Tag Archives: Netflix

The Toy Department – Episode 168

  By toyAdmin | May 29, 2019 - 11:37 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 168, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky briefly discuss Madden’s tummy-ache before soldiering through and into:

  • The season finale of The Challenge (2:15) and why this is the absolute peak of reality TV entertainment…
  • The second season of Spike Lee’s Netflix show She’s Gotta Have It (15:45) and the undeniable charm of the film-making and lead actress…
  • The action thrill-ride of John Wick 3 (25:30) and how Derek probably should have just skipped it…
  • Derek’s experience watching Netflix’s horror-thriller The Perfection (46:45) and Kolsky’s decision to spend his time elsewhere…
  • The second season of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag on Amazon (49:40) and how nobody is better at being Phoebe Waller-Bridge than Phoebe Waller-Bridge…
  • The new reports detailing the rampant dysfunction in the LA Lakers organization (54:10) and just where the blame for the mess lies, plus some thoughts on Kevin Durant and people’s odd refusal to listen to what he actually says…
  • Homework for next week (1:16:30), including: wrapping up Season 2 of Killing Eve, heading to the theater to see Rocketman, the premiere of Good Omens on Amazon, the new Netflix show How To Sell Drugs Online Fast, the Netflix rom-com Always Be My Maybe, HBO’s new Deadwood movie and the NBA Finals…

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The Toy Department – Episode 167

  By toyAdmin | May 22, 2019 - 12:10 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 167, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky get into Kolsky’s new full time job as father to a tiny human before getting silly with:

  • The series finale of Game of Thrones (5:25), how both guys are relatively pleased, some thoughts on the haters and critics, and what comes next in big-time pop culture…
  • HBO’s new Monday night entry Chernobyl (28:15) and whether the dramatic circumstances and excellent performance from Jared Harris and others overcome the deeply disturbing events…
  • The final season of Easy on Netflix (34:45), and the particular success of Joe Swanberg in creating movies and shows that feel very authentic…
  • Amazon’s Sneaky Pete (38:30) and whether it is holding the guys’ interest in its third season…
  • An attempt to start with homework before a digression into the in-progress finale of The Challenge: War of the Worlds (45:00) and how intense the final competition of the season appears to be…
  • Homework for next week (48:35), including: the aforementioned Challenge final, the return of Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It on Netflix, Season 2 of Fleabag on Amazon, the new Netflix thriller Perfection, the now-in-theaters action blockbuster John Wick 3: Parabellum and MORE NBA playoff action…

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The Toy Department – Episode 166

  By toyAdmin | May 8, 2019 - 12:48 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 166, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky discuss the advantages of listening to podcasts at 1.5x speed before honing in on:

  • The third-to-last episode of Game of Thrones (4:40) and how its many critics are our surest sign of social decay…
  • The Netflix film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (32:05) and how its treatment of the Ted Bundy story makes for an odd and ultimately unsuccessful ride…
  • The new Netflix show Dead to Me (37:55) and how the charm of its lead actresses and some pitch perfect camp make it an extremely enjoyable experience…
  • A check-in on three show favorites: Billions on Showtime (42:05), Barry on HBO (49:00), and AMC/BBC America’s Killing Eve (55:05)…
  • A few thoughts on the NBA Playoffs (59:00), specifically the Warriors-Rockets series…
  • Homework for next week (1:03:50), including: HBO’s Chernobyl, the return of Sneaky Pete on Amazon, the return of Easy on Netflix, another episode of Game of Thrones and LOTS MORE NBA playoff action…

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The Toy Department – Episode 165

  By toyAdmin | May 1, 2019 - 11:36 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 165, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky waste little time with pleasantries (or unpleasantries) before covering:

  • Yet another return to Westeros (0:55), this time for the Battle of Winterfell, which delivered on the expectations of both hosts, leaving them perplexed at some of the negative response…
  • The Netflix film Someone Great (38:40) and how it is every bit as charming and enjoyable as the performance of lead actress Gina Rodriguez…
  • The new Lizzo album Cuz I Love You (51:25) and the promising future of a young pop artist…
  • The Baron Vaugh/Open Mike Eagle show The New Negroes (56:25) and how both guys were a little surprised by the format…
  • The sketch comedy disaster I Think You Should Leave (58:10) and Kolsky’s view that Tim Robinson represents the decay of society…
  • NBA Playoff talk (1:01:15) with special focus on the Warriors-Rockets battle in the Western Conference second round…
  • Homework for next week (1:14:30), including: the new HBO show Chernobyl, the Netflix movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile — starring Zac Efron as Ted Bundy, check-ins on pod favorites like Barry, Billions and Killing Eve, another episode of Game of Thrones and EVEN MORE NBA playoff action…

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The Toy Department – Episode 164

  By toyAdmin | April 24, 2019 - 12:00 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 164, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky obnoxiously reference their off-pod golf debate before getting back to business with:

  • The second episode of the final season of HBO’s Game of Thrones (1:50) and why Madden preferred the style of this week’s set-up to the premiere episode, plus an extended breakdown of who is likely to die this weekend…
  • Netflix’s animated anthology Love, Death & Robots (37:15) and how its short run time and ultra-realistic animation make for an interesting watch…
  • Amazon’s show Hanna (40:50) — based on the Saoirsie Ronan/Eric Bana movie of the same name — and what could make it stand out from the average action series or movie…
  • The Gad Elmaleh-starring Netflix series Huge in France (46:55) and whether its charm is enough to carry it without a lot of huge laughs…
  • The ongoing drama of the NBA Playoffs (50:50) with special focus on the greatness of Damian Lillard…
  • Homework for next week (1:06:15), including: Derek getting his act together and watching The New Negroes on BET/Comedy Central, another episode of Game of Thrones and EVEN MORE NBA playoff action…

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The Toy Department – Episode 163

  By toyAdmin | April 18, 2019 - 12:06 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 163, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky go through the nitty gritty of Kolsky’s new job as an in-home nurse before navigating through:

  • The return of Game of Thrones (8:50) and why one of our hosts liked the long-awaited season premiere more than the other…
  • The apparent binge sensation Schitt’s Creek (19:35) and whether it’s worthy of the recommendations the guys had been given…
  • Netflix’s Our Planet (23:50) and the joy of watching wildlife shot from incredible angles in brilliant high definition…
  • The debut full-length from young pop prospect Billie Eilish (35:20) and how she continues to show the makings of a star…
  • The start of the NBA Playoffs (423:05), with special focus on the Warriors’ massive collapse in Game 2 against the Clippers…
  • Homework for next week (54:45), including: more NBA Playoffs, the new Netflix show Huge in France, The New Negroes with Baron Vaugh and Open Mike Eagle on BET/Comedy Central, the Netflix anthology Love, Death and Robots, and Hanna on Amazon Prime…

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The Toy Department – Episode 160

  By toyAdmin | March 27, 2019 - 2:44 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 160, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky address a recent major life event before discussing:

  • The NCAA Tournament’s opening weekend (2:15) and what the lack of upsets means for the remainder of the event…
  • The Dirt (8:35), Netflix’s Mötley Crüe biopic, and how it moves through the life of one of rock’s wildest bands…
  • Hulu’s new comedy Shrill (27:35) and how Aidy Bryant has created a really honest and honestly hilarious show…
  • The Act (35:05), also on Hulu, the intensity of its acting performances and compelling nature of its mysteries…
  • The career of the recently retired Rob Gronkowski (40:05) and how he stacks up with the all-time greats at the tight end position…
  • Homework for next week (56:10), including: Barry and Veep on HBO, the end of Miracle Workers on TBS and the Adnan Sayed docu-series on HBO, and the premiere of What We Do in the Shadows on FX, plus Derek tries to watch US…

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The Toy Department – Episode 159

  By toyAdmin | March 20, 2019 - 12:22 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 159, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky literally talk about weather before moving into the world of pop culture to break down:

  • The upcoming NCAA Tournament (1:35) and Kolsky’s decision not to fill out a bracket…
  • The season finalé of Top Chef (9:30), with thoughts on food, contestants, judges and (of course) Padma…
  • Netflix’s new movie Triple Frontier (21:05) and whether it’s worthy of its cast…
  • The return of Showtime’s Billions (26:25) and how well it has developed a big cast of interesting characters…
  • The premiere of the final season of Catastrophe (32:00) on Amazon and whether it is still breaking new ground in season four…
  • The series finale of Pete Holmes’ HBO show Crashing (35:30) and how the guys would have liked to see more…
  • Homework for next week (43:50), including: the Mötley Crüe biopic The Dirt on Netflix, plus two Hulu shows — The Act and Shrill, and LOTS of college basketball…

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The Toy Department – Episode 158

  By toyAdmin | March 13, 2019 - 11:11 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 158, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky talk about the onslaught of peak television before focusing in on:

  • HBO’s The Case Against Adnan Syed (3:05), the frustrations of watching authorities bungle a case and a heartfelt look at a heartbreaking story…
  • Netflix’s new docu-series Losers (15:10) and how the episodes tell heartwarming tales of human triumph from the sports world…
  • Ricky Gervais’ new show After Life (24:40), also available on Netflix, which tells the story of a heartbroken and initially somewhat charmless widower finding his way back to being human…
  • The Canadian show Workin’ Moms (29:45), ALSO available on Netflix, and how it didn’t quite connect with either of the guys despite a lot of appealing aspects…
  • A check-in on FX’s You’re the Worst (35:41), a true pod favorite, in the midst of its final season…
  • Some assorted thoughts on peak tv and upcoming shows and movies (44:20) including Crashing and Deadwood on HBO…
  • Homework for next week (49:15), including: wrapping up Crashing and trying to get Derek into Deadwood, the Ben Affleck-fronted Netflix film Triple Frontier, the return of Showtime’s Billions, a new season of Catastrophe on Amazon and the season finalé of Top Chef (and perhaps watching the show Schitt’s Creek at some point in the not-too-distant future)…

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The Toy Department – Episode 157

  By toyAdmin | March 6, 2019 - 10:56 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 157, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky tempt fate with the prediction of a short show (spoiler alert — it actually came true!!) before breaking down:

  • The return of FX’s Better Things (1:25), a pod favorite, and how its brilliance appears intact after the departure of co-creator Louis C.K…
  • The Netflix film Paddleton (8:45), how it manages to be enjoyable and distinctly Duplass-y despite a persistent sadness and what it says about the movie industry’s changing status quo…
  • The HBO film O.G. (25:05), featuring a typically tour de force performance performance from Jeffrey Wright in a clinical look at incarceration…
  • Gary Clark, Jr.’s new album This Land (34:10) and how its eclectic mix of blues-tinged genre-jumping makes for a really good album that may not do much for his popularity…
  • Homework for next week (45:10), including: The Case Against Adnan Syed on HBO, Losers and Workin’ Moms on Netflix and check-ins on HBO’s The Shop and FX’s You’re the Worst…

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