November 2021 – The Toy Department

The Toy Department – Episode 283

In Episode 283, Madden and Kolsky talk a little turkey in honor of the recent Thanksgiving holiday before turning their focus to…

The new Netflix film Red Notice (6:45) and how it’s a pretty good time despite lacking any sensible plot line…
The new Mindy Kaling-produced HBO Max show The Sex Lives of College Girls (11:50) and how both guys like the early returns as it tries to find its footing…
The latest HBO Music Box documentary Jagged (18:40) and how convincingly it makes the argument for Alanis Morissette’s great influence on the world of popular rock music…
The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies (30:20) after a strangely straightforward episode, and where things stand with the finalé lurking just past the next turn…
The latest from The Challenge All-Stars (43:55) and the impossibly poor tic-tac-toe strategy displayed by a bunch of 40-somethings…
Homework for next Thursday (1:06:00), including: more of The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies, AND more Challenge All-Stars, the new film King Richard on HBO Max, Kevin Hart’s new Netflix series True Story and a postseason wrap-up of Apple TV+’s The Morning Show…

In Episode 282, Madden and Kolsky pushed through the technical difficulties common to olds of their age in order to bring you their thoughts on…

The newly Disney+-watchable Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2:35) and how it hits all its marks and ends up a highly enjoyable experience…
A brief NFL detour (7:55) to discuss some rookie quarterback play…
Paramount+’s big prestige TV swing Mayor of Kingstown (11:50) and whether it delivers on the promise of its cast…
The thrilling new HBO Max show Yellowjackets (20:55) and the incredible cast of women executing it…
Deep analysis of a top-shelf episode of The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies (27:20) and who controls the game as it speeds towards the surely imminent final…
Episode 2 of this season of The Challenge All-Stars (57:05), the gamut of emotions it runs and how the game is shaping up for the old fogies…
Homework for next Thursday (1:15:55), including: more of The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies, AND more Challenge All-Stars, HBO’s Music Box documentary Jagged (about Alanis Morrisette), the new Netflix film Red Notice, the new season of The Great on Hulu and The Sex Lives of College Girls on HBO Max…

In Episode 281, Madden and Kolsky discuss Derek’s morning drinks and Kolsky’s morning show appearance before remembering to talk about…

Tom Hanks’ new Apple TV+ film Finch (3:15) which is not a bad movie but forgettable enough that Derek can’t keep the title in his head for more than seven consecutive minutes…
The new Netflix western film The Harder They Fall (10:20) and how it’s a highly entertaining bit of popcorn cinema…
The return of Netflix’s treasured Big Mouth (23:00) and spoiler alert: it’s still great!
Another momentum-shifting week on The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies (27:40) as the Emerald Cell finally loses a daily challenge and faces infiltration via an overdramatic elimination starring Amanda as one of the great heels in show history…
The Season 2 premiere of The Challenge All-Stars (46:35) and how the episode was somewhat disappointing, but there’s still a lot of hope for a good season…
Homework for next Thursday (59:00), including: more of The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies, AND more Challenge All-Stars, plus Yellowjackets on Showtime, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on Disney+ and Mayor of Kingstown on Paramount+…
A few minutes on USA Men’s Soccer (1:00:45) ahead of a critical USA v. Mexico matchup in World Cup Qualifying play…

In Episode 280, Madden and Kolsky discuss Derek’s exuberance in the afterglow of his Braves’ World Series Championship before moving into…

Netflix’s new show Colin in Black & White (6:05) from Colin Kaepernick and Ava Duvernay, and how it doesn’t quite live up to the expectations that collaboration might inspire…
HBO Max’s new season of Love Life (16:35) starring William Jackson Harper and how it compares to the original Anna Kendrick season…
The latest action and drama from The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies (21:30), how the Emerald Cell keeps avoiding infiltration and who’s in control of the game at this critical late-season juncture…
Homework for next Thursday (1:00:30), including: more of The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies, the new season of Netflix’s Big Mouth, the new Netflix western film The Harder They Fall and the new Apple TV+ film Finch (starring Tom Hanks)…