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 The Penguin, the crime drama television miniseries developed by Lauren LeFranc for HBO. Based on the DC Comics character of the same name, it is a spin-off from 2022's The Batman that explores Oz Cobb's rise to power in Gotham City's criminal underworld after the events of that film. LeFranc serves as the showrunner of the series and the series stars Colin Farrell as Oz, reprising his role from The Batman, alongside Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Clancy Brown, Michael Kelly, and Mark Strong, amongst many others. In this episode hosts Michael Shields, Ryan O' Connell, and Douglas Grant converse about the terrific acting in the season (particularly Milioti!), how LeFranc and company perfectly bridged the gap between television and movies, what the series means for the future of The Batman franchise, and more.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal features a deep dive into HBO's The Sympathizer, the historical black comedy drama miniseries based on the 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The series was created by co-showrunners Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, with Park directing the first three episodes. The series is based on the story of the Captain, a North Vietnam plant in the South Vietnam army. He is forced to flee to the United States with his general near the end of the Vietnam War. While living within a community of South Vietnamese refugees, he continues to secretly spy on the community and report back to the Viet Cong, struggling between his original loyalties and his new life. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and Douglas Grant take you on a journey to Saigon, then to Los Angeles, and back again!

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal once again celebrates the second season of House of The Dragon, the television series created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal for HBO. A prequel to Game of Thrones (2011–2019), House of the Dragon is based on parts of Martin’s 2018 book Fire & Blood where the series begins about 100 years after the Seven Kingdoms are united by the Targaryen conquest, nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen. Featuring an ensemble cast, the show portrays the events leading up to the decline of House Targaryen, a devastating war of succession known as the “Dance of the Dragons.” In this episode, hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O'Connell discuss the jump in quality from Season One to Season Two, the critiques revolving around the Season Finale, what their hopes are for the next season, and so much more. 

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the second season of House of The Dragon, the television series created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal for HBO. A prequel to Game of Thrones (2011–2019), House of the Dragon is based on parts of Martin's 2018 book Fire & Blood where the series begins about 100 years after the Seven Kingdoms are united by the Targaryen conquest, nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen. Featuring an ensemble cast, the show portrays the events leading up to the decline of House Targaryen, a devastating war of succession known as the "Dance of the Dragons." In this episode, the main themes and points of action of the riveting Dragon-laden second season are dissected thoroughly, with the help of a special guest, a person so knowledgeable in the ways of Westeros he is known in many circles as simply The GOT Guru (Geoffrey Golia).The article referenced in the podcast at Across The Margin with the GOT Guru can be read here!

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal journeys through the multiverse in a celebration of Dark Matter, the science fiction Apple-TV series created by Blake Crouch, based on his 2016 novel of the same name. In it, a man is abducted into an alternate version of his life. Amid the mind-bending landscape of lives he could've lived, he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his true family and save them from a most terrifying foe: himself. Dark Matter stars Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, Jimmi Simpson, Oakes Fegley, Dayo Okeniyi, and Amanda Brugel. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and River Jordan explore universe after universe, and copy after copy of an embattled main character, in a examination of one of the best science fiction television shows of 2024.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal journeys to Italy to celebrate Netflix's Ripley, the neo-noir psychological thriller television series created, written, and directed by Steven Zaillian, based on Patricia Highsmith's 1955 crime novel The Talented Mr. Ripley. Starring Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley, with Dakota Fanning as Marge Sherwood and Johnny Flynn as Dickie Greenleaf, the eight-episode limited series is the first adaptation of Highsmith's novel to a series. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O'Connell tip their hat to Robert Elswit's stunning cinematography, the showrunners decision to shoot entirely in black & white, and Andrew Scott's gripping performance, all while attempting to answer the question: Is Tom Ripley a good hang? 

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal breaks from its normal singular-focused episodes and dives deeply into not one, but two films. First up (6:06) is the action-comedy blockbuster Fall Guy, directed by David Leitch and written by Drew Pearce, loosely based on the 1980s TV series. The plot follows a stuntman (Ryan Gosling) working on his ex-girlfriend's (Emily Blunt) directorial debut action film, only to find himself involved in a conspiracy surrounding the film's lead actor (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). The cast also features Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, and Winston Duke. That is followed (13:36) by an examination of the weighty themes and cunning black comedy of American Dreamer, a film directed by Paul Dektor (in his feature debut) and written by Theodore Melfi. Based on a segment from the radio show This American Life, it stars Peter Dinklage as a professor who tries to buy the estate of a lonely widow played by Shirley MacLaine. Kim Quinn, Danny Pudi, Danny Glover, and Matt Dillon also star. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and River Jordan talk two very different, but extremely entertaining, films.River Jordan is the author of four novels and three works of creative nonfiction. She holds an MFA from Seattle Pacific University and her work has been featured in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, NPR’s Book Talk, the Southern Literary Review, and Radix Magazine among others. When not working on her new novel, A Muddy Grace she can be found bartending at, God on the Rocks, a virtual blues and jazz bar located in the City by the Bay where she has soulful conversations great humans talking about the things they love.  

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal pays tribute to one of the most enigmatic actors in the history of cinema, Nicolas Cage, through an interview with the author of How Coppola Became Cage, Zach Schonfeld. In this episode, a simulcast production with our sister podcast Across The Margin : The Podcast, the genius of one of the most misunderstood and gifted actors of all time is explored in-depth.Zach Schonfeld is a freelance writer, journalist, and critic based in New York. He contributes to Pitchfork, Paste Magazine, and other publications. He was formerly a senior writer for Newsweek, where he was on staff for five years. His first book, 24-Carat Black's Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth, was published in 2020 as part of the 33 1/3 series and his latest book, entitled How Coppola Became Cage, is the focus of this episode.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal once again celebrates Shōgun, the historical drama television miniseries created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks. It is based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell, which was previously adapted into a 1980 miniseries. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and Douglas Grant examine how faithful FX's adaption was to James Clavell's books while digging into the overall appeal of the show which has blossomed into a massive hit.