Welcome To The Party Pal: The Mind-Bending Film & Television Podcast You Didn't Know You Needed!

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates Barbie, the fantasy comedy film directed by Greta Gerwig from a screenplay she wrote with Noah Baumbach. Based on the Barbie fashion dolls by Mattel, it is the first live-action Barbie film after numerous computer-animated films and specials. The film stars Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken on a journey of self-discovery following an existential crisis. It features a supporting cast that includes America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell. In this episode hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O'Connell explore the surprisingly weighty themes present in Barbie while marvelling about the stunning production design present in the film. They discuss the phenomenon the film grew into, the tremendously gifted cast, Greta Gerwig's future following this gargantuan success, and so much more.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal tips its hat to the second season of The Bear, the comedy-drama series created by Christopher Storer. The first season premiered on Hulu in 2022 and starred Jeremy Allen White as a young, award-winning chef who returns to his hometown, Chicago, to manage the chaotic kitchen at his deceased brother's sandwich shop. The supporting cast includes Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Abby Elliott, and Matty Matheson. The second season recently concluded and this episode attempts to explain why it is one of the best things you are going to see on television all year long.River Jordan, the featured co-host of this episode, is the author of four southern gothic novels and three spiritual memoirs. For fifteen years River hosted Clearstory Radio from Nashville where she interviewed award-winning best-selling authors. She is currently at work completing A Muddy Grace, a new novel set during the Great Depression in the deep south. River has returned to her saltwater roots and currently lives on the coast of North Carolina. 

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal dives deeply into Succession, the celebrated television series created by Jesse Armstrong that aired on HBO from June 3, 2018, to May 28, 2023, for four seasons and 39 episodes. In Succession, the head of one of the world's largest media and entertainment conglomerates decides to retire whilst each of his four grown children follows a personal agenda that doesn't always sync with those of their siblings, or of their father. The series starred Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, and Alan Ruck. This episode hones in on the inarguably successful final season and concluding episode to the Roy family saga, cementing the black comedy/drama's reputation as one of the finest series in television history.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the second season of HBO Max's Perry Mason, a compelling series which portrays the origin story of the famed criminal defense lawyer (played by Matthew Rhys). The series was created by Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald for HBO and it is based on the character of the same name by Erle Stanley Gardner. The series also stars Juliet Rylance as Della Street, Chris Chalk as Paul Drake, Justin Kirk as Hamilton Burger, and Shea Whigham as Pete Strickland. Season Two finds Perry in the throes of the Los Angeles legal system during the height of the Great Depression. Months after the Dodson trial that comprised the captivating first season shook the city, Perry is readjusting to life as a civil attorney when a high-profile murder case brings him back into the fold. In this episode hosts MIchael Shields and River Jordan expound upon how the story told in HBO's Perry Mason is the unflinching story of America's soul. They explore the knotty, fascinating case at the center of the second season while contemplating what might come next for the series. Ultimately, they celebrate what is undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable seasons of television to be released in 2023. 

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the American mockumentary television series created by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, and starring Ronald Gladden, Jury Duty. The series chronicles the inner workings of a jury trial through the eyes of juror Ronald Gladden, a solar contractor from San Diego, who is unaware that his jury duty summons was not official, and that everyone in the courtroom aside from him is an actor. Everything that happens, inside and outside the courtroom, is planned. In this episode hosts Michael Shields and River Jordan explore the unique premise of the show and the complicated ethical concerns that arise from it. They discuss the dynamic, eclectic cast assembled for the Jury Duty, the meticulous level of production and calculation required to make the series work, and most importantly, the "hero" at the center of everything that is the reason the first season was such a tremendous success.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal delves into Daisy Jones & The Six, the musical drama television miniseries developed by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, based on the 2019 novel of the same name by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Set in the Los Angeles music scene of the late 1970s, the series charts the rise and fall of the fictional titular rock band through a documentary style series of interviews with the members and footage of concerts and recording sessions, complete with vocals by series leads Riley Keough (as Daisy) and Sam Claflin (as Billy, founder of The Six). Throughout the episode hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O'Connell discuss the music that acted as the backbone of the season while expounding upon the success and failures of Daisy's adaptation to television. They tip their hat to the deeply affecting finale, profess their love for Daisy Jones & The Six's drummer, explore the possibility of a second season, and much, much more.