The Reactor Corps

Episode 147. Start your engines, it's time for Kyle and Melissa to talk F1: The Movie! We cover how this movie works whether you know the sport or not, the rivalry between the two drivers, male jewelry, and the unforgettably intense crash from the movie Ferrari.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:02) - Welcome and banter (01:01) - General thoughts on F1: The Movie (14:18) - Spoilers begin here (14:32) - Breaking the mold right from the start (16:59) - The characters feel like they have a history (22:35) - The dynamic between Hayes and Pierce (25:37) - The portrayal of Women in F1 (30:36) - There should have been a lot of penalties (34:07) - The biggest F1 fan crowd pleasers (39:57) - Young drivers and their families (40:40) - Melissa was wowed by the jewelry (42:17) - The cinematography and filming techniques (48:17) - Crashes and superhuman recoveries (52:33) - Expectations for the end of the film (58:48) - Aging action stars in Hollywood (01:01:54) - Outro Reply on Bluesky ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 146. We discuss Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, the eighth film in the series, and whether it's as "final" as its title proclaims it to be. We talk about callbacks to the first movie, plot details that are over-explained and under-explained, Ethan's isolation in the stunt setpieces, foosball, and why we think there's going to be a ninth movie and how it could resurrect a beloved dead character.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:02) - Welcome and banter (00:35) - General thoughts on Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning (09:11) - Spoilers begin here (09:23) - A messy beginning (15:31) - Was there a version of this movie about Ethan's mental state? (25:53) - What's up with Luther? (34:02) - Ethan's overly complicated plan (42:08) - The submarine scene (46:33) - Remember when the movie got really religious for a bit there? (48:35) - The return of William Donloe (54:46) - Lots of missing or vague information (56:44) - Ethan and Grace...? (01:01:54) - Was this really the FINAL recokoning? (01:09:26) - The doomsday bunker (01:13:21) - The reveal of Jim Phelps Jr.? (01:19:03) - Planes! (Lots and lots of) (01:25:33) - Would Ethan's fate being ambiguous been better? (01:29:18) - The President's side of things (01:33:34) - The ending scene sure is... something. (01:39:57) - Rooting for Ilsa to return (01:43:48) - What might happen in the next movie if there is one? (01:55:06) - Outro Reply on Bluesky ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 145. Kyle and Melissa assemble to discuss Marvel's new hit, Thunderbolts*! We talk about the meaning behind the asterisk and if this movie's title will officially change in the future, Congressman Bucky Barnes, the "Emperor's New Groove" scene, and how we hope to learn more about Val and feel for her as a character.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:02) - Welcome and banter (01:47) - General thoughts on Thunderbolts* (05:55) - A few spoiler free thoughts on Yellowjackets s3 (08:29) - Plot synopsis of Thunderbolts* (10:48) - Spoilers for Thunderbolts* start here (11:42) - How about that new team name? (20:48) - What's the deal with Bucky? (24:28) - We gotta talk about about Bob (32:44) - What does Bob do now? (38:02) - The Emperor's New Groove scene (39:54) - Remember when Steven Yeun was supposed to be The Sentry? (44:05) - Val is such a mystery (50:18) - Yelena is so embarresed by her dad and it's great (54:08) - Where the Thunderbolts got their name (01:01:18) - The end credits scenes (01:09:39) - Next Marvel stuff is Ironheart and Fantastic Four (01:13:02) - Outro Reply on Bluesky ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 144. It's a mega-sized episode on season 3 of Yellowjackets! We ask if the "hidden reality" could be a real supernatural occurrence or a metaphor for the lies the adult Yellowjackets tell, plot holes that might amount to something greater, still being suspicious of Walter, and if the show can pull off any more surprise survivors.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - - Intro (00:02) - Welcome and banter (01:29) - General thoughts on the second half of Severance s2 (03:28) - A few spoiler free thoughts on Yellowjackets s3 (06:42) - Plot synopsis of season 3 (09:04) - Spoilers for Yellowjackets s3 start here (09:30) - Pink hat girl's name is Melissa (20:37) - Callie and Jeff's "good" influence (32:11) - Walter is still suspicious (41:26) - Adult Tai and Van (44:20) - Is there a supernatural force or not? (51:35) - The women as different ways trauma can effect you (53:02) - Coach Scott and dual realities (01:11:35) - Circling back to Coach Scott (01:18:08) - The Scientists (01:29:01) - What really happens to Hannah? (01:35:58) - Getting rescue (01:41:10) - Funny bits and other good moments (01:50:05) - Full Circle and the pit girl scene (01:59:13) - What became of the wilderness they were in during the modern timeline? (02:11:09) - Season 4? (02:15:46) - Outro Reply on Bluesky ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 143. There's a lot to talk about in episodes 6-10 of Severance season two: where did Choreography & Merriment come from, was all of MDR was working on the Gemma project or on other test subjects, side characters we may or may not ever see again, if Jame would rather keep Helly around instead of Helena, a possible stowaway in the severed floor, and when shows "do a Desmond."Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:02) - Welcome and banter (01:29) - General thoughts on the second half of Severance s2 (11:08) - Spoilers for Severance s2 start here (11:17) - Gemma (18:48) - Religion and cult-like thought in Lumon (22:50) - Is Lumon a failing company? (27:38) - More on the religion and cult-like behavior (29:37) - Ressurecting Kier or implanting his memories in a new body (34:38) - Harmony Cobel (39:26) - We needed more Ricken and Natalie (43:08) - Milchick (52:09) - Can a severed personality take over permenantly? (56:30) - Trying not to be distracted by the mysteries (01:05:09) - Helena Eagan (01:07:26) - Some things the show has seemingly dropped or not told us much about (01:14:11) - What's the win condition? (01:18:50) - What we think will happen in s3 (01:33:02) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 142. Kyle and Melissa suit up for Marvel's latest adventure, Captain America: Brave New World. We discuss how the movie feels overcrowded with supporting players, the strength of Sam's camaraderie and introspection, Washington DC imagery, glowing eyes, and how the post-credits scene feels vague on purpose so it's guaranteed to pay off in some way.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:02) - Welcome and banter (01:24) - General thoughts on Captain America Brave New World (16:55) - Spoilers for Captain America Brave New World start here (17:12) - The performances (25:23) - Adamantium (31:08) - Thoughts on Red Hulk (37:03) - Needs more insight into Sam's perspective as Cap (40:13) - The end credits scene (45:48) - Final thoughts (49:01) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 141. Welcome to our IPTBE, an Indoor Podcasting and Team-Building Episode. We discuss how the show advances farther in these episodes than you would've guessed, imagery borrowed straight from Lost, themes of doubles, if Natalie ever gets to be herself, and whether The Board is a literal board, like a piece of wood.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:02) - Welcome and banter (01:00) - General thoughts on Severance s2 ep1-5 (06:09) - Spoilers for Severance s2 start here (06:31) - The new MDR team (11:03) - Doubles, doppelgangers, and diptychs (16:48) - Mr. Milchick is a standout this season so far (22:52) - Who the hell is Ms. Huang? (27:34) - Dylan seeing his wife (34:37) - Irving figured it all out (38:26) - Helly R. and Helena (47:46) - Lumon is no fun (51:00) - Episode 4 is WILD (01:01:05) - The funeral and the melon head (01:03:32) - What can we expect in the second half of season 2? (01:09:50) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Kyle and Melissa are here for a chill end-of-year celebration, looking back on our year in podcasting and looking ahead to our 2025 goals. We give out our Review Show awards, play a game of "What the Hell Were We Talking About?", run through our recent cinema experiences, talk about fancy cocktails and fancy mansions, and finally share our thoughts on the weird twist in the otherwise conventional neo-noir show Sugar.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:03) - Welcome (02:17) - Cheers to nine years of The Whatnauts (04:59) - Melissa's holiday parties (09:04) - Have we done anything else for nine years? (13:02) - Break number 1 (13:04) - Kyle's got his pizza (17:36) - Alcoholic slushies and other drinks (27:03) - The mansion tour (37:07) - The Review Show awards (01:21:43) - Break number 2 (01:21:45) - Kyle's got his Old Fashioned (01:24:08) - What the hell were we talking about? (01:42:25) - A quick check in on our fantasy movie draft (01:47:53) - The Cinema Corner (01:55:54) - Spoilers for Sugar (01:57:46) - The Cinema Corner round 2 (02:07:42) - Out of Alcatraz (02:13:41) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 140. Kyle and Melissa are here to talk about The Penguin, the Max limited series tied into The Batman films. We discuss characters with speech impediments, a city in need of the healing power of live theater, Mark Strong's history in DC adaptations, and times we've seen actual penguins in real life.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:02) - Welcome and banter (01:19) - General thoughts on The Penguin (07:07) - Shout out to Rhenzy Feliz (08:51) - Award worthy performances and makeup (10:48) - Spoilers for The Penguin begin here (11:18) - The Penguin's relationship with his mother (15:00) - Sophia's relationship with her family (18:06) - What is next for The Batman universe? (23:21) - More on Victor (25:42) - The penguin didn't focus on easter eggs (31:03) - Consistent geography between The Batman and The Penguin (32:35) - So no Batman?? (35:30) - What a stacked cast, ya know? (37:19) - Fake Anna Torv (39:02) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 139. We summon a coven true of coven two as Kyle and Melissa talk about Agatha All Along. We discuss its pop culture influences, if the show can reach audiences outside of MCU followers, what a second season might look like, and Ralph Bohner as an important representation of the everyman struggling to cope in this superhero wold.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:02) - Welcome and banter (00:39) - General thoughts on Agatha All Along (05:21) - A great mystery to get us hooked (10:28) - The characters and the coven (21:39) - The trials (29:50) - Will there be a season 2? (36:04) - Agatha, Billy, and Nicholas Scratch (43:04) - The set design of Agatha All Along (44:57) - Final thoughts on Agatha All Along (49:05) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 138. Kyle and Melissa are here to talk about the Marvel smash hit Deadpool & Wolverine! We discuss the surprisingly emotional farewell to the 20th Century Fox era of superhero movies, the difference between anchor beings and nexus beings, going full Boomhauer, and a possible allusion to M&Ms lore.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - - Intro (00:02) - Welcome and banter (00:39) - General thoughts on Deadpool and Wolverine (05:30) - A love letter to the Fox Marvel movies (10:19) - Comic accurate Wolverine and other Canadians (13:20) - Light on plot, but that's okay (16:02) - Let the cameo's begin (21:43) - Not important, but it's silly (24:50) - But wait, there's more cameos! (33:32) - Playing with expectations (35:52) - Spoilers from Comic-con (41:00) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 137. We're back in the podcast kitchen to discuss the new season of The Bear! We talk about "contemplation" being this season's watchword, the fork on the floor, the foolish wisdom of the Facs, and what it could mean if the restaurant gets two stars when it was only aiming for one.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:02) - Welcome and banter (01:57) - Our spoiler free thoughts on The Bear S3 (04:50) - Spoilers for The Bear S3 (05:02) - The effectiveness of episode 1 (08:50) - Fak attack! (17:04) - Ritchie (24:07) - Carmy (31:24) - Sydney (38:57) - Natalie (Sugar) (44:44) - Tina (50:21) - Cicero and the dystopian butter (53:58) - The review (01:01:48) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 136. Melissa and Kyle are on the case of the latest season in the True Detective anthology series. We discuss how this standalone season possibly connects to previous seasons, and if it even matters, the actual detective work, Lost imagery, themes of loneliness, and a thematic use for Kangaroo Jack.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:02) - Welcome and banter (02:54) - Our spoiler free thoughts on True Detective Night Country (07:58) - Spoilers for True Detective Night Country (08:41) - Would you have wanted more "Detective-ing"?? (10:59) - True Detective Night Country's themes of loneliness (16:29) - Connections to season 1... was it worth it? (20:13) - The best emotional moments in True Detective Night Country (23:11) - Twist and Shout, Kangaroo Jack, and the Aggro Crag (25:30) - Did the finale work? (29:20) - True Detective NIght Country's opening credits and use of music (32:38) - Any hopes for a possible season 5? (34:11) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 135. We're discussing the Marvel limited series Echo, including the show's sense of community, cool action scenes, grandpa ingenuity, how Kingpin could behave in Daredevil: Born Again, and a Midwestern road trip.Click here to watch a video of this episode. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Ignacio and Kyle team up to talk about the second season of Marvel's What If.... We discuss how the show references other pop culture touchstones, the naming conventions of the episodes, and Kahhori's power set.Click here to watch a video of this episode. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Join us for the 8th anniversary retrospective, which we've now declared will be called a Grand Prix! Just try to stop us!! Kyle and Melissa gather for our annual pizza awards banquet for favorite Review Show topics, best performances, biggest surprises, and for the first time ever, a two-time Dream Date winner. We also debut a new structure for the Review Show and Captain's Log starting in 2024! Master of electricity Ignacio joins us for a rousing discussion on southern California theme parks, and we name our goals for the year ahead.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:16) - Welcome and banter (05:53) - What's the deal with "Grand Prix" (08:43) - Review Show awards (51:46) - Housekeeping (56:57) - Changes coming to The Whatnauts (01:11:29) - Ignacio joins the party (01:17:37) - Catching up with Melissa (01:21:24) - Are we board game people? (01:37:57) - Ignacio and Kyle's video games of the year (01:44:05) - Melissa snaps us out of our video game haze (01:51:44) - New segment: What the hell are we talking about? (02:04:20) - Our most anticipated movies and shows of 2024 (02:14:36) - Goals for next year (02:24:12) - Just a few quick interesting stats (02:30:38) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 133. Melissa and Kyle are here to talk about The Marvels! We praise the movie for its fun and breezy pace, and discuss the MCU's attention to beloved non-superhero supporting characters, going harder on musical numbers, and that poor guy just trying to have a solo picnic.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - Intro (00:02) - Welcome and banter (01:51) - Don't skip our on The Marvels!! Our general thoughts on the film. (08:08) - Spoilers for The Marvels from this point forward (10:51) - The Kahn family had much more to do that we expected (13:15) - The dynamic between Capt. Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica (18:41) - Parts of the film we wished was explored more (22:15) - The Flerken's invade New York (27:59) - Dar-Benn felt useless (32:16) - The emotional punches hit, but could have been more effective (37:54) - Kamala's Nick Fury moment (42:17) - The mid credits scene you don't wanna miss (47:39) - What name is Monica going to take? (55:29) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 132. We conclude our journey with Loki, discussing episodes 5 and 6 of season two. We talk about getting to know these characters better and seeing them as a unit, borrowing from the Doctor Strange playbook, and how this is a satisfying ending that also leaves the door open for a return to this world.(00:00) - Intro (00:02) - Welcome and banter (00:44) - General thoughts on Loki S2 episodes 5-6 (04:33) - Seeing the TVA members' real lives (08:55) - O.B.'s warehouse and glorius purpose (13:49) - Failure and time travel (19:52) - Loki becomes the god of stories (27:24) - Did Loki Season two stick the landing? (32:44) - There is still plenty of stories left for the TVA (34:50) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 131. We're back to cover the next two episodes of Loki, discussing mechanical pants, tandem bicycles, only seeing slices of pie but not a whole pie, Miss Minutes reminding us of the lovesick robot from Flubber, and the horrors of small box.Click here to watch a video of this episode. (00:00) - - Intro (00:02) - - Welcome and banter (02:06) - - General thoughts on Loki S2 episodes 3-4 (08:51) - - The Automat and all that pie (16:11) - - Victor Timely and The Chicago World's Fair (23:47) - - X-5 and his acting gig of a lifetime (28:57) - - Renslayer vs. Miss Minutes (35:17) - - Who pruned Loki and who was on that phone call? (40:03) - - Where does this show go next? (44:52) - - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 130. Kyle and Melissa are here to talk about the new season of Loki, two episodes at a time! We discuss the mystery of everyone's past and alternate lives on different timelines, themes of dreams, how much we want a limited edition Sylvie's Order at McDonald's, and whether the Automat pies mean something for the plot or are just weird set dressing.Click here to watch a video of this episode. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★