May 2024 – The Toy Department

The Toy Department – Episode 389

In Episode 389, Madden and Kolsky talk about Derek’s travels in the name of ROCK before attempting to swiftly get through:

A triumphant return on Top Chef Wisconsin (6:30) and how the chef’s stack up as we head towards the final few episodes and a likely imminent location change…
The departure of a heavy hitter on The Challenge All-Stars 4 (27:35) and where it leaves the leaderboard of the competition…
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt in The Fall Guy (40:25) and Kolsky’s love for the action-rom-com genre…
Another swing at American history from Apple TV+ with The Big Cigar (48:00) and the performance of show favorite Andre Holland as Huey P Newton…
Homework for next week (53:50), including: new episodes of Top Chef Wisconsin and The Challenge All-Stars 4, the new Donald Sterling Clipper show Clipped on Hulu, the return of Peacock’s We Are Lady Parts, the new Star Wars adventure The Acolyte (on Disney+) and Netflix’s Benedict Cumberbatch vehicle Eric…

In Episode 388, Madden and Kolsky discuss Derek’s busy schedule before locking right into:

The latest from The Challenge: All-Stars 4 (2:45) where Killa Queen Kam is making moves and dominating political gameplay (not to mention a bouncy elimination challenge) as the show heads into the home stretch…
This week’s Savannah roller coaster on Top Chef Wisconsin (24:00) plus the dominance of Danny and what to expect from the second Last Chance Kitchen winner…
The utterly bizarre (and possibly sneaky Christian?) The Book of Clarence (39:50) and what exactly the cast and crew set out to do when they started this film…
The feels-inducing delight of Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza (47:30) and the incredible musical legacy of Perry Farrell…
A quick chat about the end of the Premier League season (1:07:10) and Chelsea FC’s Commitment to Chaos^TM…
Some thoughts on the NBA Playoffs (1:13:30) with the conference finals in progress…
Homework for next week (1:23:10), including: new episodes of Top Chef Wisconsin and The Challenge All-Stars 4, the now-rentable The Fall Guy and The Big Cigar on Apple TV+…

In Episode 387, Madden and Kolsky are meeting up late night for some Toy Department After Dark to get into:

A new episode of The Challenge All-Stars 4 (3:35) that saw a very messy Brad season come to an end and a theatrical turn for Ace…
This week’s episode of Top Chef Wisconsin (23:05) where a competitive final eight had to deal with more changes to the game format in addition to a fascinating native foods challenge…
Apple TV+’s multi-versal Dark Matter (36:10) and whether it tells its story quickly enough to draw in its viewers…
Netflix’s Will Forte true-crime-pod-mock-umentary Bodkin (43:50) and whether it connects with its bizarre small-town mystery vibe…
The third season of HBO’s Hacks (47:30) and the brilliance of Jean Smart…
Some English Premiere League thoughts (51:15) as we head into the final weekend of the season…
Our weekly NBA check-in (1:02:10) mere hours after Minnesota’s utter dismantling of the Nuggets to force a Game 7 in Denver on Sunday…
Homework for next week (1:14:45), including: another episode of Top Chef Wisconsin, more of The Challenge All-Stars 4, the newly-on-Netflix movie The Book of Clarence, the Amazon Prime Video Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black and the Paramounnt+ documentary Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza…

In Episode 386, Madden and Kolsky discuss the content of and response to the Tom Brady Roast on Netflix before diving into:

A thrilling episode of The Challenge All-Stars 4 (9:15) and where things stand as we pass the halfway mark of the season…
Top Chef Wisconsin’s Restaurant Wars (29:15) and some slight format changes, focusing on the challenges of staying consistent through a full night of service…
The much-discussed Netflix show Baby Reindeer (47:40) and the emotional intensity it delivers…
John Mulaney’s limited live Netflix series (57:05) and what exactly in the name of all things holy is even going on there…
Elisabeth Moss’s new Hulu spy series The Veil (1:04:40) and whether it has enough about it to stand out in a crowded espionage TV landscape…
A check-in on the NBA Playoffs (1:08:20) and the ascension of Ant-man as Round 2 rolls along…
Homework for next week (1:28:15), including: another episode of Top Chef Wisconsin, more of The Challenge All-Stars 4, Apple TV+’s Dark Matter, Netflix’s new true-crime-pod-mock-umentary Bodkin and Season 3 of HBO’s Hacks…

In Episode 385, Madden and Kolsky discuss the baking project happening in Kolsky’s house before locking in and moving through:

A baseball-themed team challenge on Top Chef Wisconsin (3:25) and an episode that ended with a classic good-food-goes-home moment…
A spicy elimination matchup on The Challenge All-Stars 4 (18:35), the perils of making enemies in the game and a format that takes some power from the winners…
The Lily Gladstone-starring series Under the Bridge (35:50) and whether it transcends a potential bad time TV designation…
The 80s-style thriller Love Lies Bleeding (41:00) and Kristen Stewart’s interesting career choices…
Some NBA Playoffs chatter (51:10) as the first round is beginning to wrap up…
Homework for next week (1:07:10), including: another episode of Top Chef Wisconsin, more of The Challenge All-Stars 4, John Mulaney’s “live” show on Netflix, the buzzy Baby Reindeer (available on Netflix) and the Elisabeth Moss series The Veil on FX/Hulu…