The Watchers

This week on The Watchers, Andrea and Jodie finish up our Pluribus recap with episodes 7, 8, and 9. The hive mind plays hot and cold with the unjoined. Carol tries to make a friend. We get to see a dog! We talk isolation, loneliness, belonging. Communication barriers, trust, investigation. It''s all in here. What a show, huh? What a season. Next week, we scale our problems down to one single shift, in one emergency department, in one hospital, in one city. Ahead of its season 2 premiere (January 8th), we’re recapping season 1 of the tense and unsentimental, deeply compassionate and totally human, medical drama The Pitt.The basketball video Andrea mentioned: https://youtu.be/vJG698U2MvoIf you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

It's that time of year again! We're looking back on 2025 and sharing what we loved the most. This year, Andrea loved too many things to narrow her list down, so she's fully cheating and sharing a bunch of stuff in a variety of categories (Check out her music playlist here). Jodie took the opposite approach and went SO specific. Between the two of them, you should have plenty to fill the liminal space that is December 26th through, let's say, January 5th. Check below for a list of all of our recommendations.What Jodie Loved in 2025TaskmasterGame Changer: “One Year Later”British crime shows, in general“Niche crafting shows and their watching culture.”The Pitt season 1Honorable Mentions:Choreography and MerrimentAnd this friendly reminderWhat Andrea Loved in 2025Comedy specialsAtsuko Okatsuka: FatherRobby Hoffman: Wake UpAn Intimate Evening with Adam Pally DROPOUT PRESENTS:Aparna Nancherla: Hopeful PotatoDemi Adejuyigbe: Is Going to Do One (1) BackflipCameron Esposito: Four PillsDocumentariesJohn Candy: I Like MeThank You Very MuchCome See Me in the Good LightDeaf President NowMusic Pool Kids: Easier Said Than Done The Wonder Years: Burst & Decay (Volume III)  Motion City Soundtrack: The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World Hayley Williams: Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party The Starting Line: Eternal Youth  Algernon Cadwallader: Trying Not to Have a Thought PUP: Who Will Look After the Dogs?  Anxious: Bambi Gully Boys: Gully BoysThe Business Casual ShowThe concept: livestreaming live improva...

This week on The Watchers, Andrea and Jodie break down episodes 4, 5, and 6 of Pluribus. Carol starts testing the hive mind and catches a bad case of FOMO. We get into resistance vs. assimilation, art in a flattened world, whether or not it counts as consent if you have to split hairs, and this show’s careful mix of dread, slapstick, and quiet humanity.Next week, we’re bringing you our 2025 edition of our yearly “What We Loved” series. And then, we’ll be back to review the last three episodes of season 1 of Pluribus.If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

This week, Jodie and Andrea watched the first three episodes of Pluribus, Vince Gilligan’s eerie, uncanny, offbeat new series about a virus that turns humanity into a hive mind—and the handful of people left out. (Please let me have that em dash. I swear I'm a human being.)We talk about the show’s inception, some behind-the-scenes stories, and the cast that fills out these early episodes. Also, what Pluribus has revealed about its world so far, how grief and defiance fuel the early story, and why it matters that a cranky lesbian is at the center of this show.Next week, Pluribus, episodes 4 - 6If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.

This week on The Watchers, Jodie and Andrea finish up our Somebody Somewhere journey with Season 3, and we brought backup. Therapist, podcast host, and certified Fred Rococo admirer Marlon Morgan is here to help us process our feelings. We talk growth, grief, and friendship; magnets, Muppets, and chlamydia; and what it looks like to finally believe you might actually be okay.Next week, episodes 1 through 3 of Pluribus, Vince Gilligan’s new series about a happy human hive mind and one curmudgeonly writer who is straight up not having a good time.Check out This Helps with Marlon MorganHave a question for Marlon? Record your video here for a chance to be featured on This Helps With Marlon Morgan.If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

This week on The Watchers, Jodie and Andrea get into Season 2 of Somebody Somewhere, a tender show about tender people behaving tenderly. This season is chock-full of complicated relationships in every direction: parent-child, sibling, friend, lover, teacher, mentor, the whole human mess. We talk about all the messy, beautiful ways the people of Somebody Somewhere keep showing up for one another, even when it’s hard.Next week, we’re wrapping up Somebody Somewhere with our recap of Season 3.If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

This week on The Watchers, Jodie and Andrea cover Season 1 of Somebody Somewhere, the tender, funny, quietly devastating HBO series about grief, belonging, and figuring out who your people are. We get into the characters and casting, why seeing yourself reflected in the stories you watch matters so much, and the many (many) moments that made Andrea cry.We’ll be back with Season 2 next week.If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

This week on The Watchers, Jodie proposes a theory: Tarsem’s The Fall might be the most English-major-ass movie we’ve ever covered. A movie about grief, connection, and the shared act of co-authoring a world together, The Fall spans continents and mythologies while really being about two people in one hospital room and their attempt at meaning-making. We get into Tarsem’s laser-eyed focus on making this film a reality by self-funding, shooting in more than 25 countries, and holding the whole thing together through stubborn will. It’s a movie that became a beloved favorite despite being nearly impossible to find until its 2024 restoration.Next week: Season 1 of Somebody Somewhere, the tender, joyful, devastating HBO series about friendship, grief, chosen family, and what it really means to come home.Recommended:Behind the Scenes - The Fall“Before Your Very Eyes: Tarsem’s The Fall” - Nicholas Russell, Bright Wall / Dark Room“Liberations of Mind, Spirit and Vision: The Fall by Tarsem Singh” - Daniel Garrett, OffscreenIf you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

This week on The Watchers, Andrea and Jodie are watching Practical Magic, the 1998 Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman film that’s part romantic comedy, part gothic melodrama, and part cozy autumn mood board. We talk about its tonal chaos, the domestic-violence subplot that doesn’t quite fit, and whether or not Practical Magic accidentally invented cottagecore. Plus: the haunted production history, the witch consultant who may or may not have cursed the director, a coven of small-town moms, and why, despite (or because of) its messiness, Practical Magic has become such a touchstone for millennial witches everywhere.Next week, we’re diving into The Fall, Tarsem Singh’s sweeping, surreal fairy tale about grief, imagination, and the stories we tell to survive.If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

This week, Andrea and Jodie sink their teeth into Joel Schumacher’s 1987 teen vampire classic, The Lost Boys. We talk about the decade’s obsession with abandoned hideouts, the movie’s blatant disregard for established vampire lore, and our shared childhood dream of running away to live with a group of wayward teens in one of those aforementioned abandoned hideouts. Plus: The Lost Boy’s Goonies-esque origins, national treasure, Dianne Wiest, and the incredible history of the world’s most important bodybuilding saxophone player.From California vampires to New England witches, we’re trading leather for linen and watching 1998’s Practical MagicIf you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

Andrea and Jodie finally watched Jennifer’s Body, a movie written by Diablo Cody, directed by Karyn Kusama, and practically made for The Watchers. It’s funny, queer, and at least a little more feminist than its original marketing gave it credit for. We talk about Megan Fox’s redemption arc, that cursed emo band Low Shoulder, how a smart, strange movie about friendship and revenge got misbranded as a sexed-up slasher for teen boys, and whether or not it's possible to challenge stereotypes without reinforcing them.Next week: we’re heading back to 1987 for The Lost Boys. A movie that proves nothing’s cooler than vampires, leather jackets, and boardwalk saxophone solos.Recommended Reading:How Jennifer’s Body went from a flop in 2009 to a feminist cult classic today - Constance Grady, VoxThe life, death, and rebirth of Jennifer’s Body, according to screenwriter Diablo Cod - Emily St. James, VoxThe Story of Low Shoulder From ‘Jennifer’s Body,’ The Funniest and Most Disturbing Fictional Indie Rock Band Ever - Andrew Unterberger, BillboardWhy "Through the Trees" Is Actually the Perfect Song for Jennifer's Body - James Grebey, SYFYA Queer Girl’s Guide to Jennifer’s Body  - Ava Burzycki, The Michigan DailyIf you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

Andrea and Jodie watched The Talented Mr. Ripley, the 1999 psychological thriller that features Jude Law at the height of his powers. We talk about what makes the casting work in a story that depends on believing Tom and Dickie’s strange connection, the beauty of sun-drenched Italy on film, and Jude Law’s perfect face (and terrible hat). There’s also Cate Blanchett being effortlessly delightful, the realization that we maybe haven't given Matt Damon the credit he deserves, and Patricia Highsmith’s stunning lifelong commitment to horrible opinions. Next week, we’re talking Jennifer’s Body, the horror-comedy revenge cult classic that deserved better the first time around.Recommended Reading:The Most Stylish Scammer: 20 Years of ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’‘Visceral, sensual wonders’: why The Talented Mr Ripley is my feelgood movieIf you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

This week, Andrea and Jodie watched The Silence of the Lambs, a quiet little drama about gender in the workplace, mentorship, art appreciation, canine companions, and the importance of strong female friendships.Recommended Reading: “30 years in, The Silence Of The Lambs’ Jame Gumb still deserves better” - By Harmony Colangelo Next week, we’re welcoming October in with the 1999 psychological thriller, The Talented Mr. Ripley. If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

Hey Watchers fam, quick note! No new episode today. We foolishly thought we’d somehow find enough hours in September to stay on track, but that was obviously hubris on our part. We’ll be back in your feed next week with Silence of the Lambs, a full episode, and no plans to take any more time off for the rest of the year. In the meantime, give this one a listen for a few recommendations of stuff to check out while you wait for our return, as well as–depending on where you live–some upcoming events you might be interested in. Thanks for sticking with us. Rate/review if you haven’t, share us with a friend, and we’ll see you next week! To ask Rainn Wilson a question for This Helps With Marlon Morgan’s live podcast recording, head to thishelpspodcast.com/askTickets to Laughing Together’s All-Star Improv Jam on September 29th in San Diego, CA are at wellnesstogether.org/conferenceJoin Beautiful/Anonymous for our 500th episode, recording live at Smodcastle Cinemas in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, on October 17th: punchup.live/chrisgethardIf you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

Last week, Andrea and Jodie checked into One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to talk rebellion, institutions, and what it takes to be a woman in a male-dominated field. This week, we’re shipping up to Cambridge for a rewatch of Girl, Interrupted. It’s another Winona Ryder voiceover project and the film that gave Angelina Jolie the world’s worst bangs. We get into how Susanna Kaysen felt about seeing her memoir on screen, the 90s all-star cast, and what it says about decades of not-so-great mental-health care for women.Next week, get ready to sink your teeth into Jonathan Demme’s Oscar-winning classic, The Silence of the Lambs.P.S. Our apologies for the unannounced break last week! Missed you terribly. We'll never leave you again.If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

This week on The Watchers, Andrea and Jodie check themselves in for a review of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. We trace the long and winding road to bringing this film to the screen, talk about its unconventional on-location set, and reflect on how it launched so many of our favorite actors’ careers. We also unpack the deep misogyny baked into the writing of Nurse Ratched as a monstrous woman. Next week, we’re staying in the psych ward for the Cuckoo's Nest companion piece Girl, Interrupted.If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

This week on The Watchers, Andrea and Jodie are snowed in with Stephen King’s Misery, Rob Reiner’s chilling two-hander adaptation that won Kathy Bates her Oscar and taught us to fear typewriters, sledgehammers, and devoted fans bearing soup. We talk about King’s real-life inspiration for the story, the long and winding road to casting Paul Sheldon, and why this movie manages to be terrifying, funny, and oddly cozy all at once.Next week, we’re moving from one devoted nurse with a questionable bedside manner to another, trading Annie Wilkes for Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Recommended Reading:"Retrospective: 30 years later, ‘Misery’ still loves company" - Eddie Mouradian Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

This week on The Watchers, Andrea and Jodie revisit Stand by Me, a beloved film that, nearly four decades later, still lands with kids and adults. We talk about why the nostalgia feels real instead of cheap, the oft-discussed ways the actors’ real lives mirrored the roles they played, and whether or not we can make the case that it counts as a Jersey movie.Next week, you cockadoodie listeners better not go anywhere because we’re coming back for Reiner’s second entry in the King Cinematic Universe, Misery.If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

This week on The Watchers, Andrea and Jodie hop on their bikes and pedal straight into the summer of 1970 with the coming-of-age classic Now and Then. Often called Stand by Me for girls, we talk about where that comparison lands, where it misses, how the film captures girlhood friendships, our draw toward the nostalgic, and which parts still work on rewatch. We also cover how Now and Then handles grief, first crushes, and the awkward limbo between kid and teen.Next week, we’re heading down the tracks for the only natural follow-up to Now and Then, Rob Reiner’s Stand by Me, a darker, sharper coming-of-age story about friendship, mortality, and that one summer that changes everything.Recommended Reading:“​What White Girl Coming-of-Age Movies Don’t Do For a Black Girl” - Zoé SamudziIf you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

This week on The Watchers, Andrea and Jodie bundle up for a double dose of March family goodness with Little Women, starting with the beloved 1994 version and bringing in Greta Gerwig’s more meta 2019 adaptation. We talk about what makes this story so enduring, why every generation gets the Jo it needs, and how both films handle what's really at the heart of Louisa May Alcott’s classic. We also get into 1994’s all-star 90s cast, the importance of women-led movie sets, and what Alcott really thought about the men in her novel. Plus, significant haircuts, compulsory heterosexuality, Freudian analysis, and other Watchers classics.Next week, we’re sticking with girlhood, nostalgia, and formative trauma but trading bonnets for bikes with 1995’s coming-of-age drama, Now and Then.Recommended Viewing:“Why The Costumes of Little Women did NOT deserve an Oscar” - Micarah TewersIf you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review.Follow:The Watchers on Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)Andrea on Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)Jodie on Instagram (@jodie_mim)Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."