Space the Nation

After seeing trailers for this action-amid-the-white-papers flick, Ana and Dan brainstormed the next wave of thrillers based on foreign policy gatherings: New from Netflix: THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, with Naomi Watts, Jason Isaacs, and Alison Pill. Hulu presents THE MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE. Paramount+ unveils a new prestige drama: UNESCO.Alas, G20—the actual movie—is not quite the geopolitical thrill ride we hoped for. EGOT-winner Viola Davis gives it her all, but the film doesn’t deserve her. Also: way less IR than you'd expect.

Ana and Dan dance like no one is watching. Andor Season 2 is finally here—was it worth the wait? The first arc brings us sexpest fascists, sad droids, multiple rebellions in search of a group chat, Cassian in motivational speaker mode, Mad Men in space, and genocide served over light refreshments. We dig into imperial bureaucracy, Star Wars as labor economy, and why Tony Gilroy might be the last great showrunner of his kind. Yes, there is IR in this galaxy.Content warning: discussion includes sexual assault and real-world current events.

Ana and Dan pause to commune with the horses just as dawn breaks. How is 2007's "Michael Clayton" related to science fiction? 1) Only alien technology explains how someone with Clooney's looks and charm is the office henchman and not running the place 2) It's the creation of Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy. This is good enough. Highly quotable, gorgeous, perhaps (in Ana's opinion) a perfect film in the vein of Alien: not a single shot or line of dialogue wasted, everyone in the movie performing at the same high level, endlessly re-watchable, satisfying without being trite. Enjoy!

Ana and Dan reintegrate to unpack the second half of Severance Season 2, from haunting standalone episodes to an action-packed finale. They explore the show's psychological and thematic depth: labor alienation, the inner child, and late-stage capitalism in a company town. We learn Harmony Cobel invented severance, Gemma was probably lured with a fake baby promise, and Cold Harbor might be killing innies one spreadsheet at a time. Also: Milchick dances, Gwendoline Christie fights, and the baby goat lives (for now). There's class war, metaphysical angst, and echoes of The Graduate, The Matrix, and every emotionally constipated Apple product demo. There’s IR in this episode, and a critique of capitalism bosses hate more than big words.

Ana and Dan would not volunteer for a road trip across a ruined America, even if it involved Gen-X micro-targeted mid-90s nostalgia. We break down The Electric State, a film that raises big questions about AI labor and passive entertainment but then does nothing interesting or coherent with them. The most expensive film Netflix has ever made (no, seriously), yet everything looks like a student film shot in the mustard aisle. The Tuch Tuches it up! Giancarlo Esposito does chillingly casual menace! All in vain. There’s class war, robot angst, and echoes of Terminator, The Road, and that Fallout series I forgot to finish. There’s some IR in this episode, and a critique of capitalism that feels like a drone strike from above.

Ana and Dan would not volunteer to die over and over again, even to be a working-class counterpoint to an obvious Trump parody. We explore the existential horror of being a disposable clone in a world that treats human life like office supplies. There’s class war, clone angst, and echoes of Moon, The Prestige, and Severance. Also: One of us finds the romance compelling, the other is skeptical. There's some IR in this episode and a critique of capitalism that will hit you like a giant pill bug.

Ana and Dan's outies prefer two scoops of ice cream in a serving, but they (the ice cream scoops) must be the same flavor. Our return to Lumon coincides with our own intense interest in being able to disassociate from the real world! But trauma will reveal itself with or without you remembering it specifically. There is a critique of capitalism and some IR in this TV show.

Ana and Dan didn't realize their "palate cleansing" entry into Nuclear Winter would be about the heroism of civil servants and fighting against a racist autocracy founded by businessman-turned-despot. There is IR in this movie.