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 dissects Predator : Badlands, the science fiction action film and the seventh installment in the Predator franchise. The film was directed by Dan Trachtenberg and written by Patrick Aison from a story by Trachtenberg and Aison. Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi star in leading roles. In the film, Dek, a young Yautja exiled from his clan, crash-lands on a hostile planet and must prove himself worthy of the hunt. Struggling to survive, he forms an unlikely alliance with Thia, a damaged Weyland-Yutani Corporation android, as they face off against an apex predator. In this episode hosts Michael Shields and Douglas Grant journey to the emphatically dangerous planet of Genna with Dek, Thia, and the loveable and dangerous Bud in an episode that celebrates not only Badlands but the entire Predator franchise.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal delves into Frankenstein, the gothic drama film produced, written, and directed by Guillermo del Toro, based on the 1818 novel by Mary Shelley. The film stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the Creature, while Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz play supporting roles. The story follows the life of egotistical scientist Frankenstein whose experiment in creating new life results in dangerous consequences. Join in on an episode where hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O'Connell whisk listeners off to Geneva, Switzerland, Ingolstadt, Germany, and the Arctic Circle in a hunt for the Creature.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal journeys to Delaware County, Pennsylvania to celebrate the crime drama, HBO hit Task, created and written by Brad Ingelsby. It stars Mark Ruffalo, Tom Pelphrey, Emilia Jones, Fabien Frankel, countless bottles of Yuengling, hoagies, and the Dark Hearts. In it, Philadelphia-based FBI agent Tom Brandis is put in charge of a task force investigating a string of violent robberies against stash houses run by outlaw motorcycle gangs. Join in on an episode that tips its Eagles hat to two of the best acting performances of the year, and an unforgettable season of television.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates Alien : Earth, the FX / Hulu television series created by Noah Hawley. It is the first television series in the Alien franchise and is set two years before the events of the 1979 film Alien. The series stars Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, David Rhysadle, and Timothy Olyphant. In this episode hosts Michael Shields and Douglas Grant dissect the fascinating, xenomorph-heavy first season, one that gifted the world with the beloved parasitic eye-alien, Species 64.

Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the best movies of the 21st century in an episode based on The New York Times list of The Best Movies of the 21 Century. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O' Connell evaluate the quality of the list and also offer their picks for the ten best films of the last 25 years, a decade and a half brimming with brilliant filmmaking.

Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the fourth season of the comedy-drama television series The Bear which premiered with all 10 episodes on June 25, 2025, on FX on Hulu. Christopher Storer and Joanna Calo return as showrunners for the season, and Jeremy Allen White reprises his role as Carmy Berzatto, an award-winning chef who returns to his hometown of Chicago to manage the chaotic kitchen at his deceased brother's sandwich shop. Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Abby Elliott, Matty Matheson, and Edwin Lee Gibson return from the previous season as the supporting cast. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and River Jordan highlight why the fourth season of The Bear finds Storer and Co. at the top of their game.

Welcome To The Party Pal examines the timely satirical comedy-drama television film Mountainhead, written and directed by Jesse Armstrong in his directorial debut, and starring Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef. The film follows four billionaire friends on a secluded weekend retreat as the world goes through major turmoil. In this episode co-hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O'Connell dig into Jesse Armstrong's unique brand of satire, how Mountainhead distressingly mirrors real life, what type of films work best on the small screen, and a great deal more.

Welcome To The Party Pal delves into the the second season of the post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us, the HBO series based on the video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog. The season is set twenty-five years into a pandemic caused by a mass fungal infection, which causes its hosts to transform into zombie-like creatures and collapses society. The season stars Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Isabela Merced, and Young Mazino. In this episode hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O'Connell lay out the good, the bad, and the ugly components of the polarizing second season in an episode that displays how little the hosts of WTTPP know about modern day video games.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the second season of Andror, the American science fiction political spy thriller drama television series created by Tony Gilroy for Disney+. It is part of the Star Wars franchise and a prequel to the film Rogue One (2016), which itself is a prequel to the original Star Wars film (1977). The series follows thief-turned-rebel spy Cassian Andor during the five years that lead to the events of the two films, exploring how he becomes radicalized against the Galactic Empire and how the wider Rebel Alliance is formed. Diego Luna reprises his role as Cassian Andor from Rogue One and serves as an executive producer. The series also stars Adria Arjona, Stellan Skarsgård, Ben Mendelsohn, Benjamin Bratt, and Alan Tudyk. In this episode co-hosts Michael Shields and River Jordan explain why they believe this series is an absolute triumph from its inception to its final, heart-wrenching moments.