another episode of It's a Streamable Life Podcast with Brandon and Lauren. We are in our last day of August, going September. On this week's episode, we will be discussing the premiere of HBO's new DC series, Lanterns. But first, how has your week been so far? I can't hear you. Brandon: My bad. I hit my mic I hit my mic button instead of the volume. Lorin W.: Okay, here we go. Brandon: it it's not been so bad. The weather's good. and you can tell it's starting to cool down 'cause the humidity's going at least. I think this week's supposed to be back in the nineties, so that's not great. But other than yeah, yeah, pretty good. Lorin W.: Yeah, same here. Pretty chill week. the weather has been was very hot yesterday. I was very caught Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: off guard and then I guess it's supposed to be the nineties this week. So hopefully we wrap that up by Sep September twenty first, 'cause Brandon: Please Yeah. Get out. Lorin W.: right. It's it's ridiculous. but let's Brandon: Wow. Lorin W.: get into a few headlines. this past week has been highlighted by celebrity deaths. there's no Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: way easy way around it. some pretty pivotal people passed away after lengthy careers and just they seemed invincible given how long they've Brandon: Right. Lorin W.: been a part of pop culture and life in general. So first up, of course, we lost the incredible Dolly Parton at the age of eighty. turns out she was suffering from cancer. Brandon: Mm-hmm. Lorin W.: and it seemed like she was trying to keep that as private as possible and still continuously to work, but she had cancelled a few public events and things like that. and then was announced I think two weeks ago now that she had passed. or just last week she had passed, at the age of eighty. we know her for of course her country music career, a a trailblazer for women in the industry. she wrote hits like Jolene, Here You Come Again, and then of course we know she wrote I Always Love You, which was famously covered by Whitney Houston for the bodyguard count Brandon: Right, yeah. Lorin W.: soundtrack. So, and she was also an advocate for a lot of causes. reading with her Imagination Library, where she sent free books to families for to kids to learn how to read with her parents. She was a lar a big advocate for the LGBTQ plus community. and she just seemed to be being a giver of the of the the the ha the wealth that she was handed. She made sure to push it forward, pay it forward for others and she will she's dearly missed. Brandon: Yeah, yeah, that was that was a crazy one. And you could kinda see it because I think and you know, in a few weeks before not a few weeks, but she had just slowed down like slowed down in what she was doing and everything and There was something just a few days before she passed, either she came out or somebody came out and spoke about like she was just, you know, doing what she needed to do, trying to keep going and then yeah, so very unfortunate. But yeah, what a life. Lorin W.: Yeah, and yes, definitely. And we know that she lost her husband a few years ago, Carl, Brandon: Easy. Lorin W.: which she married right out of high school basically. they were high school sweethearts and she was one of eleven siblings and just Brandon: Yeah, that's nuts. Lorin W.: she never forgot where she came from and she always made sure to give back to those that were less fortunate and encourage others to do the same. So I saw where there are plans for a biopic docuseries and limited series about her life are in the works and her family, her nephew was over her who was over her estate, worked for her, whatever. There's a lot more work of hers coming out. She had things things planned out. She was very very looking forward to doing more. So I'm I'm expecting to hear a lot more from from the Dolly Parton on estate in the future. Yeah. Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: Yeah. After losing Dolly Parton, we also lost the actor Tim Curry, who we famously know for the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue, Home Alone 2. he was just an incredible character actor and voice actor. I know he suffered a devastating stroke back in twenty twelve. Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: That kind of stole him from the public eye. but he had been such a big part of pop culture and sort of like the I don't if you say raccal pop culture, but just sort of like the fringes Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: of pop culture with Rocky Horror Picture Show and how that became a cult classic. yeah, he was he had he had sections of fans through each generation. Brandon: Everywhere. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I think that one is definitely one that sticks out. I can remember being in school and just a lot of the theater kids were always excited about that one, singing it or talking about it. Clue is one of my favorite movies. Genuinely I remember I watched that as a kid. And then I I I think we went to Walmart and it was in one of the five dollar bins and I got it, and that was hilarious. And then, everybody knows for his movie but movies, but later in his career he started making appearances and shows. One of those he was in One of my favorite episodes of Psych, with James Roday and Dooley Hill, the fame the show on I wanna say that aired on USA years ago, but yeah, Lorin W.: Mm-hmm. Brandon: he j he did that and same. He he he took over. He was kind of like arrogant superstar, but it was yeah, it was it was a really good episode. So yeah, a lot of fond memories of him too. Lorin W.: Yeah, just an incredible person and he will dearly be missed. He was eighty as well. and then finally we received the news that another epic voice from our lives as millennials and Gen X, Peter Cullen, who was the famous voice Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: of Optimus Prime for the Transformers films animated from the eighties through current day, passed away. he was eighty five. So we are just losing Titans, Brandon: think a a gi right. Lorin W.: Titans of the Industry. he not only voiced Optimus Prime, he was also the voice of Eeyore for Winning the Pooh, which I wasn't aware of. he was the voice for The Predator. he voiced his more his most recent voice work was Thaddeus in Invincible on Prime Video. but he he had a very lengthy career Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: And seem to be a great individual. All three of these people seem to be good people. I'd never really heard nasty Brandon: Right. Anything bad. Lorin W.: Yeah, bad about them. So again, like many people have said, the wrong white people are dying. So Brandon: And you know what's crazy is that obviously, you know, the ev there is like a generation of artists that are getting older and obviously you're losing them and that's sad. But what's also sad is that that generation took what they did and thought of it as a craft. You know, we don't really have that anymore. People it's there, but and everybody wants to make money. I'm sure that generation did too, but it's just it seems like we've lost the way people go about creating. You know, it it used Lorin W.: Yeah. Brandon: to be just lifeblood, like I have to create, I have to create. And you see that in some of these people who have passed and you just I don't see that hunger anymore. And that's sad 'cause I I do think we're losing just I don't know, a just craft if Lorin W.: Yeah. And sadly it's being eroded by powers that be that want Brandon: Yes. Lorin W.: the craft to make them money and not others. Brandon: Exactly. Lorin W.: that's why people are fighting against this paramount merger. They're fighting against Brandon: Right. Lorin W.: the rise of AI in the industry and just eliminating the actual work from the craft and the people that make it possible. Brandon: Work, yes. It's so pathetic. Right. Lorin W.: it's just incredibly sad and It's it's gonna very interesting what the future stars or whoever what they look like. Brandon: Right. Lorin W.: because Hollywood is is changing. and and the change is inevitable, but in certain era of Tinsel Town is vanishing right before our eyes. Brandon: Right, right. Lorin W.: and they're fighting basically for their lifeblood to sort of exist and still be recognized as important to to the work. So yeah. Brandon: No, I absolutely agree. Yeah. It's a it's unfortunate to witness, but it's just you see it. Everything is so ugly. It's so drab and and and that's why when a show or a movie or a piece of art sticks out, it's like people flock to it. I think there's hunger for it, but like you said, the powers of beat don't care. They're gonna do what they wanna do. Lorin W.: Yeah. Yeah. So we've gotta be mindful, support Brandon: Right. Lorin W.: the artist you want to see, and support the artists that you think are doing doing the work. Yeah, definitely. That brings us to our feature presentation in this sort of short episode. we were gonna discuss HBO's new DC series lanterns, from Damien Lindelof, which we know created Lost, and the highly esteemed other HBO series, Watchmen, that was based on DC property as well. so what first off, what is your background on the Green Lantern lore in D C comics? How familiar were you with these characters in sort of this universe? Brandon: Growing up, I think the only one that I really remember is it sounds weird, but the black one. And that's part of the reason I know the Green Lantern is that it kind of always just like, well, the Green Lantern's a black character. And that's how my memory goes to it. But th this, and then we won't get into the show yet, but gives a little bit more background. I didn't understand that it was like a division. It wasn't I didn't I never knew that it was something like Like they went out like a task for looking for people. Like people could be trained to be Green Lanterns. So that was new to me. Lorin W.: Mm-hmm. Brandon: but other than that, yeah, I I knew as a DC comic and kind of that what he did was to protect Earth from the rest of the galaxy. But yeah, that's pretty much the extent of it. Lorin W.: Yeah, same huse me, same here. And I think in more recent years, Jon Stewart became the face of Green Lanterns with like the Justice League Unlimited cartoon and stuff like Brandon: Right. Lorin W.: that. So for us, and a lot of people are age, John Jon Stewart is Green Lantern. Hal Jordan, of course, Brandon: Right, yeah. Lorin W.: was the first one, but I think for those that are watching the show, they're more familiar with Jon Stewart, so makes sense to have him be central to the story. I'm a same Mesou, I I casually know about them and the rings. know that like all types of beings can be green lanterns Brandon: Right. Lorin W.: and use the power, whatnot. I did not see the Ryan Reynolds film back in twenty eleven. Brandon: No, I d I it was horrible. I do remember that, but it was very bad. Okay. Lorin W.: Yeah, people say it was horrific. basically the reason why it was very cautious to give him Damppool, 'cause he had to sort of rebound from Brandon: Right. Lorin W.: from that atrocity. so yeah, so with lanterns, we we're following two Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan played by Kyle Chandler, and then Jon Stewart played by Aaron Pierre. and we they have been sent to Earth Or America to solve a mystery in the heartland. And that's where it kind of fits the HBO profile. It's sort of a mix Brandon: Right. Lorin W.: of true detective sort of mystery mixed in with the lantern's lore, which I think works very well, especially for HBO viewers. I know Brandon: Absolutely, yeah. Lorin W.: someone I know was sort of a comic enthusiast sort of upset that this series is taking itself too seriously or is too grounded, and I was like, Brandon: Yeah. Yeah. Lorin W.: It's HBO. Like they weren't gonna come out with a show that was more CW than than what they Brandon: Right, yeah. It Lorin W.: usually do. Brandon: but I gotta say that's part of the reason these first two episodes are all that's aired, but they've been very, very good and I think part of the reason that I'm in is that it is grounded. I I like comic book things, I like supernatural things, but sometimes when that's like the basis of the show, I I my mind just floats away. So yeah. Lorin W.: Right. And you wanna be able to bring in non comic viewers. Brandon: Exact yes, yeah. Lorin W.: And by and we're seeing the evidence that this is working. The ratings are good, the critics like it. So it's getting the viewership. Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: and right now they are dis riding season two right now just in case they get renewed. So there could be more coming. Brandon: Right, right. Lorin W.: but yes, we are following these two in the Heartland, af during a murder mystery, and what's surprising is we're getting getting different timelines, which I was not Expecting. Brandon: Yeah, I I'm glad you said that. That got me off guard a little bit. Lorin W.: Yeah. Yeah, so there's sort of a twist. There's a mystery within the mystery. we follow young John in nineteen ninety six, John and Hal in twenty sixteen, and then John again in twenty twenty six. So we have three different timelines. most of the episodes have been able to focus in on the twenty six timeline, giving us past and future occasionally, which is very good, instead of the jumping back and forth, which some shows tend to do Brandon: Do. Right. Lorin W.: a lot of which can be confusing. so let's just go through the pilot first. just a quick recap. we are introduced to a young John who is introduced to a Hal back in 1996. it's been I think 20 years of Green Lantern has been on Earth. He gave revealed his identity at in 1996. and we see that there's some type of admiration already with young Jon Stewart for this character. And we also see that he's being trained vehemently by his father to Brandon: Trains, yeah. That's one way to put it. Right. Lorin W.: to have no fear. What did you think about that scene? The whole Brandon: Yeah, that seemed when he caught when he was like, Yeah, go outside, I I thought he was gonna get like whooped or something. I didn't think it was gonna be that. But he put him on the fence and then the audacity to like hug him and then tell him like, yeah, go wash up or whatever afterwards. Like, I'm sorry, you just shot it, man. Like Lorin W.: Crazy. Very just crazy to shoot a app off the top of your son's head. It was giving Joe Jackson. I was expecting Brandon: Yeah. Right, that's nice. Yeah. Lorin W.: it to switch. Not that. So we see straight up out the gate that Jon Stewart has had a very materialistic upbringing. His father was in the military, stringent upbringing to achieve what we think is him in 2016 training for to be the Green Lantern. twenty sixteen timeline pairs us with him and Hal Jordan. Hal is sort of like a jaded hero who is still very good at what he does, but he's sort of over at this point. He's he's kind of let go of the I don't know what you would call it, fanfare of it all. Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: It's just a job to him now. and he's training young John. The two are like oil and water, sort of aw couple type pairing, but they know they have a job to do. And eventually their job leads them to Rushfield, Nebraska, where there's been a mass shooting at a football field. and Halleck immediately suspects that these victims were not homeo sapiens. Brandon: Yeah. I I thought that was interesting too. I that was an I didn't really know how that was gonna work. Well, I genuinely Lorin W.: Mm-hmm. Brandon: expected them to go to see like a mass shooting crime scene as bad as that sounds. That's what I was expecting. And I don't know, I Lorin W.: Yeah. Brandon: thought that was an interesting word. I I like when shows kind of drop you in a world 'cause there was no explaining to the sheriff, the cops, anybody that aliens exist. They knew. We didn't. So I thought Lorin W.: Mm-hmm. Brandon: I think that's interesting and so You don't have to have that build up of like Lorin W.: Right. There's no tell me, just show me, which is Brandon: Right. Right. Lorin W.: great in T V Orphan. We don't need exposition. Just throw us in there. Brandon: Yeah, no yeah. Lorin W.: Cause at this time, you know, this universe is connected to the greater DCU, which involves Superman, and Supergirl. So we know these characters they know superheroes exist and there's other forces. Brandon: Right, yeah, yeah. Lorin W.: So we realize that these victims were not human beings. They meet Sheriff Carrie Kane. and eventually they go to interrogate one of the remaining aliens, which I think was a an very interesting scene, just how Hal interrogates this person to detect that they're not really living life, they're just sort of kind of Brandon: memory reactor. Lorin W.: going off of memory. He asks about, you know, Harry Parry. They know that Hogwarts was a school. The big signifier was him not knowing anything about Barack Obama 'cause at this time, this is la Obama's final term. Brandon: Right. Exactly. Lorin W.: He's in Nebraska and all he can say about Obama is that he's a forty fourth president. That's it. and we we get an exciting action scene, which I I'm glad Brandon: Mm-hmm. Lorin W.: they're able to balance the action with the sleuth thing to where we're not getting over zealous with the CGI and whatnot and special Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: effects to take you out of it, but it's still very grounded. Brandon: No, I agree. Lorin W.: the alien threatened to self detonate in the town and Hal's able to enclose him. with the ring and protect everyone and he's he feels justified because his gut was right these were aliens. also in between their investigation they're also investigating the people of the town. So Sheriff Carrie Kane is married to Billy Macon who is the son of William Macon who leads a militia who is anti-alien and is afraid that These foreign powers are going to colonize America. So he lives on a compound. and he is like pre preemptively preparing for some type of invasion. we also meet Zoe Macon, who is William Williams' wife. we essentially meet her because John sleeps with her in the car at the bar before he knows that Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: she's married. and it seems that, of course. either they have an open marriage or she told her husband and it's just part of Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: their arrangement. what did you think of s our side characters and what stuck out f to you the most about them? Brandon: Yeah, I think when you tie in the time and the area of the country you can see how they're trying to rope in, you know current events and stuff and you can tell the the aliens from outer space are to replicate the I mean to kind of represent the aliens, illegal immigrants. Lorin W.: Mm-hmm. Brandon: But I will say that the characters are are pretty good. You kinda off the bat don't really like well at least I don't the the making guy. He's kind of just Lorin W.: Yeah. Brandon: like standoffish, like no, not not for me. I was confused on the time thing because Kelly McDonald in real life and the guy playing Macon have to be close in age. And that's supposed to cause Yeah. 'Cause her husband Yeah. Lorin W.: That's that's been brought up because we have Kellen McDon yeah. Jas you have Kellen McDonald playing the sheriff, who's married to Jason Ritter, who Brandon: Right. Lorin W.: is middle age and then I think his name's Garrett. What's that guy's name? Brandon: Yeah, I'm trying to find it. Lorin W.: he was in he's always in something. Let me just go to the lanterns, whatcha call page, cast page be easier. But yeah, they're all within like five or s four or five years of each other. So there must be something about then specifically 'cause the age doesn't make sense. Brandon: Yeah, no. I yeah, I agree. I was so confused. It was like, what what is happening? Like Yeah. Lorin W.: Yeah, Garrett Dillahunt plays Billy's father. and I believe they're only like four or five years apart. you have Porna Jagnathian who plays Zoe. many may know her from Deli Boys and Never Have I Ever. so yeah, the the age thing there, the family, I think it's intentional to show something is off. Yeah. Brandon: Yeah. But to get back to the characters, yeah, I think they they play their parts well. You get the lawyer guy who's very upbeat. He he's just trying to help do his part, but you can tell he knows more than what he's letting on and it's just trying Lorin W.: Mm-hmm. Brandon: to keep it under. Again, like we said, you've got William Makin who's kinda matriarch and very like this is our land, we're gonna keep it our land. Kelly McDonald plays Carrie Kane, she seems worn out. She kind of reminds me of what's her name? Like Kate Winsley, East of of what was it? Merit Lorin W.: East Mayor East Town, yeah. Brandon: is down, yeah. It kind of gives me that vibe. But yeah, they they're good. They actually they add to it. And like you said, I'm I'm interested to see where it goes because yeah, his wife, Zoe, there's something else there too. Lorin W.: Mm. Mm. so yeah, these those are the cast of characters we meet mainly. we also meet Noah Macon, who is Carrie's son. He's played by Carrie Christopher, who we know from Weapons. So he got this role basically right after Weapons came out. and he's already looking a few years old. I know Weapons was filmed Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: a few years back, but he's all he's already like foot inch taller. Brandon: Right. That always seems to happen. Lorin W.: Yeah. so we have Hal solve this mystery, or not solve the mystery, but prove that they were aliens, and then we get a surprise at the end jumping forward to twenty twenty six, present day, which on returning to Rushville after Carrie summons him, it's clearly been a few years since they've seen each other. they they tended to stay friends, and they arrive at the football field. and the episode ends with them finding Hal dead on the bleachers, Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: and the ring is missing. So not only are we trying to solve the mystery of the murdered aliens, but now we're trying to solve who killed Hal, essentially, and why, and who has the ring. so overall, episode one was a great pilot. I think they set up the characters pretty well and they put the pieces in to build build the mystery, definitely. Brandon: Yeah, no, you're absolutely right. Lorin W.: then we tr transition to episode two, which was titled I'm blanking Trustfall. What's episode two? this one primarily sits us in 2016, where we have our two heroes going on separate paths d do different tasks, while Hal remains in Rushville, kinda investigating more, becoming more of a pest. To Sheriff Kane, he sends John back to Co. City to get the lantern to recharge the ring because you have to recharge the ring every 48 hours for it to keep its power. So Hal basically investigates more. he discovers that the metal detectors at the football field weren't detecting metal, they were detecting alien beings. And that's how we know they knew to kill those specific people. Which leads him to suspect that William Macon has more foreign technology because Hal has never seen that type of technology before. and that go ahead. Brandon: Right. And and initially my god. In that scene initially I didn't know that's what he was doing. When he went and he took the bumper off the car, I was like, What's going on? And then I was kinda like, wait a second, you know, somebody got in here and Lorin W.: Yeah. Brandon: they yeah. Lorin W.: Yeah, him grapping excuse me. Everybody from the morgue. I said, sir, are you recreating the crime scene? Like what's happening? Brandon: Yeah. All right, like what are we doing? Lorin W.: And I love the way that they have this sort of Colombo esque style slew thing along Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: with sort of like the comic action. It it gives it brevity. Brandon: Right, you're right. Lorin W.: so that puts Hal sort of like creates like a wedge between him and Carrie. They try to try form a truce and approach William about this, and William decides he doesn't want to talk. and he has one of his snipers shoot Hal for trespassing. That gets Hal in the hospital, which is mysteriously empty, as he is the Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: only patient, and he sees how all the equipment looks new. how the sheriff stood by his bedside the whole time. So another sort of mystery is brewing there 'cause how do you have a hospital with no patients? Yeah. Brandon: Nobody's in there. Yeah. Yeah, de we're definitely gonna get some more information. And I think Carrie's she knows it and she's the one who's kinda like There's more secrets here than we're letting on. We're we're not living right, but you know, we don't let it out. Lorin W.: Yeah. Yeah, she's trying to keep everything maintained because she's afraid of what will happen if it comes out. meanwhile, John goes to Coast City and retrieves the lantern. and we see more of his sort of exaltation for the Green Lantern. Like this is what he's living for. He grabs the suit, he's a maze at the lantern, he feeds House Earl. Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: but fortunately he is not alone. He is kidnapped after a great action sequence by some unknowns who are seeking to recruit him for their his help. and in this scene we learn that there's something called manhunters. So long before the lanterns, the manhunters were Sort like a shape-shifting being who executed genocide across the galaxy. and their killing of the people prompted the guardians to sort of oversee everything to send the lanterns out to exterminate the manhunters. They were able to arrest one, but these this alien race believes this one manhunter got loose and is living in Rushville. So, of course, they sent people to spy. And their aliens were alerted and killed. so they Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: want John to identify the Manhunter within 48 hours, or they will come and detonate Rushville themselves. Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: what what did you think of this particular scene? Because it was totally unexpected and it did so much of world building and lore building with within like a 15-minute scene. Brandon: Yeah, I thought it was a very good scene. Like you said, it's v the action was good, very intense from the time that he's in the truck, and then we flip back to him and he's sitting in the chair tied up and then I thought his acting f when they did the I forgot what they call it, the little gun thing that showed him the memory. That was really intense. Yeah, that was a very Lorin W.: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Brandon: intense scene. But again, it it did a good thing, a good way of kind of like pulling you in because now we've got the earworm of the the manhunters. And now, you know, it's kind of it's gonna build up the anticipation for that. But yeah, this it's just really a good show 'cause when this second episode ended, I was one, hoping it was longer, hoping I could see the third one. I didn't realize that it was week by week. So I'll I'll just have to be patient. But Lorin W.: Yeah, it's weekly. Yeah, yeah. That that scene was excellent. And a lot of people have commented saying that Aaron Pierre does an excellent job of emoting with his eyes. Brandon: Yeah, he does, yeah. Lorin W.: to sort to be able to depict the emotional toil of a Holocaust just from your face. that that was incredible. So he's he's gotten this task and he's not to tell Hal anything. because they don't trust Hal Jordan. They believe maybe he let the manhunter Brandon: Exact yeah. Lorin W.: loose or something like that. So John eventually returns to Rushville. Him and Hal link up. And John Gorehead John shares the information with him anyway. and we see the next thing that Hal is in the suit and he's flown out of Earth's orbit to a celestial prison. and here we see him meet Sinestro, who is in jail Brandon: Yes. Lorin W.: for sort of like throwing a coup with in the Green Lanterns and against the Brandon: Right. Lorin W.: Guardians, and how's the one who put him in prison. So he meets him and asks him, you know, what do you know about the manhunters? And Sinestro says, you know, if one does exist, he's the second biggest threat to you. And he insinuates basically the first is Jon Stewart. So tell me about him. And that ending right there was something j just amazing writing. Yes, yes. Brandon: Yeah. That's right. It's some good writing. Yeah. And it and it does. It really does remind you of Watchmen. Watchmen had the same thing. The people knew this world existed, but you were just so it was so well developed, they just dropped you in and Lorin W.: Mm-hmm. Brandon: yeah, it feels a lot like that, but no, it's I'm I will be here through the Th through the end. It it's very good. Lorin W.: Yeah, yeah. do you have any sp highlights throughout these first two episodes? Any likes or dislikes? Brandon: No dislikes. I will say I like that they've I don't really vibe with the people saying that the show's too serious because like again it needs to be grounded, but there are humorous moments in this show. Like I laughed the time when he goes down to the field, tries to tell Sheriff Carey that there's an alien over there short and she knows. And then he blows and he's like, he's like, I fucked up, didn't I? Like, you know, there's humor in it, but yeah. Lorin W.: Yeah. Yeah, I think it's it's well balanced. it's grounded, but by episode two, we're in space. Like they're Brandon: Right. Right. Lorin W.: they're doing what they can without it feeling too hokey or too much too fast. No, no, no, go, Brandon: Right. And I also go ahead, go ahead, finish your thought. Lorin W.: go. Brandon: okay. I was gonna say the other moment that stuck out 'cause it's not one you get in a lot of television shows, is when they were the second time they're in Donna, and it's him and Zoe and they have this Lorin W.: Mm-hmm. Brandon: conversation about, you know, it's kind of joking, but they're talking about the white man and she's talking about her husband and their relationship and how it works and why she's with him and then you know she asks. him about how and you really don't get that a lot. You if there's if it's something interracial in American television, it's gonna be black and white. So to have two people of color and then have this conversation without the white person, I I thought that was very good because it's different cultures, but obviously something in common. Right. Lorin W.: Right, right. It's it's their it's pr approach to race in the show is very well done. you know, you get the moments of John and C in episode one speaking to his dad on the phone, and saying how Hal's acting, and his father basically says, you know, they can throw tantrums, we can't, so just, you know, buckle down and get through it. It's able to comment on race without a scene of, you know, quote unquote racism or Brandon: Right, yeah. Lorin W.: some tragic whipping or something like that. Like the writing Brandon: Yeah, yeah, you're absolutely right. Lorin W.: is very intuitive and just matter of fact. and that brings me to episode three, which you know will premiere tonight. this episode looks like it's going to explore John's past with his father and mother. Brandon: okay. That'd be good. Yeah. Lorin W.: his father, who we have seen John Senior is played by Jay Alphonse Nicholson And his mother from the past is being played by Jasmine Cephas Jones. So both of them are incredible actors. Cephas Jones is the Emmy winning actress. she's known for blind spotting, and also known for the original cast of Hamilton. So she's a theater Brandon: Yes. Lorin W.: kid as well. She's the daughter of Ron Cephas Jones, who we sadly lost a few years back. and then Nicholson, I know people mostly know him for P Valley. from there, but Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: he's a stage actor as well. And I'm excited to see where John comes from. because we see that his mom is somehow not really in the picture in 2016. Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: as far as parental relationships, we know that John Sr. is somewhat abusive to his three sons, even though John teems to appreciate this treatment. Brandon: Yeah. Yeah, you're you're you're right. It's and I'm sure we'll get more into that, but in that little scene that we got with the Apple shooting, he was almost like excited. And I and I think that's probably because of how much he looked up to Hal and just like, Lorin W.: Mm-hmm. Brandon: well, I can be a hero, but it's like, brother, you are being abused. You don't know it yet, Lorin W.: Right. Brandon: but like Lorin W.: Yeah, yeah. Young the young brand wasn't able to process as that, but that's Brandon: No. Lorin W.: exactly what's happening. and episode three is actually written by Vanessa Baden, who we know as Kenan's little sister on Kenan and Kel, and this Brandon: Yeah. That's crazy. Lorin W.: little sister from Guggla Island. She has since become a writer. So she's a writer and executive producer in the show, and episode three is hers. So I'm excited to see. what she's developed, And yeah, I think episode three is gonna take people's blow people's minds because Brandon: Yeah, I hope so. Lorin W.: just like episode I think was five in Watchmen, where we saw the history of Rich and the King's ancestors in like the black and white, that episode, I think that's gonna be very similar. I'm gonna have somewhat a similar effect. but yeah, I'm excited for episode three, which premieres tonight, Sunday at nine PM on HBO and HBO Max. All right, we'll get into our streams of the week. We both have looked like we were getting some new shows. So you can go ahead and go first. Brandon: Yeah, so I wanna say Thursday, the second season of Adults came out, and this is the show that kind of follows some mid to late twenties adults who are figuring life out, and this is supposed to be in New York and I w I think all the episodes have been out, but I've just watched like the first two or so. and it's pretty good. It's it it kinda picks up where last one caught left off. Same type of humor, but the mm, yeah. It it's it's good but it's it's a little different and maybe I mean they've gotta try doing different things. But the thing that kinda kills me is I just don't understand why the show just just didn't base it in Toronto. You can look at this show and they're supposed to be in Manhattan. This is not New York. It looks like Toronto, Ontario, Canada, man. Like that's the one thing that bothers me every time I watch this show. But it's good. It's it's definitely funny and it's a good humor, so I I think I'll stick with it. But yeah. Lorin W.: Yeah, I haven't I didn't watch season one 'cause it just sort of missed me, but people have kinda Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: s said it's like a similar to Happy Endings, which I really enjoyed. Brandon: Yeah, it's it's like that, but a little bit raunchier. There's a little bit more but they w Lorin W.: Yeah. Brandon: at that time happy innings probably wouldn't be able to get rid of get away with some of the things. But yeah, I could see that's a good comparison. Lorin W.: Okay. Okay. yeah. I started a new show as well, on Paramount Plus, the Miss Pat show. I heard a lot of things about it. It's basically a sitcom kind of based on Pat Coleman, who is a comedian's life. it's very much similar to what was it called? Mike Epps, the the Shaws. Brandon: yeah, I know what you're talking about, yeah. Lorin W.: Yeah, so it's it's actually set in Indiana as well. They're they were Brandon: well. Lorin W.: living in Atlanta and moved to Plainfield, Indiana, which I had no idea. Brandon: Jesus. Lorin W.: So she is a comedian and her and her husband have three kids from this relationship and she has, I think, kids from other relationships. But it's basically a sitcom Patricia Williams is her name. My bad, wrong name. sitcom following their life as she leaves Atlanta to become a suburban mom. and it kind of takes on that new sitcom streaming sitcom thing with like cursing and stuff like that. but Brandon: Hmm. Lorin W.: it's actually really good. I watched the first I think three episodes and I really found myself enjoying it. I was very skeptical because I just I just didn't know. But it's been Emmy nominee for its writing, which is incredible. Brandon: wow. Lorin W.: and I think it's on like season five. So I have some catching up to do. But Brandon: Yeah. Lorin W.: it's it's really good. It touches some interesting topics. it highlights, you know, being a black student in a all white school and those dynamics. It touches on you know, being a felon, L G P T Q issues. So it's very topical in that way, very norm lear that way. So I'm definitely gonna try to See how it goes. It looks like Brandon: Yeah, I think my mom I think my mom watched that. She she was very into that show, so Lorin W.: So it looks like it's been nominated for quite a few Emmys. it was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series in 2026 for two episodes. And then it was nominated in 23 for directing for comedy and twenty twenty two. So and that's I found that very interesting because this is a show on B T Plus, nominated for comedy directing. But a lot of other shows don't get the same look or love. and it's good. It's worthy of it. But it's like, why this and not interview with a vampire? Brandon: Mm-hmm. Lorin W.: Or why this and not half man? Or not why this and not that? It's I don't know. Seems very arbitrary. Brandon: Yeah, I don't know, that's interesting. Lorin W.: But yeah, it's it's it's pretty good. gives you that sort of like throwback nostalgia of sitcoms. relatable Brandon: Okay. Lorin W.: and the jokes are funny. So I I'm I'm gonna keep with it. Yeah. Yeah. Brandon: Well that's good. Lorin W.: If you're hearing this, we thank you for listening to this full episode of It's a Streamable Life Podcast with Brenda and Lauren. you can catch us every other Wednesday with new episodes. Next time you hear us, we'll be probably talking about the Emmys. we may Brandon: Yes. Lorin W.: do an Emmy only bonus episode because the way it falls, it wouldn't be recording time or something. Brandon: Way or something. Lorin W.: but just stay tuned. the are on September fourteenth and we're gonna see who wins that evening. But until then, keep on streaming. Brandon: Peace.