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At listener request, we’re talking about the cult classic TV show, Firefly. Dom Bettinelli, Mac Barron, Shelly Kelly, and Maria Johnson discuss what makes this space western so compelling and why it has endured despite its way-too-short single season. Browncoats unite!

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What new network TV shows are we watching this fall that you might be interested in? Dom Bettinelli, Lisa Hendey, and Joanne Mercier look at a bunch of new shows, including God Friended Me, FBI, A Million Little Things, Manifest, and The Rookie, and give their take on whether they’re worth your time.

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Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan has been cast and re-cast in movies since the 1980s and Amazon is trying again with a new series. Dom Bettinelli, Fr. Chip Hines, and Fr. Cory Sticha look at the series, discuss the morality at the heart of the Jack Ryan character, and decide whether this new series lives up to Tom Clancy’s vision.

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After the success of the first movie, Jurassic Park 2 took a darker turn while Ian Malcom becomes the hero of the dinosaur island and San Diego hosts a T Rex. Dom Bettinelli, Fr. Michael Goessett, and Thomas Sanjurjo continue their discussion of the Jurassic movies with the Lost World.

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Is Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them the best movie in the Harry Potter cinematic universe? Dom Bettinelli, Thomas Sanjurjo, and Lyn Francisco discuss the 2016 movie, how it relates to the Potterverse as a whole, and why magical justice is so cruel.

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Dom Bettinelli, Thomas Sanjurjo, and Fr. Michael Gossett go back to the classic Steven Spielberg movie, Jurassic Park, to see what holds up after 25 years, what has aged, and how the movie is at root a Frankenstein story with the mad scientist replaced by an idealistic grandpa.

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Dom Bettinelli, Maria Johnson, and Lisa Hendey discuss the Pixar movie The Incredibles 2, including whether the true superpower in the Parr family is their ability come together as a team, how Bob and Helen come to appreciate each other’s roles, and how Jack Jack steals the show again.

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Dom Bettinelli, Shelly Kelly, and Fr. Cory Sticha continue their discussion of the Indiana Jones movies with 1984’s Temple of Doom, including why this movie was so much darker and violent, how fan assessment has changed over the years, and the very best thing about the movie.

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Dom Bettinelli, Thomas Sanjurjo, and Fr. Michael Gossett discuss Black Panther, the Marvel movie that was an unexpected blockbuster, looking at the hidden layers and deeper meanings in a movie about identity and our obligations to those around us.

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Dom Bettinelli, Steve Nelson, and Fr. Michael Gossett discuss the first three seasons of The Expanse (and the book series it’s based on), especially the moral choices faced by the characters, the complex societies that it showcases, and how religion shows up in surprising ways.

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Dom Bettinelli, Lisa Hendey, Fr. Cory Sticha, and Sarah Vabulas dive into the world of Ready Player One, one of the biggest novels of the last 10 years and an epic Stephen Spielberg film to discuss the deeper layers and hidden meanings, including the origins of some of the ’80s pop culture references and the film’s message warning against getting lost in virtual worlds and forgetting what’s real. They then apply those lessons to many of the pitfalls we face today in online gaming and social media. Plus they geek out over the coolest hidden Easter eggs!

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Dom Bettinelli, Luis Escobar, and Lisa Hendey dig into the deeper layers and hidden meanings in Avengers: Infinity War, including the underlying message of the value of a single life and that you can’t weigh one life against billions of others. Plus, who has the real agency in IW and theories about the sequel.

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Our panel of Dom Bettinelli, Mac Barron, Shelly Kelley, and Fr. Cory Sticha digs deep into one of the most beloved movies ever, looking for the hidden layers and meanings, including the real story of how the Ark of the Covenant was lost (and maybe found?), how Indy held his breath for so long, and why there are apples everywhere.

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A classic tale of a castaway family set in space, relying on each other to face the unknown. Dom Bettinelli, Lisa Hendey, and Cy Kellett discuss the deeper layers and meanings of Netflix’s Lost in Space, including its connection to the 1960s original and to Swiss Family Robinson, whether the portrayal of marriage and family life is realistic, and what they think of the new Dr. Smith and the Robot.

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Join Jimmy Akin, Mac Barron, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha for the second part of their discussion of The Good Place, a groundbreaking network sitcom that cleverly and comedically deals with life, death, the afterlife and philosophy. This episode contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale and Season 2.

If you haven’t watched The Good Place, then we encourage you to listen to the previous episode first and wait on this episode until you’ve seen the first season finale. If you have watched The Good Place, then you know this sort of thing is right up our alley and we have a great discussion of the implications of the story and its comedic vision of the afterlife.

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A sitcom about the afterlife that takes philsophy and ethics seriously? Yes, please! Jimmy Akin, Mac Barron, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha talk about the premise of the show and what happens in the first season, not including the finale. We cover that and season 2 in our next episode.

If you haven’t watched The Good Place, then we encourage you to listen to this episode first and wait on the next episode until you’ve seen the first season finale. If you have watched The Good Place, then you know this sort of thing is right up our alley and we have a great discussion of the implications of the story and its comedic vision of the afterlife.

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It’s the second season of the revived X-Files. Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Maria Johnson talk about the return of this amazing series, how well the episodes carry on the X-Files tradition, and the high and low points.