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PODCAST

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast

Danielle Hanley & John McMahon

When you spend the bulk of your life reading, writing, and building lesson plans, sometimes your brain needs a break. Join two of your favorite political theory professors - Danielle Hanley and John McMahon - as they switch gears from the world’s so-called great books to break down some of your favorite TV shows. The twist? Only one of your hosts has seen the show before. First up? The Americans.

tv & film tv reviews

All Episodes

01:37:08

72. Saltburn, with Regan Levitte

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/12/26

It’s a Christmas miracle of abundance and debauchery! Danielle joins John and Regan Levitte (of NQGB Young Pope podcasting fame) to dig into the aesthetic feast contained in Emerald Fennel’s Saltburn. In this spoiler-filled episode, your three hosts traverse the labyrinth-like film in all of its absurdity, nostalgia-bombs, and bathtub antics. They contemplate what this movie is about, consider the beautiful cinematography and the tremendous acting, and of course, rank the most sicko mode scenes

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01:49:12

71.The Americans 4x2, ”Pastor Tim”

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/12/14

Uh-oh. An entire episode named after Pastor Tim? Is this Danielle’s literal nightmare? Maybe. Oh well, back at it, Danielle (begrudgingly) and John dig into The Americans Season 4 Episode 2, “Pastor Tim.” Framing their discussion around truth-telling, they consider Nina’s arc, Paige’s honesty, and Philip’s own moments of clarity. In the Dossier, Danielle introduces her conspiracy theory about Glanders, which John (as usual) ‘no-comments’ - stay tuned for Glanders check-ins in later episodes. We are

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01:38:09

70. The Americans 4x1, ”Glanders”

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/11/30

Back from Athens and Pope-cast respectively, Danielle and John dive into Season 4 of The Americans! They tackle Season 4 Episode 1, “Glanders,” by asking about the emotional and narrative choices that structure the episode. Together, they consider what it means to pick up right after the events of Season 3, the introduction of biological weapons, and of course Philip’s EST-situation and the confrontation with Stan. Their antics have also returned, alongside these cutting analyses: Danielle doubles

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02:05:59

69. The Young Pope, Episode Ten

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/09/07

Hot Confessor Summer comes to a close as Regan joins John for her final (or not final, Lenny willing?) popely appearance on NQGB. Not only do they discuss the plot and character apotheoses in the finale, they also ask the divine questions of the series as a whole. Did Lenny experience character growth? Is this show a melodrama? What is Paolo Sorrentino doing with the final flourish of the show? What is the show saying about its characters and our relationship to them? What is the show's perspective

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01:42:04

68. The Young Pope, Episode Nine

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/08/31

Regan and John return for a truly remarkable episode of TV, The Young Pope episode nine. A long conversation about Gutierrez and Kurtweil discusses how the show is using but reworking conventional TV genres and tropes, Gutierrez's ministry, how the superb one-episode characters of David, Rose (the fan 'kiss'!), Freddy, and Pete shed light on Bernardo and on the show as a whole. There's much more to think and feel (so many feelings about this ep) through: the Spencer-Lenny abortion debate, Young

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01:24:51

67. The Young Pope, Episode Eight

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/08/24

Is Episode Eight of The Young Pope indulging in or satirizing colonialism? Your trusty shepherds Regan and John think it is (way more) the former and explain why as they discuss this extra-strange episode. They also talk through Lenny's grief-filled ennui jag -- complete with submerged pool prayer -- and smiting down of Sister Antonia in one of the show's most affecting scenes. There is still plenty of time to cover FEMEN, the looming Kurtwell investigation, kangaroos (RIP), nude mom visions, and

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01:08:34

66. The Young Pope, Episode Seven

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/08/17

Regan and John continue #HotConfessorSummer with episode 7 of The Young Pope. [Important character's] death leads the show and this podcast to consider how the show engages both the finitude and fragility of human existence, from Andrew's guilt to Lenny's Parent Quest to the scheming of Mary and the wannabe Lenny replacements. We also have football jerseys, spicy saints, a new pinnacle in Hot Priest Rating, Did Regan also manage to lead us to consider the mysteries of Faygo and John also manage to

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01:24:35

65. The Young Pope, Episode Six, with Lucia Manzi

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/08/10

Gird yourself for miracles as John and Regan are joined by their colleague (and Italian politics expert, among many other skills) Lucia Manzi to discuss The Young Pope, Episode Six. Lucia's knowledge illumines the (Holy or not) spirit of the pod by putting Lenny's meeting with the Italian Prime Minister in the context of the Church's relationship to Italian politics and culture. Is Lenny an effective political actor and what is the show expressing through Lenny's political machinations? Lucia also

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01:18:00

64. The Young Pope, Episode Five

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/08/03

Put on your finest tiara and reddest gloves and join Regan and John as they discuss The Young Pope Episode Five. They rightfully focus on what one of your hosts (guess who) calls one of the greatest TV scenes ever with Lenny's address to the cardinals, as Lenny would have it no other way. Can the audience both identify with Lenny's existential sadness and despise his speech? How do Esther and Voiello draw out different emotional registers of the show? Also covered: the weirdest and saddest

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01:03:26

63. Billions 4x1, ”Chuck Rhoades’s Greatest Game”

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/08/01

Amy and John are back with the next installment of The One Percent series here on the NQGB, covering Billions Season 4, Episode 1. After dispensing with the villain origin story of this episode, they figure out whether this shallow show has anything interesting to say about capitalism, power, and gender. From the favors money can't buy to the worst dialogue written to an inexplicable John Malkovich performance to the NYC 1% core of the show, this episode has it all. Is Chuck Rhoades the Carrie

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01:48:01

62. Total Cinema, Baby: Barbie, Oppenheimer, and...

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/07/29

Welcome to Total Cinema, Baby, a Not Quite Great Books production! Danielle and John are BACK recounting their epic weekend partaking in the Barbenheimer cinema experience, and adding the latest Mission: Impossible to the mix for good measure. Join your hosts as they reunite to take in the cinema event of the summer. They set the scenes of their viewing experiences and the Big Picture-inspired origins of “Total Cinema, Baby” before diving into their takes on all three films. Keep in mind, this is a

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01:30:05

61. The Young Pope, ”Episode Four”

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/07/27

You Must, You Must, You Must listen to this episode: Regan and John return for another Young Pope episode, taking this opportunity to focus on bodies and power in this episode and in Catholicism more broadly, as Esther becomes a central character of the show. This episode also helps us focus on how we emotionally relate -- and how Paolo Sorretino might expect his audience to relate -- to the psychic travails of the characters of the show. There are also saintly TikTok discussion, Tonnino

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01:18:00

60. The Young Pope, ”Episode Three”

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/07/20

Regan and John are back for more Young Pope as they try to lift up God's weight through the magic of podcasting and the help of...*checks notes*...a stuffed deer? They puzzle through the ways that different members of Curia respond to Lenny's faith (or lackthereof) and wrestle with their own faith, wonder whether absence is indeed presence, and map out this episode's politicking. There's still plenty of time for Esther conversation, introducing a new saintly quest, breaking down the title sequence,

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01:19:55

59. The White Lotus 1x4, ”Recentering”

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/07/18

Amy Schiller joins John for the first in our *podcast voice* limited series, The One Percent, where we take seriously and frivolously shows that depict the lifestyles and political economy of the one percent (and adjacent). First up: The White Lotus, Season 1 Episode 4, "Recentering." Amy and John dive into the show's depiction of wealth, virtue, and self-soothing; explore Amy's Kitty/Shane-stanning and John's counter identification with Rachel, unpack the multiple Talmudic layers of interpretation

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01:32:01

58. The Young Pope, ”Episode Two”

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/07/13

Kangaroos and severe speeches and emotional turmoil, oh my! John and summer 2023 co-host Regan are back for the second episode of Young Pope. They consider kangaroos and motherhood (seriously), Lenny's self-conflict as it plays out in his "invisible Pope" proclamation and remarkable address to the crowd of St. Peter's Square, Catholicism's relation to sex and the body, Voiello's attempts at charity, and Sister Mary's role in the Vatican. Meanwhile, Hot Priest Rating and Aquinas Time in The Cave

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01:23:52

57. The Young Pope, ”Episode One”

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/07/06

John is joined by summer guest co-host Regan Levitte to worship at the altar of 2016's The Young Pope, which NQGB is covering this summer before returning to The Americans. Covering the first episode, they discuss the show's approach to Catholicism (and excavate their own lapsed Catholicism), examine the dream sequences, assess Lenny Belardo as the titular young Pope and Jude Law as Lenny Belardo, and more. The Danielle Dossier is rechristened with a new name suitable for Regan's predictions, The

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01:15:15

56. The Americans, Season 3 in review

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/06/22

After a whirlwind end to Season 3 of The Americans, Danielle and John pause to reflect on the season. What has changed about the show this season? Why did critics view this season as the one where The Americans reached its highest (Platonic?) form? How good is Danielle at the Dossier? Tune in as we discuss these, other pressing S3 questions, and somehow end up discussing Homeland, all before wishing Danielle farewell for the summer. Never fear, John will be back next week with a special guest to

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02:36:16

55. The Americans 3x13, ”March 8, 1983”, with Jon Keller

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/06/15

We end this season with a BANGER. Your hosts are joined once more by their good friend, the ‘Lev Gorn Whisperer’, Jon Keller. Together, they discuss The Americans Season 3 Episode 13, “March 8, 1983.” Inspired by Philip’s newfound EST-thusiasm, John, Danielle, and Jon frame the discussion using the relationship between the body and the truth. This offers a window into Philip’s general disposition and challenges in the ep, Paige & Elizabeth in Berlin, and the exchange between Anton and Nina, not to

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01:25:03

54. The Americans 3x12, ”I Am Abassin Zadran”

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/06/08

The drama just keeps escalating this season! Taking on the penultimate episode, John and Danielle consider The Americans Season 3 Episode 12, “I am Abassin Zadran.” There’s nowhere else to start but with Martha and Clark, but of course your hosts have to check in on Paige, since she’s acting out following the big reveal. In Glas, John and Danielle get into the choices around Abassin Zadran, and pick this thread up again in the Cave where John offers a rousing deep dive into Minoo Moallem’s “Whose

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01:20:28

53. The Americans 3x11, ”One Day in the Life of Anton...

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast ·

2023/06/01

John and Danielle are back on their own this week to contemplate the world through the eyes of Anton Baklanov. Together, they dig into The Americans Season 3 Episode 11, “One Day in the Life of Anton Baklanov.” They really start at square one, with John explaining the framing device to a none-the-wiser Danielle, and then they ask how using Anton as a lens impacts their takeaways from the ep itself. They follow-up on all things Paige/Jennings in the aftermath of the last episode, and check in on

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