The Toy Department – Episode 406

In Episode 406, Madden and Kolsky spend a few minutes discussing mixtapes with an air of nostalgia before they lock into:

  • Another drama-filled episode of The Challenge: Battle of the Eras (5:10), a lot of main character energy from Johnny Bananas and the exploits of the surprisingly persistent EliMichele…
  • The exceedingly weird and bizarrely sparse film Janet Planet (26:15) from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker…
  • The much-ballyhooed Netflix film His Three Daughters (31:00) and the powerhouse performances from the three women at its center…
  • Peacock’s new action-thriller The Day of the Jackal (37:20) and whether it might be trying to do too much at once…
  • A few thoughts on the world of soccer (44:05) from the Chelsea-Arsenal draw to the USMNT’s uninspiring victory in Jamaica…
  • Homework for next time, three weeks from now (56:00), including: WHO THE HELL KNOWS, but surely a lot of Challenge talk…

The Toy Department – Episode 405

In Episode 405, Madden and Kolsky are on the clock and in their feelings, so it’s a sprint through:

  • The latest from The Challenge: Battle of the Eras (1:15) where everything continues to come up Bananas and Tori is making a run at the proverbial Championship Belt…
  • The return of Lioness on Paramount+ (31:55) and the remarkable productivity of Taylor Sheridan…
  • The distinctly dad-focused stand-up of Seth Myers (42:25) in his new special Dad Man Walking…
  • The politically-tinged stand-up of Hasan Minhaj (45:35) in his new special Off With His Head…
  • A clash of the titans upcoming this weekend (50:45) as Derek’s Arsenal and Kolsky’s Chelsea do battle at Stamford Bridge on Sunday…
  • Homework for next week (54:40), including: another episode of The Challenge: Battle of the Eras, the new show The Day of the Jackal on Peacock, the Netflix film His Three Daughters and the Annie Baker-directed Janet Planet on Max…

The Toy Department – Episode 404

In Episode 404, Madden and Kolsky hit the ground running after an off-air election conversation with a little Halloween recap before getting into:

  • The twists and turns on this week of The Challenge: Battle of the Eras (5:20) and how sides are being taken as the season careens towards what promises to be an incredibly competitive final…
  • The new documentary Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara (26:40) and the deeply disturbing violations of the singers’ privacy that continue to this day…
  • The new film Woman of the Hour (38:30), an impressive directorial debut from Anna Kendrick and the spin-shiver-inducing true story it’s based on…
  • Apple TV+’s new drama/thriller Before (46:25) and Billy Crystal taking on a big dramatic role…
  • Homework for next week (50:50), including: another episode of The Challenge: Battle of the Eras, the new film Emilia Perez on Netflix, the return of Lioness on Paramount+ and the new Seth Myers stand-up special Dad Man Walking…