Should You Plot A Course For Alien: Earth?

Clip: [00:00] I said we can do it. Sir, we're fast. We're strong. We don't break. We can do it. Dave: [00:16] This is the Extra Hot Great Podcast, episode 575 for the week of August 11th, 2025. I am half a dandy David T. Cole, and I'm here with Feline Redshirt Server D. Bunting. The girl genius Tara Ariano and Eyeball Squid Andrew Cunningham. Tara: [00:37] Mushi mushy mushy Welcome to Extra Hot Great for another week joining us. Andrew: [00:41] Hold on, I'm just going to stick my face next to this giant egg. Tara: [00:53] He is an editor at Ars Technica and the co-host of the podcast. Overdue and appointment television. You have heard him with us many times before. It's Andrew Cunningham. Dave: [01:02] Welcome back, Andrew. Tara: [01:03] Welcome back, Andrew. Andrew: [01:03] Yay! Sarah: [01:03] Andrew. Andrew: [01:05] So glad to be here to talk about something that's not for Asia or Star Trek. Dave: [01:09] But it combines the best of those into one. Tara: [01:11] But I was gonna say it's somehow right in between. Yes, we are here to talk about Alien Colon Earth in the year 2120, two years before the events of the 1979 film Alien. The world is controlled by three corporations, all pursuing three approaches to the problem of human mortality: cyborgs, synths, and hybrid Last one of these turns out to be what you get when you upload a human's consciousness to a synthetic body with all its advantages superhuman speed, strength, and physical resilience. Marcy, who is suffering from a terminal disease, gets to be the first hybrid subject Christening her transformed self Wendy, she is played by Sidney Chandler. But even though Wendy has been told she will have to live at the Prodigy Corporation's research island Neverland, some traces of Marcy remain, which motivates her request To the founder of Prodigy, Boy Cavalier Samuel Blanken, to let her and a group of five other lost boy hybrids help at the scene of a spaceship that has crashed into a building in New Siam. Containing one cyborg, a bunch of human corpses, and a variety of very exotic non-human specimens. The show is based on the Alien Movie series and was created for T V by Noah Hawley of Legion and Fargo TV show fame. The first two episodes dropped on FX on Hulu on August 12th, with the remaining six dropping weekly on Tuesdays. We got access to the whole season, but we'll be careful about spoilers for unaired episodes Let us do the chen check-in, Andrew. Should our listeners watch Alien Earth, Sarah. Andrew: [02:39] Uh yes, unless you get grossed out easily, I think. Sarah: [02:43] This is not for me, but I can see that it's well made, so proceed, which I will not be doing. Dave: [02:51] I don't begrudge you for watching it, but I felt like the problems that existed at the start were not solved by the end. So, I'm going to say if you like Alien stuff, you're going to watch it. If you don't, you can probably skip it. There's not a lot here that is newer or interesting to me. Tara: [03:09] Yeah, my answer was going to be, I'll keep watching if Dave wants to watch it. And then Dave came out of his office like 10 minutes before we started and said, well, I've watched the whole season. So I get that's my answer. Dave: [03:20] Sorry. Tara: [03:21] Oh, I don't care. It's a pass for me. I was medium on it to begin with. I will say before we get into the spoilers though, I'll give a content warning for people who are going to be watching this. Several bad things happen to a very unlucky cat. So if that's something that Bothers you Yes, not just the human ones, although them as well. Sarah: [03:34] Yeah, they do. Dave: [03:35] Not just animals in this show generally are having a tough time. Andrew: [03:35] Yeah. Among other yeah, yeah, for sure. Tara: [03:45] Now we're in the spoiler zone. Past and future guest Dan Dodario did a variety cover story on the show. We'll link it in the show notes. He quoted Noah Holly saying that even as big as the alien franchise is, it doesn't have a lot of lore. Based on what we see at the start of this series, would we say that's a bad thing for someone like Holly? Or would we maybe have liked to see him work within more guardrails? Andrew, what are your thoughts? Andrew: [04:09] Um, you know, I'm here for the alien stuff, really. I'm not here for the lore. I'm here for somebody to like. Tara: [04:15] Mm. Andrew: [04:16] look up at a ceiling because something drips on them and then for the thing that dripped on them to like eat their face off, you know? Tara: [04:18] Yep. Yeah. Dave: [04:22] Wait, I think we just need to, as we do this, keep a tally on things that could have been the title for this. Andrew: [04:22] Like Yeah, like I'm I am not like super deep Into the alien universe. Dave: [04:28] Something dripped on me. That's our first. Tara: [04:33] Mm-hmm. Andrew: [04:39] I like the first two movies a lot. I think the third movie is kind of an interesting movie. There's an interesting movie in there that's fighting to to get out. But then the the Latter-day like the 2010s and 2020s sequels, I haven't really like Prometheus and all that other stuff, I haven't really messed with at all. So it's just I don't know, it's just just fun to come back to a to a universe that I that has not in my brain been done to death and enjoy some of the some of the thrills and the chills and the gross outs. And that's that's what I'm that's what I'm here for. Dave: [05:10] Yeah, I agree that I don't necessarily Think we need a lot of lore building in this. If it's in the context of a TV show, I understand why they wanted to do it because you can't have eight episodes of something dripped on me. Tara: [05:22] Yeah. Although that is kind of what the Walking Dead is, but yes. Dave: [05:26] Well, that that actually is sort of true, I suppose. There is more going on here than just Xenomorph on Earth. With all the this giant world conquering corporation versus this other giant world conquering corporation. But it's also oddly paced And the nature of the go-get-em squad was a choice. So, as you said, these are children who have diseases and Their terminal, so they stick their minds into robot bodies, and that's sort of like their characters throughout the whole season. They're kids in like 18, 19, 20-year-old bodies And it's kind of creepy sometimes. Not creepy, ooh, I'm watching a nice creepy alien film. Creepy, like, I don't like this choice Creepy sometimes. Tara: [06:12] Yeah. Dave: [06:13] And sometimes the actors are doing kid tics, you know, like they're shimming around because they got nervous kid energy and stuff like that while they're like going to kill something or whatever. Like, it's just some weird choices here. But when it just comes to the moments where the alien is running around chopping people up, I'm like, yes, give me the NFL Red Zone version of this where it's just the alien touchdowns. Wait a sec. Alien touchdowns is our second. Those parts were great. There is a certain choreograph to the way that it slices through everybody, the way the obscure it I thought was really well done. But the choices they made to propel the plot through, I thought, were maybe misguided. The whole Peter Pan analogy they do, and like they literally put on screen for you in case you didn't get it Like, put down those entertaining Disney products. Sarah: [06:58] Totally agree. Andrew: [07:00] It's yeah. Tara: [07:00] Yeah. Yeah. Dave: [07:07] They actually have Peter Pan projected on the ceiling while everybody is going through their transition, and they name all the kids after the lost boys. Tara: [07:13] Yeah. Dave: [07:15] Like, it's a lot, and it's really lazy when people do those sort of metaphors. So, like, at the first episode, it's already on guard for the writing. And having watched to the end of the season, that part of it doesn't really change. They really just keep on going with that. But along the way, there's a lot of menagerie moments that I feel. Make it worth your time to watch, but you'll instantly forget as soon as it's done. I think it's one of those kinds of experiences. Sarah: [07:42] Yeah, my issue with it is pretty much identical to Dave's. Like, I think it is quite Pleased with itself and quite pleased with this choice that it made to have kids put into these cyborg bodies. And then, I mean, they provide a rationale. For this, that like adult brains are too stiff or inflexible or whatever, or adult consciousnesses. Dave: [08:02] Yeah. Sarah: [08:05] But then there's also a rationalization for why the kids can't really grow up. And like they're trying to they're trying to replicate adolescence, but then the Timothy Off with his Pants character is like, why are we bothering with that? Like they're not really adolescent human children, so why don't we just let them be whatever they are? But this entire decision seemed to be about letting actors do actor bullshit. And it's not like they're bad at it. They are very convincing. There's a couple of the others besides Wendy who just really do that like Tom Hanks and big. My feet don't f fit where they've used to anymore, like just inhabiting that physicality that's good. But it's like, why is this hap why is this happening? Here in the alien franchise, when you could be doing actual world building instead of focusing on a kid, which is not as interesting. Dave: [09:02] Here's my conspiracy theory about that. This guy, Noah Hawley, decided that the big problem with horror films, according to him and his big brain, I hate this guy, the guy's so conceited. Tara: [09:05] Hollywood Our neighbor, Noah Hawley, he lives here. Sarah: [09:06] Hollywood, I'm not sure if I can do it. Dave: [09:16] Oh, yeah. Tara: [09:17] Mhm. Dave: [09:17] Is that horror films? The characters always make those very stupid decisions that no person would actually make in these moments. Like, yes, I will go alone into the dark hallway. Where the sounds are coming from. So, how do I get my characters to do that? Oh, I know they're kids, and kids just do stupid things, and they can be told to do things, and they will just do it. Go grab that Zeto Morth. Uh-oh. Okay. All right, dad. All right, robot dad. I'll do that. So I feel like that's like the genesis of it. Just, and they do do that throughout the series. There's like just dumb thing after dumb thing these kids do. That like yeah it propels the plot along Dumb dumb things kids do Dumb things kids do. Sarah: [09:56] Here's another series title. Andrew: [10:01] Youths Blackmail via telepathy would kind of work on me as an adult also. Dave: [10:05] And a minor spoiler in it all, I'm just like gonna, in blurry terms, one of the lost boy characters gets blackmailed at a certain point to do things to help. The competing corporation get their hands on more alien stuff. And it really just is like a kid that you're sort of like bullying, and that's how the plot point progresses. Is that realistic? That's a kid? Yes. Is it like really a part of what you want in a sci-fi storied franchise? It feels out of place. That's my problem with it. It just feels out of place, and it feels like kind of lazy writing The whole Peter Pan metaphor is lazy. Andrew: [10:44] Like, I don't think I need to be a kid to get blackmailed if you're threatening my family. Dave: [10:44] Mhm. Yep. Andrew: [10:50] But yeah, sometimes the the kids' stuff is is played for comedy and it works there, like you were saying. And then sometimes it makes you feel like you do in the movie Big when Tom Hanks A child in an adult's body makes love to an adult woman, and you're like, Wait, how do I feel? Tara: [11:02] Yeah. Sarah: [11:02] Yeah, they are like, oh, oh shit, now we're in the wrong place. Yeah, totally. Andrew: [11:07] How do I feel about this? I don't think it's good. Yeah. Dave: [11:11] Because these are the same characters that are having emo, I swear to God, this is in the series, that are having emotional moments about shared experiences with the Ice Age franchise in their youth Including, I want to note, a 80s school photo with the second picture of you in the corner set up in one of the scenes where there's a picture of Scout, Scrat. Tara: [11:33] A screw I don't know. Dave: [11:35] Whatever the little guy just wants his acorn. Tara: [11:35] Yeah. Dave: [11:37] That guy in the corner in sort of like the angel pose. I'm like, what the fuck is happening right now? Tara: [11:43] Yeah, this is what I was complaining about when we talked about the residents. Sarah: [11:43] Oh, my God. Tara: [11:46] I know this isn't Netflix, but this is like the Netflixization of TV, where it's like, if we make something that is natively for television, no one is ever going to see it in a theater. We assume you are not paying attention. So we're going to have to hammer it. That's why we can't just call this research place Neverland and have a character named Wendy. Dave: [12:03] Mhm. Tara: [12:03] You also have to see footage from the movie Peter Pan, or else you're not going to get it, we feared. Andrew: [12:05] Yeah. Mhm. Dave: [12:06] Yeah. Yeah. Andrew: [12:09] You have to have a TV on the ceiling like it's a dentist's office. Sarah: [12:12] Oh my god. Tara: [12:13] Yes. Sarah: [12:13] That's what I was thinking that I was like, oh my dentist has that too. Oh wait. Tara: [12:18] Sarah, you said this isn't for you, but there was a whole baseball scene. Come on. What more do you want them to do? Sarah: [12:23] I don't know, less of what I didn't like. I think the action scenes are paced well. I think they do understand that, like, They get to the Xenomorph factory pretty quickly, and there's a scene in the first episode where two dudes have been sort of like restrain And baby, like Xenomorph Baby, is just slithering in and around helmets, and they go to a close-up, and there's like A little squelching, but not too much, and then they go to like the other guy's POV. Tara: [12:34] Mm-hmm. Sarah: [12:53] He's like, What's going on? Like, move, get free, get up, and then you tear more. squelching and horrified screaming. And the way that they do the way that they shoot this horror, they show you exactly enough. Sometimes it's like really gross and grisly. Dave: [13:08] Yeah. Sarah: [13:09] Other times you're just hearing it and that's way worse. But I mean, you know, you can't be like, well, here's some baseball. Sorry we murdered an orange cat. Like, fuck you, d Sorry. Like, you can't be self-serious and kill an orange cat and then be like, here's some baseball. Nah. Dave: [13:28] A correction into one thing I really loved about the show: the creatures that you're talking about, the guys that are tied up, aren't the alien xenomorphs, they're basically Yeah, they're part of some ecosystem they went to. Tara: [13:36] I cut in my notes I called them sl slug ticks. Dave: [13:42] They're like ticks or mosquitoes. They suck your blood, but they're so like baggy and misshapen after they like drink their f Phil, it's just like, oh, it's such a good design. Sarah: [13:50] Oh so nasty. Tara: [13:50] It is. Dave: [13:50] The designs of all the creatures I thought were great. I really enjoyed discovering all of them as they go al The hanging plant thing, the spider with six eyes that converge into one eye, and then it can like go in your eye socket and be like your parasite eye thing. Sarah: [13:54] Mm-hmm. Tara: [14:04] Yeah. Aha. Sarah: [14:08] Yeah. Dave: [14:08] It was like, oh. Sarah: [14:09] Heather Cox, do not watch this television program under any cirques. Dave: [14:14] If you're watching that and you're like, oh, I enjoyed the design of this, you gotta watch Scavenger's Rain. Tara: [14:21] Yes. Andrew: [14:21] Oh, yes, yes, absolutely. Dave: [14:22] Because that's like a show that is ecosystem first, sort of writing, and it's so imaginative and well designed and drawn out. Tara: [14:28] It's really cool. Dave: [14:31] And this is more like the Rogue Gallery of Creepy Crawleys, but it still I thought was very effective. That part was good. Sarah: [14:37] Yeah, yeah, it definitely was. Tara: [14:39] I agree they do get to the Xenomorph factory pretty quickly, but I wanted more of the Earth part of alien Earth. Andrew: [14:47] Right, sure. Tara: [14:47] To happen faster. Sarah: [14:47] Yeah, same Oh, yeah. Tara: [14:48] Like, I know they attack an apartment building, like a dinner party full of rich perverts, which you can tell because they're dressed up like they're 18th-century dandies, which there's Still going to be doing in 2120. Andrew: [14:49] Mm-hmm. I actually like that part a lot. Tara: [15:00] Okay. But because they sort the ship crashes into this building, it still feels contained. Like I sort of wanted more chaos, I guess. Andrew: [15:08] Yeah, mm. Dave: [15:11] Yeah, well, they would have to place that show after the movie events, right? Like at the end of this series, nobody's gonna know about these except for a handful of people. Tara: [15:15] Right, mm-hmm right Mhm. Dave: [15:20] Most people that come across this will die. Andrew: [15:20] Right. Dave: [15:22] Is it going to rewrite the intent behind the start of the first film? I hope not. That would be terrible if, like, the corporation's like, hmm, you know, and then where can we send this ship that'll get Infected or something like that. But I understand why there's not a lot of like the lost world versus Jurassic Park of it all, but it would have been fun for sure. Tara: [15:40] Yeah. Dave: [15:41] Like those scenes where it is basically, what's that movie from Indonesia where they're going through the building? The raid? Tara: [15:46] Yeah, the raid. Dave: [15:47] If it was the raid, But with an alien instead of like the other, oh, that would have been so good. Tara: [15:48] Mm-hmm. Yes. Dave: [15:52] And you get a flavor of that for about like 20 minutes. They're tracking it through the building where they beat the weird party and stuff like that. That was really good. That's what I'm talking about. Like the fights, whatever you called it, the murder scenes, and those were like so visceral. Like, when it goes, cuts through that party, you don't see any of it, you just hear it. And there's some sort of like tail shadows whipping around. And then your POV character walks in, and there's just like dozens of half bodies just like all over the place. Andrew: [16:18] Yeah. Dave: [16:20] It was so gross. Andrew: [16:20] It's just a a room full of slaughtered dandies, yeah. Sarah: [16:24] Mm-hmm. Tara: [16:24] Yeah, that I wasn't mad at the the execution. I just thought the the the framing was a bit of a cliche. But anyway, go on. Andrew: [16:31] Yeah, yeah, I do I I agree that I I think a show that's showing like efforts to contain the aliens on Earth so that people can't find out about them and then the way that those efforts Fail and the perimeter needs to get bigger and it gets scarier. Like, that's that's a thing I would be more on board with. And then we just end up spending a lot of time on this island with these kids in this Peter Pan metaphor. And yeah, it's not exactly what I wanted in an alien show. Sarah: [16:52] Yeah. Tara: [16:55] Yeah. The lead of Dan's story that I mentioned earlier is about Sidney Chandler deciding to not come to the Variety cover photo shoot That she had previously committed to do? Is her performance good enough to forgive her pulling this kind of shit? Dave, you could go first because you saw the most of it. Dave: [17:10] Yeah, I thought she was good. She is the leader of the Lost Boy group. What do they call her? Malalian. Tara: [17:17] A millalian. Dave: [17:17] Yes. Sarah: [17:17] Oh my god, totally that's so good. Dave: [17:22] It's gonna write that one down too. Sarah: [17:22] Yep. Mm-hmm. Dave: [17:23] Homal alien. Sarah: [17:25] Totally Yeah, right. Dave: [17:26] I thought she was pretty good, actually. Like she does a lot with her face. And as the story progresses, she has to interact more with all the aliens that are running around and the dynamics change between her and the people that made her and all the kind of, you know, growing up stuff that you expect from a Peter Pan metaphor is happening. Tara: [17:42] Right. Dave: [17:45] And she handles it all pretty well. There's another one of the lost boys that has a creepy moment beyond the first two episodes that I thought was over the top. So there's a lot of contrast between the way those two actors are doing it. I have no problem with that variety thing. If we're here to bag on the variety thing, her problem was she committed to it and then backed out. Somebody should have said, If you don't wanna do it, just don't do it and we'll figure out a way to do it. Andrew: [18:08] Right. Dave: [18:08] Don't say you're gonna be there at two and then call at one thirty saying I can't make it because of reasons. Andrew: [18:13] Right, right. Tara: [18:13] She can't get a hold of her glam squad. Also, she's sick. It's like one or the other, guys. You know? Dave: [18:18] I think they heard that thing where you had to do excuses in three to make them sound believable, and they only did two, and they fucked her. Andrew: [18:23] Yeah, right. Tara: [18:25] Yeah. Sarah: [18:26] I made the mistake of reading that piece first, and I still admired the performance. Tara: [18:28] Hmm Mm-hmm. Sarah: [18:31] This is a show that is set up to allow for a little more actor BS than the brief necessarily warrants or supports, but she's good. Set a boundary if you want to, but then when you are interviewed by phone, try to keep the I'm dealing with trauma from this performance shit to a minimum. Not that she's not. Tara: [18:56] No, but some people have real problems, you know? Sarah: [18:59] Yeah, and like and I think there's a conversation to be had about getting into a headspace where you're a child in an adult cyborg body that's witnessing absolute massacres by a xeno. Tara: [18:59] Like this was a job you did. Mhm. Sarah: [19:12] Sure, like I married an actor. Tara: [19:13] Sure. Sarah: [19:15] I understand sometimes they take this shit on. Dave: [19:18] Anybody else think Sarah was going to say I buried a xenomorph in that moment? Tara: [19:22] Another title. Dave: [19:23] Another title. Tara: [19:23] Hi, Mary to Xeno More. Andrew: [19:23] Well, that's the fun thing is that anyone can become a xenomorph when exposed to the right conditions. Sarah: [19:23] Yep. Mm-hmm. Andrew: [19:32] Yeah, I think Chandler is pretty good. Like, I think she sells the wide-eyed kid innocence of it pretty well without tipping over into like manic Pixie Dream Girl territory too too much like a i i think this show does lack a ripley character like a not just in terms of like what they the function they fulfill in the story but just in terms of like magnetic screen presence Timothy Oliphant sometimes is allowed to come close, but mostly he just kind of walks knowingly from scene to scene, kind of commenting on the things that are going on. Dave: [20:00] Yep. Sarah: [20:02] Yeah. Dave: [20:04] So many of the supporting characters are either sociopaths or robots, so you don't get a lot of that Ripley energy for sure. Andrew: [20:09] Right. A lot of the people who are left are people who you do just want the aliens to eat. So that's, you know. Tara: [20:18] It is always the way. Andrew: [20:20] But she is good. I didn't want the aliens to eat her. I did want her to get to know the aliens and to try and communicate with them. Dave: [20:27] The other thing you have to know about this show, somebody told Noah, I want to call him Noah Hockley, so I'm just going to call somebody told Noah Hockley that they really liked. Andrew: [20:31] Holly, Holly. Dave: [20:36] The end of the Matrix, where Rage Against the Machine goes into the credits, and he decided he's going to do that for every episode, no matter what the ending of the episode is. Andrew: [20:43] Mm-hmm. Dave: [20:45] It could just be like, and now I'm going to go to sleep. So bad. Tara: [20:54] Yeah, he's a cornball. Dave: [20:55] So, I guess we're saying watch it for the walking dead of it all if you're into that. Tara: [20:58] Yeah, mm-hmm. Dave: [21:00] I think it's a good way to nutshell it. Tara: [21:01] Great. Clip: [21:07] Got a lot of shows. It's a great time for shows. Dave: [21:11] So, just to recap, something dripped on me. Is that going inside me? Alien touchdown. Dumb things kids do. Neverland dentist office. I'm an alien and I married a xenomorph. Andrew: [21:23] Humalian. Dave: [21:28] Tara, what do you got for Round the Dot? Tara: [21:29] Well, speaking of aliens, I watched War of the Worlds last week. You may have read. Some articles about a new straight to prime video movie version of this very old property that is now in the public domain so people can do anything they want with it include Make it really bad, which is what has happened here. It is 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Sarah: [21:48] Oh, wow. Tara: [21:48] I made the mistake of bringing this up in an editorial meeting. It cracked and bought myself an assignment to watch it The movie was first announced in September 2020 to be the kind of movie you could shoot in September 2020 with absolutely zero COVID-related oversight, meaning all the stars shot themselves wherever they were. What the viewer sees is everything that is visible on the computer screen and camera of a DHS domestic terror analyst named William Radford. He is played by Ice Cube, who I think we can all agree. He's not one of our most expressive actors. He has the same seething glare whether he is accessing a CTV camera to monitor what his pregnant daughter buys at a coffee shop or watching a colleague from the FBI getting eaten by an alien. In the early going, we see William is doing warrantless surveillance on his own children. He has marked them as possible threats so he can use his government tools to keep tabs on them. He also can access his daughter's fridge and make sure she's getting enough protein. This is played for laughs. Ha ha. Isn't it funny that this professional creep is also creeping on his family? But then we find out his his wife is dead, so it's Boohoo, isn't it sad? Because he lost his wife. This professional creep is compulsively creeping on his family. But after the aliens land, start fucking everything up, the cheap ass framing device meets. The very boring plot. The screenwriters, it took two, can't decide if the aliens who have come to Earth to eat data. Have sent humanity back to the stone age, or what? 'Cause William's watching a lot of live TV news feeds reporting on power grids going down and so on. And even if you say Will can stay connected enough to go on Zoom calls, including with the President, who is still in the White House, is that he's at DHS and they have secret backup, whatever, whatever Doesn't explain how he stays connected to his children and his daughter's boyfriend via the regular ass internet everyone else other than Will is using. Dave: [23:36] Hang on, you buried the lead. What do you mean to eat data? Tara: [23:38] Okay. What I said. Dave: [23:42] But how do do they show them eating data? Tara: [23:43] They go to data centers, they plug their things in, and then they drain all the data out of data centers and consume it. Dave: [23:45] Uh-huh. Yeah. But you can make your own data. Andrew: [23:52] That's how it works. Sarah: [23:53] It would be so much better if they ate data from Next Generation and then were like, well, we're good, see ya, and left. Andrew: [23:54] That's how it works. Dave: [24:00] But like just I don't know do statistical analysis on your own population or something like you can make all the data you want This sounds like the Futurama episode with the Death Star brain thing, but the Scooty Puff Jr. Tara: [24:03] Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mhm. Mm-hmm. Dave: [24:12] sucks. Tara: [24:13] Mm-hmm. Dave: [24:13] That's basically the episode as a movie, I think. Tara: [24:16] That's one of many problems with it. Just so you know, I'm not defending it, I'm just telling you what happens Because eventually Eva Longoria, who is Sandra NASA, is how she's saved in Will's phone. She gets a little teeny tiny bug and discovers it's like some kind of robot-human hybrid that has blood There's also something involved in the daughter is she's a biochemist who's like engineering a cannibal code to eat cancer cells And so they're like, What if we could get that code into the aliens? Sarah: [24:28] Oh, my God. Dave: [24:34] What We're just going to put it in the Crisperomatic. Tara: [24:45] And then she's like, got it. Like, no, that's not how it works. They're like, you gotta, we're gonna send you the virus. You gotta put it in the server. She's a biochemist. It's so stupid. What I ended up writing about, the deeply cynical gross product placement dependent climax. You can link in the show notes. I'm not going to say here what it is. If you're the kind of person who loves bad movies, you should watch this, even though almost everyone else alive should not. It is possibly the worst movie I've seen, and I've seen Battlefield Earth. Dave: [25:16] All right, so one person got fired for making it, and one person got a giant promotion for putting it out there because This is all anybody's fucking talked about for the past week. Tara: [25:17] Yes, Dave. Andrew: [25:17] Ooh, wow. Dave: [25:26] So many more people have watched this than it deserves. Tara: [25:26] Yeah. Yes. Dave: [25:29] So, like, whoever put that out there should probably get a big bonus under their Christmas tree this year. Tara: [25:33] Mm-hmm. Dave: [25:35] I have a universe rule thing for you. Tara: [25:37] Please. Mm-hmm. Dave: [25:38] Do the food items from Sausage Party exist in the War of the Worlds universe? I'll take my answer offline. Tara: [25:46] We don't see them, but I can't say that. By the way, I did get the Sausage Party Foodtopia Season 2 screeners. Dave: [25:54] Excellent, yeah. Tara: [25:55] And I put them in our like calendar that we share at Cracked. And I was like, I can't believe I'm bringing this up, but I just want to make sure you really don't want me to do anything on this. And he was like, no. And I was like, best day of my life. Watched as much sausage party food topia as I ever need to. Dave: [26:09] But maybe you should watch it for this show so we can ask more lore questions. Tara: [26:09] Anyway. Are you going to watch it with me? Dave: [26:15] I'll watch one with you. Tara: [26:16] All right. Dave: [26:16] Okay. All right, Andrew, what have you been watching on TV recently that the people must know about? Andrew: [26:24] I have two polar opposite programs that I've been spending my time with. The first is the The Gilded Age, very Zeitgeist. As somebody whose society is being destroyed by new money, I found that it had a lot to teach us about how we just need to keep all of these amoral social climbers just out. Dave: [26:43] And looking both ways before you cross the street. Andrew: [26:45] Yeah, right. Also, that. Yeah, it's just got a ton of performers in it. Sarah: [26:48] And that's the first Oh, yeah. Andrew: [26:49] I did get in pretty big trouble with my Broadway loving wife when I referred to Audra McDonald as being, quote, from the good fight. Dave: [26:58] Yeah, sure. Sarah: [26:59] I've yeah, I've been scolded for that. Tara: [27:01] I mean, sh she is Clock joint, yeah. Andrew: [27:02] And I think most people I've talked to agree with her, yeah. But yeah, it's you know, historical drama is usually not my not my thing, but it's a it's a fun it's a fun show to watch while you are doing something else. Dave: [27:13] I love that show. I love that show so much. That and Downton Navy. I don't know. What do you think the next story is going to be for Clock Guy? Clock, what do you call him? Clock tweak. Andrew: [27:22] Clockstorm. Dave: [27:23] Yeah. Like, where do they go with him now? Andrew: [27:26] I have only watched to the end of season one so far. So if you're referencing events that happen later in the show, I still need to catch up. Dave: [27:31] Oh, oh, well, I just spoiled a whole bunch of shit for you. Tara: [27:32] Oh, my. Andrew: [27:36] No, it's fine. No, it's I I sure do. Dave: [27:38] Obliquely. Okay. All right. Well, then you got some stuff to look forward to. So you got season two, you got the Opera Wars, the best thing that's ever happened to television in this decade. Andrew: [27:43] Yeah. Mm-hmm. Dave: [27:47] And then season three, you got railroad business and like dookie stuff. Andrew: [27:47] Mm-hmm. Dave: [27:52] So, man, you got so much to look forward to. Andrew: [27:53] Great. Dave: [27:54] Yeah. Andrew: [27:54] Yeah, the Opera Awards have been foreshadowed a lot in season one. So I'm glad to hear that they get they take center stage. And yeah, it's just fun to watch a show where like every guy could have participated in the The 30 Rock, like talking like this contest with Jack. Dave: [28:09] Fantastic. Andrew: [28:10] And then the other show I've been watching, I've lived in Philadelphia for nine years, and I feel like, you know, I'm still kind of getting to know the city. One of the ways I'm doing that is I'm finally sitting down and watching It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia all the way through for the first time. I tried it years and years ago when I think like season four or five was the one that aired most recently. And I found it too like bleak and nihilistic, but now the amount of bleak and nihilistic it is is just just what I'm looking for. I don't know if it's if I've changed or the world has changed. Dave: [28:40] I was gonna say the bleak window has moved. Andrew: [28:42] Yes, it's moved a lot. But yes, just something about Danny DeVito casually wielding a gun in all kinds of situations is. . Doing it for me now in this moment. Yeah, I they did that crossover with Abbott Elementary, which remains like a, you know, a fun, soothing sort of brain off. Network comedy for me. So I watched both ends of the crossover with that. And I was like, what if I just went and I started from the start? Dave: [29:10] Yeah. Andrew: [29:10] It's always fun to go back to a show from the 2000s where they're just like casually dropping the R word in every episode. Dave: [29:15] How compressed was your viewing? Tara: [29:15] Yeah. Dave: [29:17] Like how quickly did you watch that? Andrew: [29:19] In the last like two or three weeks, I've gotten up through like mid season five. Dave: [29:24] Oh, wow. Andrew: [29:24] So it's going, it's going pretty. Dave: [29:25] So you're mainlining it. Andrew: [29:26] I'm moving at a pretty steady clip. Yeah. Dave: [29:27] Yeah. So, okay, let me ask you this because when we do canon presentations for the show, One of the things we always say is like the episode is good, except for these one or two things which were in such poor taste that I have trouble recommending it. Andrew: [29:41] Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dave: [29:43] Like, there's an AIDS joke, or something like that, or like, there's something like really off color, but also not funny About that. And it always sort of like pulls me back. But then there's like also a lot of great stuff in the episode. Do you have that reaction? Andrew: [29:57] I'm s I'm still in that that phase where it's you know it's like I'm not quite out of the odds yet, so I can still be like, oh, it was a different time. Dave: [30:05] Right, right. Andrew: [30:06] What we could joke about on television was just different, but I suspect I'm going to lose that excuse Pretty rapidly as I keep going. But yeah, I've definitely hit a couple of those episodes where I'm like, if I were making a list for somebody who's watching this for the first time, I think this one's maybe not essential. Dave: [30:25] Yeah. So where can uh people find more of Andrew Cunningham out in the world? Andrew: [30:30] Sure, so I'm on blue sky and rights where I just Kind of doom with everybody else on blue sky, um, write about technology at ours technica, and then um, my TV podcast A point of television, not dead, but it's been defunct for a little bit. Catherine's working on a book, Margaret's busy, it's just been hard to get the band together to record anything lately, but we're still out there And then mainly I'm at overduepodcast. com. It's my book podcast. We just read the I know this is a TV podcast, but we just read the book Jaws as part of Because the movie's 50th anniversary is happening. Like, it's on Netflix. I think it's going to come into theaters for a limited run for a little while. So, we read that, and it turns out that everything that they cut out of the book for the movie was a really smart decis And you only need to watch the movie well there's like a there's a scene where Unfortunately, no. Dave: [31:15] Okay, well, wait wait, give us one example. One example. Sarah: [31:17] There was a sex scene, right? Dave: [31:21] Between the shark? Sarah: [31:23] Uh-huh. Andrew: [31:25] It's a whole plotline where Richard Dreyfus's character is boning the sheriff's wife And then they're like out on the boat together, like hating each other. Dave: [31:30] Oh. Andrew: [31:35] And it just, I prefer it in the movie where it seems like they're always like one glance away from just kissing each other. Tara: [31:35] Mm-mm. Andrew: [31:42] That's how I You didn't pick up that Richard Dreyfuss and oh, this cheriff, what's his name? Dave: [31:44] I never I d I didn't pick that up in the movie. No Okay. Andrew: [31:51] They just seem, they give each other several very loving glances. I re-watch it and I think you'll see what I'm talking about. Dave: [31:56] Okay, well, I will now. Sarity Bunting, what have you got? And describe the sex scene that was cut out from it. Sarah: [32:06] Um no, I shan't because it's American Prince JFK Jr. I get why people are fascinated by John F. Kennedy Jr. , his parents, his death, what his life and death, quote, seem to say. about Celebrity in the American Experiment. I vividly remember the weekend that that plane went down. I do think that if he had lived, it might have set RFK on a path where we wouldn't be obliged to think about him ever. I do enjoy looking at pictures of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bassett because these are very charismatic and beautiful people. Nobody has ever gone broke going into an ex Extensive archive of Kennedy Anna and putting together a docuseries is my point, so I don't think CNN's American Prince is necessary. For anyone who has read the oral biography of JFK or Maureen Callahan's Ask Not. But it is a diverting enough waiting room T V sit, I would say. If you choose to proceed, I don't think you'll be disappointed But what I kept thinking during episode one, as one after another after another publishing Titan was being interviewed about Kennedy's short lived political magazine George The what I really wanted to be watching was a multi-episode docuseries about magazine culture in New York City over the decade Like, here's Kurt Anderson, and here's Tina Brown, and here's Graydon Carter. They're all talking about the reputations of various magazine publishers and how important magazines were to the monoculture and to the culture of the city. And I get that George was probably doomed, although it wasn't my fault, because I subscribed and thought it was Pretty good, or at least trying to do something when it wasn't so great. But I would love a deep documentary dive into why that is. CNN, call me and call Tara because she's the Twentieth Century Magazine historian in this group. Tara, do you have anything to say on this pitch? Tara: [34:00] Well, first of all, I don't know what you're talking about just because I have this on my desk right now. This copy of Entertainment Weekly from 1994 That we will be talking about on Again With Again With This soon because it depicts Jenny Garth and Jason Priestley right after Shannon Doherty left 90210. Sarah: [34:09] Mm-hmm. Tara: [34:17] Anyway Yeah, I agree. I was listening to Who Weekly's Patreon coverage of the Gwyneth biography, which I texted you about on the weekend. Like, please stop me from buying this book. I'm sure I've already heard all the juicy parts from. Sarah: [34:29] And I was like, I shan't, sorry. Tara: [34:31] I haven't yet, but you know, the day is young. Anyway, they talk in there about another magazine of that era that I conflated with George until I figured out what they meant, but Talk magazine, which was the Miramax. Sarah: [34:43] Oh, God, yes. Tara: [34:44] magazine that had that weird, like, tabloidy cover, even though it was a glossy also saddle stitched, like it didn't have a spine, it w had staples, but it was so fat. Yeah, I I there are so many magazines I was buying in the nineties that just like Don't exist anymore because that whole economy is dead. Sarah: [34:54] Yeah. God, me too. Tara: [35:02] I mean, as we were recording this, I got a text that Richard Lawson has been laid off because Vanity Fair is not doing reviews anymore. Andrew: [35:02] Mm-hmm. Tara: [35:08] Like, what is that magazine going to be now? It's already. Sarah: [35:12] Yeah. Tara: [35:12] like this when I get my copies, which I probably won't for much longer. It doesn't sound like there's going to be much in it that I will ever care about again. So that sucks. Sarah: [35:21] Inventorying late nineties and early aughts vanity fairs for the for the bookshop. More on that in a second. But like they're massive. Like I have to lift with my legs. And now it's like July and August 2025. And it's just this little Reedy, it looks like a business to business publication. Like bless. But if you're laying off Lawson, you're doing it wrong. It's just my opinion. Speaking of said bookshop, I have one. It's called Exhibit B Books. It's all and only true crime, mostly second hand, and there is an older inventory sale-on for the rest of August 2025. 20% off, and you know that there's a shit ton of Kennedy stuff of any flavor over there. Once again, that's 20% off. Anything tagged oldies but goodies. The cart does what, David T. Cole? Dave: [36:15] Where the cart does the math. Sarah: [36:17] Bucket A, link in the show notes, exhibit B Books. com. Dave: [36:23] All right, here's what's coming up on our shows in the next week on Fridays, Extra, Extra Hawk Great. We're going to be talking about Butterfly. That's Daniel Day Kim's spy thriller I think it's half set in America, half set in South Korea, and it's all thrilling. And there's spies. We'll be talking about that on that episode, plus a lot more. Ask EHG, not quite winners and losers of the week, extra credit, all that stuff. If you're not a member, you can go to extrahotgreat. com slash club to find out what's on tap and to join either on Patreon, where you get all the goodies, or you can join an Apple Podcast for the audio perks only Apparently, we are less than twenty dollars away from our next milestone as we stand right now. Of course, that always fluctuates when we hit the start of a new month. But if we can hit it, that means these are on tab. The one-off drunk Dave episode, possibly the dumbest idea I put on this whole thing when we started it. Tara: [37:18] You left off the most important part, Drunk Dave call-in episode. You can call in and interact with Drunk Dave. Dave: [37:21] That's right. That's all it is. Andrew: [37:24] Oh no. Tara: [37:25] Yeah. Dave: [37:25] Actually, I had a really stupid idea for it. I'll tell you about it offline. Tara: [37:28] Okay. Dave: [37:28] And if you agree to it, we'll explain it next time. Tara: [37:30] All right. Dave: [37:31] And then, in addition to that one offering, we have some ongoing content, which is going to be Carrie and Stephanie trading off months. for an extra segment, sort of like Kim Reese's Most Awesome Thing I Saw on TV this month. Kerry's going to be talking about music on T V and Stephanie's going to be talking about reality shows on TV. Tara: [37:50] Yeah. Dave: [37:51] And we leave it up to them beyond that. Tara: [37:53] Yeah, those are loose mandates. They're, you know, free to talk about whatever weird shit they come across. Dave: [37:58] That could have been the eighth title. Tara: [38:02] Carrie recently found out about Cher's one woman-only version of Westside Story, a TV special from the 70s. Sarah: [38:09] Oh, my God. Tara: [38:11] So hearing what she felt about that could be something that gets in your ears if you join us on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Sarah: [38:16] Mm-hmm. Dave: [38:18] Yep. And then come back right here next week on ESG Prime. We're welcoming back Sarah D. Bunting's partner in crime, literally, partner in crime. You guys should make business cards that say that. Eve Beatty is back to talk about the curious case of Amanda Knox, and that is next week, right on the show. It is time for the extra hot great cannon presenting this week as our own Sarah D. Bunting. Sarah: [38:49] Hi, it's me. The podcast's designated Sopranos Canon Submitter coming at you with season two, episode seven, D-Girl. This pitch actually began its life as a tiny canon. For our Patreon-only podcast, I had originally planned to submit Tony's disgusted fucking internet from this episode. And then two things happened. One, I realized how many other legendary quotes and references also come from D-Girl and have. Braided themselves into my regular lexicon. And two, my esteemed sibling, Dave Jr. , responded to a totally unrelated post by the actor who plays the titular D-Girl, Alicia Witt. by grumbling, Fuck it D girl in the comments, and Wit showed some wit by immediately replying in all caps that she is a vice president, asshole I love that for her and Dave Jr. So what the hell? Let's try to get D-Girl in at the grown-ups table. This episode is written by Todd Kessler, who's also responsible For the season two finale, Funhouse, and the third season episode University, among several others, and directed by old series hand Alan Coulter. It's the one in which Christopher, Michael Imperioli, faces an existential crisis about his screenwriting aspirations and is dragged to the crossroads of the WGA and LCN. AJ, Robert Eiler, on the eve of his confirmation, also has a literal existential crisis thanks to reading for school that he actually did for once in the fucking series. Big Pussy, Vincent Pistori, ordered to wear a wire to AJ's confirmation party, must confront the rat-shaped boundaries of his current existence And the show talks about its own crisis of the self, grappling with its own popularity and the ways it has glamorized sociopaths. There is an academic paper in each one of those things, and yet D-Girl is somewhat undersung, in my opinion. In lists ranking all 86 of The Sopranos episodes, D-Girl usually tops out in the 40s. I assert that it deserves better. Here is why. Number one, Alicia Witt's performance. I believe that Dave Junior was actually clocking Wit for some maha foolishness on her socials, and I'm not trying to wade into that, but She is perfectly cast here as a smugly authoritative Hollywood exec. Wit has always brought a certain I'm not wearing underpants, but know this, I have killed people, energy to her performances that I've liked And that started with Amy Safer, who is prone to burbling things like Quentin's a friend and has to be told by her boss, Jon Favreau, playing himself, to stop comparing every true story she hears to top box office draws. This sour portrait of Hollywood is the second plank in my pitch platform. Specifically the ways that creators and executives think of their power and influence as quote real until they're confronted with true, lethal tales of gangster vengeance and violence, and it's perfectly served by Witt's performance and by Jon Favreau's. I used to have a runner on Previously. tv about Favreau's compulsive mentioning of his Rocky Marciano project on Dinner for Five. But to his credit, Favreau, playing himself, is perfectly willing to lampoon his and the industry's tourist attitude Towards the IRL murderers and their victims, that everything from 30s Cagney pictures to The Godfathers to yes, the Sopranos give a safety glow-up. Until, that is, gets a little too real with a coke-snorting Christopher, his revolver, and an ugly transphobic violence anecdote. that Favs appropriates for his own Crazy Joe Gallo script before fleeing town. Clip one Hat tip in this section of the plot also to Sandra Bernhard and Janine Garofilo as themselves, noting a climactic shootout scene to death while covered in squib gore. Clip: [42:38] No, that's cool, man. I'm sorry. No, come on, you can ask me. Oh, come on. Come on, Rocky. Come on, Rocky. Come on. Ask me. Can I did I what? Did I what? Have I ever watched? Nothing man. Come on. Come on. Come on, What love is it? Just take that factor. Wow, come on, your money. Come on, your money. Did I ever watch? Come on. Come on now. Here we go, yo, Bunny. Did I ever watch? Did I ever w It's not cool, man. I got it because I got like dialogue tomorrow, so my voice gets all scratchy. It's not cool. Sarah: [43:26] My third reason is Drea Di Matteo, and specifically her butt. She is giving her usual pitiably optimistic and easily wounded performance as Adriana, who deeply believes in Christopher and is taken for granted at best as a result. And she's doing it under five pounds of jersey hair and in a high cut, lacy pair of undies, and as always, she brings it, and so does her butt, MVPs, both cheeks. But the fourth and final reason is the meat of it. D-Girl has one of the highest lasting quote densities of any episode in the series' run, and I do not say that lightly. I didn't realize how many of these were in my daily or weekly row until I rewatched the episode, but let's start with the one I'll be having carved on my headstone. as Lorraine Bracco's Doctor Melfi tries to help James Gandalfini's Tony Sr. cope with AJ AJing Clip Two It hears AJ trying to explain what he's feeling. Clip: [44:20] Sounds to me like Anthony Junior may have stumbled onto existentialism. Fucking internet. Sarah: [44:31] while not knowing how to pronounce Nietzsche, and Tony not knowing how to explain how much of Jersey spirituality is actually social ritual, Clip three. Clip: [44:41] There's not no God. Just God is dead. Who said that? Nitsch. He's a 19th century philosopher from Germany. Anyway, that's why I'm not getting confirmed. Enough with that shit. Right? Your confirmation's coming up this week and you are getting confirmed. That sucks, why not? Hey. You've got a lot of bulls, you know that. You go to Catholic school and your mother wants it. Yeah, what does she know? She knows that even if God is dead, you're still gonna kiss his ass. Sarah: [45:09] AJ, dispatched by Pussy to see his grandmother Livia, the great Nancy Marshand, because she's quote old and has wisdom and stuff. even though Livia and Tony are, to understate the case rather dramatically, estranged, gets a predictably scabrous take on faith from his grandma, Clip Four. Clip: [45:29] The world is a jungle, and if you want my advice, Anthony, don't expect happiness. You won't get it, people let you down, and I'm not naming any names. But in the end, you die in your own arms. You mean alone? It's all a big nothing. What makes you think you're so special? Sarah: [45:58] I did not remember all these That's Olivia bangers were in the same fucking scene And it's worth noting that when the scene begins, Livia is just laying on her side staring into space, ignoring her lunch tray, but by the end she has been energized by her own nihilism and is digging into lunch. Nice bit of writing business there Tony later accidentally stumbles onto an insight about what makes relationships last for good or ill, clip five. Clip: [46:26] Cause if you ask me, Caravaggio's is slipping. I heard they fired the produce, guy. Enough! I'm so sick and tired of hearing you people talk about food, food, food. That's all anybody ever talks about is projut. Cheese and fucking fava beans. I'm drowning here. Jesus Christ, take it easy. We're not even engaged yet. Well, when you're married, you'll understand the importance of fresh produce. Fuck the importance. Oh! Sarah: [46:48] Carmella, Edie Falco, has zero insight into her younger child somehow, clip six. Clip: [46:55] What kind of animal smokes marijuana at his own confirmation? Sarah: [47:00] And finally, the exchange that started all of this, when the scales drop from Christopher's eyes as to which vocation is perhaps safer emotionally. The Mob or Hollywood, and after a typically flip reference from Amy, her first genuine emotion of the episode when her status and primacy are questioned in Clip VII. Clip: [47:21] This is getting kind of William Inge here, isn't it? I gotta go. You fucking D-girl! Excuse me? Excuse me! I'm a vice president! You fucking asshole! Sarah: [47:36] D-Girl is a fairly straightforward set of parallels and reflections of characters' existential angsting. a classic David Chase indictment of Hollywood systems, and funny and quotable as hell, while at the same time insightful about the role the funny quotability of the sopranos has played in normalizing ruthless narcissists Plus, I am constantly bellowing at the pets to excuse me, I am a vice president. Not that they listen to me, but thank you. You for listening, and I hope you'll find a niche for D-Girl in the extra hot gray canon. Tara: [48:13] Thank you, Sarah. Andrew, please start off our discussion. Andrew: [48:18] I haven't re-watched The Sopranos in a while. When you think about it, you always think about, you know, this is a show that Help to usher in the peak TV era. Like, there's a lot of discussion about the deep and complicated themes, and the way it's shot, and the way it's scripted, and the way it just kind of sets the tone for HBO, and then all this other stuff for decades afterwards But it's just so funny also. And I never I rarely remember exactly how funny it is unless I'm like sitting in front of an episod You got every quote that I wrote down. The one that you didn't have was a drive-by from Meadow, who appears in the kitchen to be helpful. When Tony and Carmella are disciplining EJ, and she says, Madame de Stall said, In life, one must choose between boredom and suffering. And Tony briefly pauses and then says, Go to your room. Sarah: [49:07] Yeah, it was on the long list, for sure. Andrew: [49:10] It's very good. It's got celebrities playing themselves. It's got Christopher being Christopher. It's got just some Alzheimer lines. Yeah, not didn't jump to the top of my list of Sopranos episodes that I think of as memorable, but definitely a lot of really good stuff here, I think. Tara: [49:28] Thank you. I will go next. I had the same experience as you, Sarah, when you decided to do this as a full canon instead of a tiny that, like all of these were in the same episode wasn't something I had remembered. I also want to just highlight, I know you did already, but Jon Favreau getting so pissy every time Christopher shits on swingers is funny to me every time. Sarah: [49:48] Oh, my God. Tara: [49:49] He, unlike Amy. Knows how far he can push back with Christopher. Sarah: [49:55] Mm-hmm. Tara: [49:56] And so he wants to defend it, but he doesn't want to do it in a way that's going to get him murdered. See also his notes on Christopher's Screen point, which are hilarious. Sarah: [50:05] Oh, God. Tara: [50:07] When he, and you know, the fight over the gun, and when he, you know, just subtly taking the napkin from his room service dinner and wiping it off after they have this sort of Scuffle. Sarah: [50:07] Oh. Tara: [50:16] Like he's really funny in this episode, including just blowing town as soon as he thinks he can get away with it. Sarah: [50:23] Yeah. And just the shrieking in the clip too, like just vanity-free performance and pitch perfect. Tara: [50:30] Yeah, he really goes for it. It works on so many levels. Like, just the straight-up story is funny. All the connections that you highlighted of like everyone having their own different existential crises, real and fake I mean fake like AJs because again, I've already said it once, but some people have real problems. It's not one of them, really. Getting to see too from his perspective, whenever he's trying to pull him back from the brink, even Big Pussy's son is telling him, like, oh, this is all bullshit and don't listen to rap. It's just marketing now. Just his education is continuing outside of the classroom in a variety of ways, including with his horrible grandmother telling him he's nothing. Special. This is a funny, grim episode, which is what you want from this show. And I loved it. Thank you for bringing it back in front of me, Dave. Sarah: [51:19] My pleasure. Dave: [51:19] Yeah, like Andrew, I often forget how funny this show can be when you're not actually actively watching it. So that's the part I enjoy the most about. D-girl. So the reason I'm not going to put it in the canon is because at some point Meadow grabs a snapple from the fridge at home and she grabs mint tea snapple, possibly the worst sounding snapple I've ever heard of in my life. Sarah: [51:41] You don't think that's in character for that hag, though? Dave: [51:44] Minty? I don't know. Minty's kind of an old person drink. Olivia saying he can go shit in his hat is something I think we should be bringing back into the vernacular. Absolutely. And question for the panel: What do you think Michael actually said to the guy in the bar? So there's a scene where the two couples are in the bar. They're getting jostled by the table behind them, a bunch of frat boys. At a certain point, he gets up and he whispers something into the guy's ear, you know, as they're about to fight, and then it totally diffuses everything. And those guys just like, we gotta leave. What did he say? Tara: [52:21] I think if any of us could improvise something as threatening as Christopher could. Dave: [52:26] Did I say Michael? Tara: [52:27] Yeah, but I knew who you meant, Christopher. Dave: [52:27] I said Michael. Andrew: [52:28] Yes, yeah, but we know yes. Tara: [52:30] We would not be here today. We would be killing people. Dave: [52:34] I guess my question is, was it like direct and descriptive? Or was it vague and menacing? What's his style? I suppose is the question. Tara: [52:42] I think he was direct and used as few words as possible, so it was clear that he meant it. Andrew: [52:46] Yeah, that's Christopher's style, I think. Sarah: [52:49] I think he probably got his jacket to sort of like crease open far enough and just directed the guy to look down into the jacket and he would see like a holster gun there and that was the end of that. Dave: [53:03] The only part of the episode I thought was off was the weird transitions they did in and out of the sex scenes. Like, they were so like fade to commercial quick. Tara: [53:12] Yes, mm-hmm. Dave: [53:13] That it really took me like a second to be like, wait a sec, why is this cut for a commercial breakfast? No, it's not. It was just like a weird editing choice. Tara: [53:20] Mm-hmm. Dave: [53:21] I thought that was a bit strange. Perhaps the style at the time, much like everybody's suits in this episode. Holy fuck. Sarah: [53:27] Oh, God, yeah, well, yeah. Tara: [53:27] Yeah. Dave: [53:28] Damn. Sopranos is often funny, and I do forget that, but I feel like this episode is With all its Hollywood connections, it is like a fun, one of those fun diversion episodes for you know any show, but the show in particular. And then a later again when we get into the what was it, Cleaver? Is that the name of the movie? Andrew: [53:47] Cleaver, yeah. Sarah: [53:48] Yeah. Dave: [53:48] when we get into the cleaver stuff. Sarah: [53:49] Mhm. Dave: [53:50] So it sort of pays dividends down the line too. So yeah, fun episode to revisit for sure. Let's put this to the official vote. Andrew, what is your determination here? Canon worthy or not? Andrew: [54:01] Uh I think yes. Dave: [54:02] Tart Me too. Tara: [54:02] I can't say no to my book yak over here. Yes, for me as well. Dave: [54:07] So That means that the Soprano Season 2, Episode 7 D Girl, you are hereby inducted into the extra hot gray canon. Clip: [54:27] Americans love a winner. Yup. And will not tolerate a loser. Nope. Dave: [54:32] It is time to find out who is our winner and who is our loser of the week. Tara has this week's winner Martial law from Tekken And also, we can add the monkey from Why the Last Man just to round out the gas. Tara: [54:38] Yes, it is the forthcoming Yellowstone spin-off titled Why Colin Marshalls? Which has just cast Logan Marshall Green. You know him from the movie Upgrade. You know him more recently from being Adam Gardens in the final season of And Just Like That. I have some other suggestions for them. James Marshall from Twin Peaks. Chris Marshall, of course, from Space Show. That's right. Sky P Marshall on her days off from the new Matlock. Bring back Penny and Gary Marshall CGI form. Also, E. G. Marshall, why not? Marshall Mathers, we know him as Eminem, and obviously get Rob Marshall and Ross and Marshall Thurber to direct, but. And I know it will be tempting. Don't hire Paula Marshall. She is a famous show killer. Don't do it. Sure. Sarah: [55:32] Oh, yeah. Dave: [55:33] Fantastic. Sarah, who's our loser of the week? Sarah: [55:36] But we got twins this time. Not really. It's two of them, Megan Markle and Prince Harry, who have gotten downgraded to a first-look deal at Netflix. like the Obamas. I hope they don't take the wrong message from that, but that's that's where that is. Dave: [55:50] Well, speaking of getting a first look deal, you know what time it is? Sarah: [55:53] Game time? Dave: [55:54] It's game time, first of the season. This is the first game of the season. I just want to let you know up top there is one secret point in play today. All right, new seasons, new scores, zero, zero, zero Today, we are playing They Mostly Come at Night, in which you must name the alien TV character I will describe. Tara: [56:20] Oh. Dave: [56:26] I will give you up to two clues to their identity. First, I will tell you how they will burn you. And then, if you don't give the correct answer, which means you get to guess at both levels, I will tell you what that alien's mouth in a mouth likes to talk about. Two points after the first clue, one point after the second clue. You can steel mill after the second clue only. And speaking about steel mills, can I please get the steel mill Kalp Tara? And remember, this is the little mouth doing this That's right. Okay. Tara: [56:57] Okay, Sarah has zero, I have one, valued guests have one plus Eric's meal for a total of two. Dave: [57:04] So let's throw it to Piggy and see who's going first. Clip: [57:09] We will start with valued guest. Dave: [57:10] All right. Andrew's in the hot seat, followed by Sarah, then Tara. We have 21 questions. We're not going to do any challenge zones today. Here we go. This alien, Andrew, burns you with spatial impossibilities. Andrew: [57:23] Spatial impossibilities. Dave: [57:25] Yes, and I just want to say at this point, we're not literally burning you with these things. Andrew: [57:25] Can I get can I get another clue? Clip: [57:26] Can the book have the bars of my killer? Dave: [57:34] This alien's mouth in a mouth talks a lot about tiny whiminess. Clip: [57:39] Cause I'm back on the cold. Andrew: [57:40] Oh, oh, dang. Um, man, I'm not enough of a doctor who had like the the dolleks, like the one Yeah, just Daleks, the the bad, the main ones. Dave: [57:45] Yeah, but just like put something obvious out there. Tara: [57:47] Don't over don't overthink it. Clip: [57:47] Cause I'm back on And he was forever tormenting old Boney with his cold volcano logic. Dave: [57:48] Don't overthink it. Oh, wait. Daleks? No, no, wait. Nope, we just simply wanted the doctor. The doctor from Doctor Who he is an alien, yes. Andrew: [57:57] Ah, there we go. He is an a. Dave: [58:01] To Sarah D. Bunting with your first alien. This alien burns you with his cold volcano logic. Sarah: [58:09] Volcano volcano logic. Dave: [58:12] Yes. Sarah: [58:12] I see what you did there. Is it Mr. Spock? Tara: [58:23] It's two points, right? Dave: [58:24] Two points for that one. Tara: [58:24] Oh, sorry. Clip: [58:25] We got to the book we were to the bar to work Is a big old colour. Dave: [58:25] Yes, his alien mouth within a mouth talks a lot about his acne clears up after ponfar. What's your second Tara, here's you first. Tara: [58:33] All right. Dave: [58:34] This alien burns you with heat vision. These days, the alien's mouth in a mouth talks a lot about truth, justice, and a better tomorrow. Tara: [58:46] Oh, Super Brand. Clip: [58:46] There's a man to move out of the bar. Dave: [58:47] Superman is correct, yes. Back to Andrew. This alien burns you with medical incompetency Dr. Andrew: [58:56] Is it uh Doctor Zwidberg? Dave: [58:58] Zoiberg Sarah, this alien burns you with a unique aging process. Sarah: [58:59] Oh, good one. Clip: [59:01] Is me coming to the book. Sarah: [59:02] Yeah. Unique aging process. Clip: [59:09] It's a big coming to the book. Sarah: [59:10] I don't know. Hint. Dave: [59:11] The alien's mouth and a mouth talks a lot about his boss Orson. Sarah: [59:17] Oh, uh, Mork. Dave: [59:19] Mark is your alien. Good for one. Tatara. This alien burns you with an Eludium Q36 explosive space modulator. Tara: [59:30] Brilliant Um is it Harry Vanderspiegel? Dave: [59:31] Yes. This alien's a mouth in a mouth talks a lot about destroying Earth to get a better view of Venus. Clip: [59:39] It'll be done. Dave: [59:44] Nope, anybody want to steal meal this? Okay, so we've got Earth upsetting the view of Venus. Clip: [59:50] I want to move like I want to rock. Dave: [59:50] So they're on Mars. That is Marvin the Martian from Looney tens. Sarah: [59:55] Oh, okay. Dave: [59:57] All right, back to Andrew. Clip: [59:57] I want to move like I want it a rock. Dave: [59:58] This alien burns you with ruthless loyalty to the Irkan Empire. Clip: [1:00:01] Cause I made up the cut after Like I want to get a rock, 'cause I'm back on. Andrew: [1:00:05] Uh Invader Zim. Dave: [1:00:06] That is Zim from Invader Zim. Correct. Back to Sarah. This alien burns you with Cat, Cat Breath. Alf is correct for two points. Clip: [1:00:22] Like I want to get a rock, 'cause I'm a Cause I make a lot of money. Dave: [1:00:22] Tatara, this alien burns you with pain from a long curved mealy weapon. Tara: [1:00:23] Yes. Uh warf I'll steel mule it. Dave: [1:00:32] Whorf is correct. His mouth on a mouth talks a lot about today being a good day to die. All right, everybody's last question before our score break. This one for Andrew. This alien burns you with the dark matter he poops out. Andrew: [1:00:47] Uh nibbler Man. Dave: [1:00:48] Nibbler from Futurama is correct. The alien's mouth on a mouth talks a lot about how that past nastification is what gives you your special powers. Sarah, this alien burns you with her species state-of-the-art conditioning room. Clip: [1:01:01] Cause I make a moment. Cause I make a Cut up, got the woman. Sarah: [1:01:08] Conditioning room? Dave: [1:01:10] Yeah. Sarah: [1:01:11] Uh I don't know. I can guess at any level, right? Dave: [1:01:15] Both. Sarah: [1:01:16] Okay, um seven of nine. Why not? Dave: [1:01:20] The alien's mouth in a mouth likes to swallow lots of living rats Anybody? Sarah: [1:01:26] I don't know who that is Space Ghost. I don't know. Tara: [1:01:34] Sure. Dave: [1:01:34] All right. Tara: [1:01:34] Is it Diana from V? Dave: [1:01:36] Diana from V is correct from the miniseries V. Clip: [1:01:39] Can't both have the ball. Dave: [1:01:40] She loves to eat rats. Sarah: [1:01:40] Ugh. Dave: [1:01:41] She loves them. Sarah: [1:01:42] I wouldn't have known that name, but I had a feeling it was V Jason. Dave: [1:01:45] Yeah. All right, Tara, your last question. This alien burns you with this boo from Mario approach to social interaction. Clip: [1:01:51] Like I want to take a rock a rock There's a big old ticket. Tara: [1:01:58] I feel like I should know and I don't hint, please. Dave: [1:02:01] This alien's mouth in a mouth talks a lot about being in a quantum locked state. Tara: [1:02:07] Okay, is it the weeping angel? Dave: [1:02:08] It is the weeping angel from Doctor Who, correct. Tara: [1:02:09] Okay. Sarah: [1:02:10] Oh, wow, nice pull. Dave: [1:02:12] They only move towards you when you're looking away, and you have to look at them and they stop, just like Boo from Mario. Tara: [1:02:16] Yep. Dave: [1:02:17] All right, it's time for the scores. Tara: [1:02:20] Okay, it's very close. Sarah and I are tied with five each. Andrew has six. Dave: [1:02:25] Ooh, all right. Liking the scores. Everybody has three more questions. This one is for Andrew. This alien burns you with acute tailoring knowledge. Andrew: [1:02:37] Acute tailoring knowledge. Is it Garrick from Deep Space Nine? Dave: [1:02:42] It is Garrick from D Space Nine. Tara: [1:02:43] Whoa, nice. Dave: [1:02:44] Correct. Andrew: [1:02:44] Hell yeah. Sarah: [1:02:44] Oh, my God. Dave: [1:02:44] Nicely done. Sarah: [1:02:46] Wow. Dave: [1:02:47] Sarah, this alien burns you with its misuse of earthling idioms. Sarah: [1:02:48] Yeah. Earthling idioms. I'm gonna be mad, but I need a hint. Dave: [1:02:57] The Alien's Mouth in a Mouth talks a lot about being from France. Sarah: [1:03:04] Came from France. Uh, I don't know, Q. Dave: [1:03:10] Incorrect. Anybody want to steal mill this? Now's your opportunity. Tara: [1:03:13] I can't. Clip: [1:03:13] I want to work. Andrew: [1:03:14] Is it is it cone heads? Dave: [1:03:15] It is conehead, yes. Tara: [1:03:17] Is that an official steel meal? Andrew: [1:03:17] Why do I know that? Dave: [1:03:17] Beldar, Beldar, conehead. Sarah: [1:03:17] Oh shit. Dave: [1:03:20] Yes, that was a steel meal. Tara: [1:03:21] Good job. Dave: [1:03:22] Good job. Tara: [1:03:22] Well stolen. Clip: [1:03:23] It's a big up to the book, more than a month. Dave: [1:03:24] All right. Yeah, Saturday Night Live Cone Heads. Andrew: [1:03:26] Mm-hmm. Dave: [1:03:27] This one is for Tara. This alien burns you with poor bedside manners. Clip: [1:03:30] It's a big up to the boat, more than one Like I wanna take it, I rock Cause I'm a moonlight I wanna take it a rock Cause I'm made I'm coming up with the cut. Tara: [1:03:36] Um hint Oh, this is Harry Vanderspiegel from Resident Alien, RIP. Dave: [1:03:40] The Alien's Mouth in a Mouth talks a lot about apple pie. This is Harry Vanderspiegel from Resident Alien, yes. Back to Andrew. This alien burns you with its cuteness. Clip: [1:03:55] I'm on Like I want to take a rock. Tara: [1:03:56] That could be anything. Andrew: [1:03:57] That could be a lot of aliens. Sarah: [1:03:59] Mhm. Andrew: [1:03:59] I mean, blind shot tribbles. Dave: [1:04:03] Trebbles! Tribbles aren't cute, they're terrible. Tara: [1:04:05] They're cute. Andrew: [1:04:05] They're cute. Tara: [1:04:06] What are you talking about? Sarah: [1:04:06] They're adorable. Andrew: [1:04:07] That's the whole point. Sarah: [1:04:07] That's what I would have guessed. Dave: [1:04:08] I don't know about that. But they're just like a koosh ball. I don't know, they're not that cute. The Alien's Mouth in a Mouth talks a lot about eating a poor frog lady's children. Tara: [1:04:19] He is cute. Andrew: [1:04:20] Uh shoot. I should I should know this, but I'm drawing a blank. Dave: [1:04:24] All right, steel meal opportunity. Tara: [1:04:25] No one else has any. Dave: [1:04:26] Nobody else, steel meals. Sarah: [1:04:26] Can't oh, yeah. Dave: [1:04:27] All right, that is Grogu from The Mandalorian. Tara: [1:04:28] Gro go to the middle. Andrew: [1:04:30] Ah, yes, okay. Dave: [1:04:31] Yes, he's cute and he eats somebody's kids. Tara: [1:04:33] He sure did. Dave: [1:04:34] Feet away from her. Sarah: [1:04:35] Well. Tara: [1:04:35] Yeah. Dave: [1:04:35] Poor mother. Terrible storyline. All right. Sarah, this alien burns you with rubber tires. Sarah: [1:04:40] Yeah. Clip: [1:04:43] I want to take a rock It's a makeup to the book, and the ball is a big up to the book, and the ball is Don't do it. Sarah: [1:04:48] Oh, I feel like I know this one, but I can't pull it. Hint. Dave: [1:04:51] The Alien's Mouth in a Mouth talks a lot about rolling out rolling out. Sarah: [1:04:58] Rolling out rubber tires rolling out um the Wonder Twins Oh, sure. Dave: [1:05:06] Incorrect? Anybody know this one? Andrew: [1:05:08] Optimus Prime, yeah. Dave: [1:05:09] Optimus Prime from the Transformers, yes. All right, this will take us into our score break. This alien tar Burns you with the effects of an alien stiletto, which is not a song by Alien Billy Joel. Clip: [1:05:22] Is a makeup to the bone. Dave: [1:05:23] You're thinking about pressure. Tara: [1:05:26] Pressure! I can picture it and I can't get there, so I'll take the hint. Clip: [1:05:29] Is it make up to the book? Dave: [1:05:29] I just will give you the hint that his name is his role. Clip: [1:05:33] I want to move like I want to rock. Dave: [1:05:34] He doesn't have a name, just in case you were, that was holding you back. Tara: [1:05:36] Oh, okay, is it the okay, is it the Brian Thompson guy from X-Files? Dave: [1:05:40] Yeah, but I need something close to what he does or something. Clip: [1:05:41] I want to move on to rock. Tara: [1:05:41] I don't know. Okay, his hand or something turns into a spike. Clip: [1:05:44] Is a big old ticket. Dave: [1:05:46] Yeah, but I need his character, his role, or something. Just like the actor is not enough for me to give it to you. Tara: [1:05:50] Okay, he's an alien assassin, I think. Dave: [1:05:52] Yes, the alien bounty hunter from X-Files. Tara: [1:05:53] Okay. Jeez. Dave: [1:05:56] The aliens, what do you mean, geez? Tara: [1:05:58] No, I'm just it took a long time to get there, but we got there. Dave: [1:05:59] The alien's mouth-and-to-mouth talks about his long-term goal is to run a firehouse in Los Angeles. Tara: [1:06:04] Yeah, I knew who you meant. Dave: [1:06:06] All right, everybody's got one question left, so let's get the scores. Tara: [1:06:09] Okay. Sarah has five. I has seven. Andrew far out ahead with nine. Dave: [1:06:14] All right, but it is possible to catch up because the exciting part of this one is, even though there's just one answer, I'm doubling the points because the answer is a pair. Tara: [1:06:22] Oh, okay, okay, okay. Dave: [1:06:25] A pair of aliens, okay? That will be your answer. We're starting with Andrew. This alien burns you with their access to abortion services. Andrew: [1:06:39] Uh can I get a hint? Dave: [1:06:41] The alien's mouth in a mouth talks a lot about miniature American flags. Clip: [1:06:44] Cause I'm a cold. Andrew: [1:06:46] Oh, Kangan Kodos. Dave: [1:06:47] Kangakotos is good for two points. That's two points. All right, Tessera. Clip: [1:06:52] Cause I'm a Can you walk away? Dave: [1:06:53] This alien burns you with one of their large selections of animal forms. Sarah: [1:07:00] Is this the Wonder Twins? Clip: [1:07:00] Can you walk Cause I make a moment. Dave: [1:07:01] This is the Wonder Twins. The aliens' mouth out of mouth talks a lot about the various shapes of water. More points for Sarah. Tara: [1:07:07] Okay. Nicely done, Sarah. Dave: [1:07:09] All right, last question is for Tara. Tara: [1:07:11] Yep. Dave: [1:07:12] These aliens burn you with their burns. Clip: [1:07:14] Cause I'm back Me come to the beginning of the Valued guest valued guest valued guest We're listening. Dave: [1:07:22] The alien's mouth in a mouth talks a lot about how your jambox is now his by way of our actions and that someone should shoot him the bird. The Moon and Iights is correct from Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and that is regulation. So I need the scores. Tara: [1:07:40] Okay, Sarah and I finished where we were in the first score break tied now with nine, but Andrew is our victor with 11. Dave: [1:07:49] Nice. All right. Andrew: [1:07:50] Yay, thank you. Dave: [1:07:50] Nicely done, Andrew. Let's use the tiebreaker for our future steel million. You need them because everybody's got zero Here we go. First person to shout out the answer wins. This alien burns you by being one of the few characters in the world with footwear. Miss Ilium burns you by being one of the few characters in the world with footwear You talk about gossimer? Tara: [1:08:13] Oh, it's the it's the red guy from Looney Tunes. Yes, no? I forget his name though. Yes. Dave: [1:08:23] Gossimer is not the answer. Tara: [1:08:24] Okay. Now I'm out. Dave: [1:08:26] The alien's mouth in a mouth talks a lot about you and your friend being dum-dums. He's one of the few characters with footwear, and he talks a lot about you and your friend being dum-dums. Tara: [1:08:40] I think I have it, but I don't know if I can guess again. Dave: [1:08:42] Well, we'll let them guess first. If they give up or get and we'll go back to you. Sarah, any ideas here? Andrew? Sarah: [1:08:48] Brack. Dave: [1:08:49] No. Sarah: [1:08:49] No, no ideas. Dave: [1:08:50] Andrew? Andrew: [1:08:51] I don't have it. Dave: [1:08:52] All right, back to Tara. Tara: [1:08:53] Is it the great gazoo? Dave: [1:08:54] The great gazoo from the Flintstones is correct. Sarah: [1:08:55] Oh, the great gazoo. Andrew: [1:08:55] Oh, oh, footwear. Dave: [1:08:58] Yeah, everybody else, you get to see their feet. Sarah: [1:08:58] I didn't realize he was an alien. Dave: [1:09:01] Not him, though. Tara: [1:09:01] He's got a little bit of a little bit of a drink. Dave: [1:09:03] No, he's real. He's a only those guys can see him. All right. Well done, everybody. But today belongs to Value Guests. Nice way to start the season, and that is it for this episode of Extra Hot Great. We digested Alien Earth before going around the dial with stops at War of the Worlds, the Gilded Age, and it's always sunny in Philadelphia, plus American Prince JFK Jr. Sarah hosted a dinner for four and got Soprano's D-Girl into the canon. We crowned winners and losers of the week, and Andrew was a winner of this week's. Game time. Next up is Butterfly on extra, extra hot grade. Remember. Clip: [1:09:51] Ah! Dave: [1:09:51] I am David T. Cole and on behalf of Tara Ariano, Sarah D. Tara: [1:09:55] I never had an egg cream. Dave: [1:09:58] Vunting, and Andrew Cunningham. Sarah: [1:09:59] Fuck the importance. Andrew: [1:10:03] When you're married, you'll understand the importance of fresh produce. Dave: [1:10:08] Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time right here on Extra Author This is the first game of the season. Clip: [1:10:17] Fucking internet. Dave: [1:10:24] I just want to let you know up top there is one secret point in play. Today. All right, new seasons, new scores, zero, zero, zero. Today we are playing They Mostly Come at Night.