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Welcome To The Party Pal: The Mind-Bending Film & Television Podcast You Didn't Know You Needed!
Episode 74: Alice In Borderland
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In this episode of Welcome To The Party Pal host Michael Shields, with the help of author and film & television enthusiast Douglas Grant*, explores the Japanese thriller series Alice in Borderland. Alice in Borderland is a series based on the manga of the same name by Haro Aso, and it is directed by Shinsuke Sato. The enthralling eight episode story arc stars Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya as allies trapped in an abandoned Tokyo where they are forced to participate in dangerous games, the type and difficulty of which are determined by playing cards. Those surviving each game receive "visas," which are extended the more they play. If the visas expire, the individuals are executed. In this episode, Michael and Douglas celebrate the phenomenal world building at the core of the series while exploring the intricacies of the provocative and wildly popular season.
*Douglas Grant is an author whose first novel, Preemptive, was published in 2010. Preemptive is an examination of the lives intertwined by the cause and effect relationship the U.S. had with Afghanistan in the 1980s. Imaginary Lines, his second novel, explores socioeconomic influences in the strained relations between an Irish-American and a Latino family. His works are usually narratives in which he comments on the human condition or on social inequity, narratives that often pay tribute to some of the most banal of literature and film genres.
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Episode 149: The Last of Us, Season 2
51:44|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.
Episode 148: Andor, Season 2
51:05|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.
Episode 147: The Righteous Gemstones & The Art of the Series Finale
52:08|This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the final season, and in particular the concluding episode, of The Righteous Gemstones, the comedy-drama television series created by Danny McBride. The series follows a famous and dysfunctional family of televangelists. McBride also stars in the series, alongside Adam DeVine, Edi Patterson, and John Goodman. The series concluded on May 4, 2025, after airing four seasons and 36 episodes, and we here at Welcome To The Party Pal contest that McBride & Co. tremendously stuck the landing. As such, following a breakdown of how the Gemstones series was brought home with finesse, co-hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O'Connell share their picks for the shows that had the most successful series finales in television history.
Episode 146: Severance, Season Two
54:54|This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the long awaited-second season of the science fiction psychological thriller television series Severance, created by Dan Erickson and executive produced and primarily directed by Ben Stiller. It stars Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, and Patricia Arquette. The series follows employees at the biotechnology corporation Lumon Industries that have undergone "severance" — a medical procedure that ensures they retain no memories of the outside world while at work, and have no recollection of their job once they leave. This results in two distinct personalities for each employee: the "innie," who exists solely within Lumon, and the "outie," who lives their personal life outside of work. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O’Connell take you into the depths of the MDR department on the Lumon Industries' severed floor to answer all of your pressing questions about the Apple TV+'s smash hit.Timestamps: Minimal White Lotus & "Guilded" Age of Television talk until 15:08, and the rest all Severance!
Episode 145: Anora
46:56|This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the comedy-drama film written, directed, produced, and edited by Sean Baker, Anora. It stars Mikey Madison as Anora "Ani" Mikheeva, a stripper from New York who marries the wealthy son of a Russian oligarch. The film led at the 97th Academy Awards, winning five Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Madison), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O'Connell dissect exactly why Anora cleaned house at this year's Oscars.
Episode 144: Paradise
35:34|In this episode of Welcome To The Party Pal hosts Michael Shields and River Jordan examine the hype surrounding Paradise, the political thriller television series created by Dan Fogelman and starring Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, and James Marsden. Set in a city-sized underground bunker in Colorado three years after a doomsday event, the series follows United States Secret Service agent Xavier Collins (Sterling L. Brown) as he seeks to discover the truth behind the killing of the President of the United States. As Xavier comes under suspicion for President Bradford's James Marsden) death, he searches for answers about what really happened, and is unsure of whom he can trust as his questions lead to many shocking revelations. Join in on an episode that celebrates a season of television refreshingly brimming with surprises and intrigue episode after episode.
Episode 143: The Brutalist
37:13|In this episode of Welcome To The Party Pal hosts Michael Shields and River Jordan dissect The Brutalist, the 2024 epic period drama film directed and produced by Brady Corbet. It stars Adrien Brody as a Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor who emigrates to the United States, where he struggles to achieve the American Dream until a wealthy client changes his life. The cast also features Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird, Isaach de Bankolé, and Alessandro Nivola. Join in on an episode that celebrates a sweeping epic of a film brimming with brilliant production design, a captivating score, and an exceedingly talented cast.
Episode 142: American Primeval
32:10|In this episode of Welcome To The Party Pal hosts Michael Shields and Douglas Grant break down American Primeval, the American Western miniseries created and written by Mark L. Smith and directed by Peter Berg. Starring Taylor Kitsch and Betty Gilpin, the series is set in 1857 during the Utah War and examines the fight to gain control of the American West and the violent clash between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and cultures in the Utah Territory, centering on the events surrounding the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Join in on an episode that tips its cowboy hat to captivating storytelling, a jaw dropping performance by Shea Whigham, and a surprisingly tender series conclusion, all while giving birth to what will forever be known as the "Revenant-Verse."
Episode 141: The 10 Best Television Shows of 2024
56:14|In this episode of Welcome To The Party Pal hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O’ Connell share their choices for the best television shows of 2024. Join in as they take you to feudal Japan, the coast of Italy in the 1960s, the gritty streets of Gotham amid a burgeoning gang war, to Northern Ireland during The Troubles, and beyond— in a celebration of the television shows that entertained and enlivened our lives in 2024.