The Toy Department – Episode 377

In Episode 377, Madden and Kolsky have an in-depth Kylian Mbappe discussion before pressing record, then address Kolsky’s terrible Valentine’s Day before locking in for:

  • The first episode of TJ’s Final on The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion (1:50) and the cathartic joy of seeing Jay sent home with nothing to show for his embarrassing display over the course of the season…
  • Jon Stewart’s return to The Daily Show (33:20) and whether it’s a worthy pursuit in the depressing chaos of 2024…
  • The new season of Ryan Murphy’s Feud, covering Truman Capote v. The Swans (45:35) and another chapter in the seemingly weekly serial Why Are We Doing This???
  • Apple TV+’s fashion/WWII show The New Look (53:00) and how it distinguishes itself in this current TV landscape simply by feeling like it has something worthwhile to say…
  • Some final thoughts on Super Bowl LVIII (57:45) and whether Kyle Shanahan bears the brunt of responsibility for another 49ers defeat on the biggest stage in sports…
  • Homework for next week (1:09:50), including: the (hopefully) thrilling conclusion of The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion, two Oscar-nominated films — Oppenheimer and Past Lives — and on a lighter note, the Taika Waititi film Next Goal Wins (now on Hulu)…

The Toy Department – Episode 151

In Episode 151, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky once again tempt fate by suggesting they might produce a short podcast, then engage in lengthy discussions of:

  • Season 2 of Netflix’s Friends from College (1:30) and how the guys have slightly different reactions to a highly enjoyable television program…
  • Season 3 of HBO’s True Detective (14:55), the brilliance of Mahershala Ali and whether the show is worthy of its current cultural attention…
  • The Season 5 premiere of You’re the Worst (30:45) and how the guys are feeling about the pod favorite as it heads into its final handful of episodes…
  • A check in on the NFL Playoffs (35:55) after a fun Divisional Round set us up for the final four we expected all year long…
  • Homework for next week (46:50), including: Netflix’s Fyre Festival documentary Fyre, and the new show Sex Education (also on Netflix), Showtime’s Black Monday and the return of Crashing on HBO…