The Plot Sickens

In honor of Black History Month, we’re discussing The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks — the story of the woman whose cancer cells changed medicine forever, without her knowledge or consent.As two women living with metastatic breast cancer, we reflect on medical racism, informed consent, ownership of our bodies, and what it means to be more than a diagnosis.Henrietta Lacks helped save millions of lives. The least we can do is say her name. And as Deltra reminds us — don’t forget to thank a Black woman.

This week, The Plot Sickens revisits Philadelphia—a rewatch that hit us much harder than expected. While the story centers on AIDS, its themes of illness, fear, and stigma felt deeply familiar. An emotional look back at a film that captures its time—and still has something to say now.

In this episode of The Plot Sickens, Vanessa finally gets her wish and brings one of her all-time favorite films, Fried Green Tomatoes, to the pod. Deltra is watching it for the first time — and falls instantly in love.We talk chosen family, aging, caregiving, coded queer love, community justice, and Ruth’s cancer, all through the lens of two people living with metastatic breast cancer. Warm, funny, and deeply human, this episode explores why this movie still hits so hard — and why Vanessa has been waiting a minute to review it.TOWANDA forever!

On this week's Episode, Deltra and Vanessa revisit the holiday favorite The Family Stone — a movie that looks like a cozy Christmas rom-com on the surface, but quietly carries themes of illness, mortality, family tension, and anticipatory grief.Full transparency: this episode was recorded during the thick of the holiday season, and we were tired. Like end-of-the-year, bodies-and-hearts-exhausted tired. So please be gentle with us as we unpack a film that hits especially hard when you’re already running on empty.Grab a blanket, lower your expectations (like we did), and come sit with us.

Deltra and Vanessa dive into 50/50, exploring its blend of humor and heartbreak through a young adult cancer lens. We break down the film’s surprising accuracy, the messy realities of caregiving, and how Seth Rogen’s character delivers the dark-humor relief we all needed. A raw, real, and surprisingly funny look at navigating cancer in your 20s and 30s.

This week on The Plot Sickens, Deltra and Vanessa dive into 2023's Sitting in Bars with Cake—a film that starts as a fun rom-com but takes a heartbreaking turn. Watching for the first time, we were caught off guard by how quickly sweetness became sadness. We unpack the friendship at the center of the story, the way cancer changes everything, and why this one left us both feeling all the feelings.

Happy Halloween! This week, The Plot Sickens drops early as Deltra — our resident scream queen, Halloween lover, and proud Connecticut local — takes on The Haunting in Connecticut! This paranormal rollercoaster is packed with jump scares, creepy moments, and, surprisingly, a few ghosts worth rooting for. Vanessa finds herself sympathizing with the poor souls disturbed from their graves, while Deltra embraces every spine-chilling scream. Grab your candy, dim the lights, and get ready for a hauntingly good time!

It’s spooky season, and The Plot Sickens is serving up a Halloween treat — or maybe a trap!Deltra and Vanessa dive headfirst into Saw X, where cancer, revenge, and morality collide in a blood-soaked game of survival. This time, Jigsaw’s twisted sense of justice hits a little too close to home for our hosts, who bring their signature mix of dark humor, empathy, and sharp insight to the table (or operating room?).Grab your candy corn, keep your limbs inside the trap, and press play… if you dare.

Deltra and Vanessa dive into P.S. I Love You — the tearjerker that somehow makes us laugh, swoon, and ugly cry all at once. From love letters and loss to Harry Connick Jr.’s awkward charm and that very handsome Irish singer, the ladies unpack what it means to keep loving — even after goodbye.

In this episode, Deltra and Vanessa dive into the classic film The Bucket List—a movie Vanessa has long loved, but one Deltra had never seen until now. Two men from completely different walks of life facing terminal illness set out to complete their dream list of adventures, and let’s just say the tissues came out… but this time, it wasn’t just Vanessa getting emotional. Join us as we talk about friendship, mortality, and what it really means to live fully when time feels short.

WOOT! WOOT!- We made it to double digits! For our tenth episode, we’re diving into the unforgettable classic Beaches, starring the incomparable Bette Midler. From hilarious antics to heartfelt moments, this movie has it all—and of course, we can’t talk Beaches without celebrating that iconic theme song that still gives us goosebumps (yes, we sang along—don’t judge).Join us as we unpack the friendship at the heart of the film, the way it handles illness and loss, and why Beaches remains such a beloved story decades later.

This week, Vanessa and Deltra review a fan favorite- The Fault in Our Stars—a film that still knows exactly how to break us all over again. With tissues in hand, we break down Hazel Grace and Augustus' love story, the emotional gut-punches, and why this one completely broke Vanessa.

This week, Vanessa and Deltra dive into Me, Earl and the Dying Girl—their very first time experiencing this quirky, heartfelt YA story. From unexpected laughs to gut-punch moments, we’ve got plenty to say… especially about the parents. (Seriously, what was that about?) Join us as we unpack the characters, the emotional beats, and the moments that had us hitting pause just to react.

This one got us good.In Spoiler Alert, we watch a love story unfold—and unravel—with honesty, humor, and heartbreak. Jim Parsons brings his whole heart, Sally Field steals every scene, and we cried more than we expected (and maybe more than we’ll admit).We talk queer love, caregiving, grief, and the beauty of letting someone truly see you—especially when time is short. Oh, and yes, we absolutely talk about that intimate scene… and why it mattered (in the best way).Bring tissues... and maybe a phone to text someone you love.

This one’s sexy and sad — the kind of combo we specialize in. In Love and Other Drugs, Jake Gyllenhaal brings the charm (and the pharmaceuticals), Anne Hathaway brings the raw truth of living with Parkinson’s- Deltra brings the heat while Vanessa brings the laughs. We talk sex, shame, and what it really means to date while managing a chronic illness — including that fear of getting close when you might not be able to stay. Vulnerability, avoidance, hookup culture… it’s all here. And yes, there’s a lot of nudity.

Grab the tissues — in Part 2 of our Step Mom deep dive, we get into the hard stuff.This episode focuses on Susan Sarandon’s cancer storyline, how the film handles end-of-life preparation, and the raw scenes of a mother preparing her children to live without her.We talk anticipatory grief, complicated goodbyes, and how this movie somehow finds humor in heartbreak — without pulling punches.Also: the scene with the blanket? We’re still not okay.This one’s for the moms, the stepmoms, the daughters, and anyone who's ever had to say goodbye too soon.Be sure to follow us on Instagram for updates, previews and fun outtakes.

We’re diving into Step Mom (1998) — the emotionally loaded classic that gave us Julia Roberts vs. Susan Sarandon, a blended family, and a cancer storyline that still punches us in the gut.In Part 1, we focus on the family dynamics: the fierce loyalty between a mom and her kids, the complicated role of the new partner, and the not-so-subtle tension simmering under every school drop-off and awkward dinner table.There’s sarcasm, golden retrievers, questionable co-parenting, and one perfectly chaotic 90s wardrobe after another.We tried to fit it all in one episode... but in true mom fashion, we needed more time to get everything done.

In this episode, we dive into the Oscar-winning mother-daughter drama that set the gold standard for emotionally devastating films. From dysfunctional affection to hospital hallway meltdowns, we unpack the grief, grit, and (questionable) caregiving in Terms of Endearment.Expect tears. Expect some laughs.And yes — we absolutely talk about that Shirley MacLaine scene.No part two this time — we managed to squeeze all our feelings into one episode.Follow us on the 'gram for fun outtakes and teasers of upcoming movies we will be reviewing!https://www.instagram.com/theplotsickenspodcast/

We weren’t done crying — so we’re back for Part 2 of Miss You Already. In this episode, we dive deeper into Milly and Jess’s unraveling friendship, the chaos of terminal illness, and the moments that broke us (again).This one goes deep into grief, guilt, and the messiness of loving someone through the end.Content warning: We’re talking death, hospice, and goodbye-for-now moments. As always, tissues are a must.Lets continue to explore how the plot...sickens.

In our very first episode of The Plot Sickens, Deltra and Vanessa dive headfirst into a movie where cancer takes center stage—but not without a few tangents, hot takes, and laughs along the way. As two women living with metastatic breast cancer, we’re breaking down how Hollywood gets it right (or very, very wrong). This is Part One of a two-part premiere—get comfy, press play, and let’s see how the plot sickens.