Needs Some Introduction

In this free-range horror catch-up, Darren and I talk Halloween culture, haunted houses, and an A24/Jeremy Saulnier haunted-house film teased for Halloween but releasing in January. We cover Darren’s recent theater trips, including a mixed reaction to Street Fighter, and we share box office notes. We confirm Carrie has been renewed for season two, then wrap up Crystal Lake, with Darren praising the flashback and finale, the performances (including Linda Cardellini and Hamish Linklater), and the late-season kills despite a flat midseason. We dive into Clayface (including spoilers), comparing it to The Substance and The Fly, discussing its body-horror highlights, rushed opening/editing, and mixed emotional payoff, while noting its rare A- CinemaScore. We close by trading 2026 horror favorites and disappointments and preview upcoming coverage of Dexter Resurrection season two and Apple TV’s Nocturne. Mailto:[email protected] https://www.patreon.com/cw/NeedsSomeIntroduction 00:00 Horror Grab Bag Setup 01:00 Halloween Traditions Talk 03:44 Decorations and Haunted Houses 05:19 A24 Haunted House Tease 07:05 Theater Trips Street Fighter 09:57 Carrie Renewed Season Two 10:37 Crystal Lake Finale Reactions 13:11 Surf Dracula Streaming Meme 17:39 Sex and Slashers Debate 20:45 Clayface First Impressions 26:57 Clayface Spoiler Context 29:36 Clayface Opening Problems 34:06 Comparing to The Fly 36:01 Missed Acting Potential 38:14 CGI Versus Practical Effects 38:52 Practical Effects Praise 39:59 Eye Trauma Standouts 41:27 What Worked vs Rushed 44:16 Nanobots Power Leap 45:46 Mild Recommendation 46:08 Clayface Future in DC 50:54 Batman 2 Production Talk 51:56 Ranking Horror of Year 01:00:38 More Picks and Misses 01:03:18 Worst of the Year 01:07:40 Podcast Schedule Update Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Darren and I kick off a spooky-season episode of Need Some Introduction by discussing what we’ve been watching, including Darren finishing Carrie, catching up on the Peacock/A24 Friday the 13th prequel Crystal Lake, and seeing the survival thriller Whale Fall starring Austin Abrams, which he praises for its claustrophobic practical whale sets, father-son framing with Josh Brolin, and a slightly mystical ending. We then dive into You Can See Everything, a buzzy three-hour A24 documentary involving Nathan Fielder and Elizabeth Holmes that’s selling out screenings and provoking debates about performance, reality, and what can be trusted on camera. Finally, we spoil the Carrie finale—liking the season overall but criticizing the fragmented prom climax and heavy season-two setup—and assess Crystal Lake as entertaining but uneven, increasingly conspiracy-driven, and held together by Linda Cardellini’s performance. Mailto:[email protected] https://www.patreon.com/cw/NeedsSomeIntroduction 00:00 Spooky Season Setup 00:48 Whale Fall Reactions 03:04 Inside the Whale 06:20 Practical Effects Buzz 09:45 You Can See Everything Hype 14:07 Mind-Bending Documentary Breakdown 18:56 Reality, Spoilers, and Aftertalk 23:05 Carrie Finale Spoiler Talk 25:55 Flanagan Carrie Debate 26:49 Finale Choices Critique 28:05 Binge Edit Fixes 29:59 Season Two Setup Talk 31:24 CGI Versus Practical 32:20 Crystal Lake Overview 33:21 Friday the 13th History 37:54 Tone Conspiracy Issues 39:08 Kills And 80s Vibe 41:52 Backstory Filler Complaints 45:46 Season Two Landing Point 47:07 Next Week Watchlist 47:45 Nocturne Series Preview 49:27 Wrap Up And Goodbye Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we’re back on Needs Some Introduction to check in on HBO Max/BBC’s War through episode three, with Sona returning after a tough couple of weeks that included unexpected deaths in our circles and conversations with our kids about grief. We lay out the show’s basics (George Kay, anthology plans, and the two rival law firms) and talk through the central divorce plot with Dominic West and Sienna Miller, including the honey-trap setup, mediation/arbitration mechanics, and whether infidelity and changing circumstances (money and a child/stepchild) shift prenup leverage. We agree the show is well made but paced slowly, with unclear stakes in a billionaire divorce, while Johnny as the mole is the most compelling thread. We also preview our upcoming switch to Dexter, plus other podcast plans. Mailto:[email protected] https://www.patreon.com/cw/NeedsSomeIntroduction 00:00 Podcast Welcome and Agenda 01:21 Personal Loss and Parenting 03:22 Show Background and Anthology Setup 05:46 Lawyer Show Comparisons 07:22 Cast Trivia and Nepo Babies 09:51 Plot Recap and Key Players 14:03 Is the Show Too Slow 15:54 Stakes Problem and Succession Parallels 23:41 Class and Career Questions 27:03 UK vs US Divorce Process 28:41 Why Mediation Works 31:08 Prenup Bias and Optics 32:27 Picking Arbitrators Strategy 34:46 Episode Three Kid Fallout 38:08 Money Stakes and Sympathy 39:50 Succession Comparison 45:05 Morgan Hides Wealth 47:33 Switching to Dexter 49:14 Dexter Season Two Teases 51:48 Other Shows and Wrap Up Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this catch-up episode of Need Some Introduction, Darren and I talk about why the podcast schedule has been irregular lately, including unexpected family losses that delayed our planned coverage of War. Darren shares highlights from a recent vacation and a trip to Melbourne for his wife’s 11th marathon, plus seeing Resident Evil in a small theater. We discuss the divisive Lanterns finale, praising performances (especially Kelly Macdonald) while questioning some story choices and underused characters, and we note strong HBO viewership numbers suggesting a likely renewal. We then dig into Amazon Prime’s Mike Flanagan Carrie series (through episode five), comparing it to the De Palma film and Stephen King’s novel, focusing on its contemporary social media bullying angle, expanded characters (especially Carrie’s mother and the bully Chris), and the episode-five twist about Carrie’s “friend,” while teeing up a spoiler-heavy continuation next week and potential coverage of Crystal Lake. Mailto:[email protected] https://www.patreon.com/cw/NeedsSomeIntroduction 00:00 Welcome Back and Updates 00:49 Darren Vacation Recap 01:36 Melbourne Marathon Weekend 03:19 Jet Lag and Running Talk 06:19 Anniversary and Resident Evil 07:17 Podcast Delays and War 08:39 Lanterns Finale Reactions 12:33 Lanterns Ratings and Future 15:25 Carrie Series Intro 16:52 Stephen King and De Palma 19:01 Modernizing Carrie and Flanagan 28:00 Should You Watch the Movie 29:28 Episode One Changes Setup 30:55 Margaret Reimagined 33:03 Social Media Spiral 35:25 Chris The Bully 37:56 Carrie Red Goes Viral 39:46 Teachers And Counselors 41:06 Episode Five Twist 50:11 Real World Teen Bans 54:16 What To Watch Next 55:53 Digger Debate 01:00:09 Wrap Up And Teasers Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We recap and review the season finale of Apple TV’s Australian thriller Last Seen, along with a few digressions on fall foliage trips and upcoming podcast plans. We discuss whether the finale feels satisfying, why a second season seems unlikely, and how the show resolves an intentionally messy premise with an ambiguous but emotionally devastating ending, including Henry killing his father, Sarah protecting Ian, Henry’s selfish final choice, and the family’s complicated reunion amid Bill’s funeral. We also question some police-procedural realism, praise the acting—especially the young actor playing Sarah/Maggie—and consider what a non-thriller Season 2 focused on aftermath might look like. We briefly recommend Netflix’s East of Eden adaptation, tease covering HBO Max’s War, and touch on Ted Lasso and Bill Lawrence shows like Rooster, Scrubs’ reboot, and Bad Monkey. Mailto:[email protected] https://www.patreon.com/cw/NeedsSomeIntroduction 00:00 Welcome and Setup 01:46 Fall Foliage Chat 05:28 East of Eden Recommendation 10:12 War Podcast Plans 11:31 Finale Thoughts Season Two 14:28 Plot Walkthrough Begins 16:32 Police Procedure Questions 19:50 Road Trip Tension 26:43 Compound Showdown 30:16 Aftermath and Truths 32:40 Henry’s Selfish Myth 34:40 Escape and Shootout Chaos 36:47 Ian Confronts Henry 39:13 Henry’s Final Choice 41:28 Reunion Aftermath 45:42 Funeral and Parenting Metaphor 49:28 Season Two Possibilities 53:23 Why It Works 54:56 Ted Lasso Detour 57:08 Bill Lawrence Watchlist 01:00:25 Bad Monkey Season Two 01:02:40 Wrap Up and Next Episode Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.