The Lorehounds

David and Jean hit the midseason mark of HBO's Lanterns with an episode that keeps flipping the buddy cop dynamic between Hal and John Stewart Jr. on its head. The conversation covers a standout car scene between the two leads, the show's clever use of J-cuts to keep viewers locked onto the screen, and the deepening mystery around the Manhunter and the compound of extremists at the center of the season. They also work through listener feedback before moving into a full scene by scene breakdown.Contact UsQuestions or comments? Send emails to: comicsvs...

David, Lisa, and Bryan light a candle for two icons lost just 48 hours apart. The first half celebrates Dolly Parton, from her childhood in Appalachian poverty through her breakout on the Porter Wagoner Show and into a career that stretched far beyond country music. The hosts trace her film roles in 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Steel Magnolias, her production company's surprising connection to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and a philanthropic legacy that includes the Imagination Library, COVID vaccine research funding, and wraparound services that cut her hometown's school dropout rate in half. After...

David and Jean continue their episode-to-episode coverage of HBO's Lanterns with the season's third installment, a deep dive into John Stewart Jr.'s backstory written by Vanessa Baden Kelly and directed by Stephen Williams. The conversation covers the episode's answers to early-season mysteries, the family dynamics behind John's upbringing under Bernadette and John Sr., and the trauma that shaped him and his siblings. They also work through listener feedback and lore theorizing before moving into a full scene by scene breakdown.Contact UsQuestions or comments? Send emails to: comicsvs@thelorehounds.comOr...

David and Jean continue their episode-to-episode coverage of HBO's Lanterns with the season's second installment. The conversation opens with fresh takes on Hal and John's evolving buddy cop dynamic, the mystery surrounding Antaan and the Manhunter-related genocide referenced in the episode, and the show's understated approach to establishing John Stewart Jr. as something more than an average human despite lacking a metagene. They also dig into the episode's DC universe Easter eggs, from Gotham and Coast City references to Mogo, before moving into a full scene by scene breakdown.Contact UsQuestions or comments? Send...

David and Jean close out their season three coverage with a bumper community feedback episode, working through an enormous volume of messages from across email, Patreon, Spotify, and the Discord. The hosts share their overall season takes before stepping back and letting the community lead the conversation. Topics range from the nature of prophecy and dreaming, the parallels between Cole and characters from Game of Thrones, and what it truly means to hold power versus knowing how to use it. Military Corner closes things out with some fine-grained community pushback on the battle sequences.Contact Us<...

David and Jean kick off their episode-to-episode coverage of HBO's Lanterns with the series premiere. The conversation opens spoiler free, walking through the show's premise, Jean's primer on Green Lantern Corps lore, and their first impressions of Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre's John Stewart Jr. before diving into a full scene by scene breakdown of the murder mystery kicking off the season. Along the way they dig into the mismatched buddy cop dynamic between the two leads, the show's efficient world building and exposition, and the mysteries the finale minutes set up for episode two....

Jean and Elysia dive into the characters, action, and moments that triggered tears in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the start of a new MCU Spider-Man trilogy that's currently setting box office records. (Comic-book comparisons, of course, included.)Stick around under after the credits for our reactions to the just-released X-Men casting and other Marvel news from D23!Marvel at D23: X-Men casting & VisionQuest / Doomsday trailersContact UsQuestions or comments? Send emails to: mcu@thelorehounds.comLinks to Patreon, Supercast...

David and Jean cover the season three finale, an episode that delivers on its promises while leaving plenty of open threads heading into season four. The battle sequence gets its due, with particular attention to how differently the various players choose to wield the power at their disposal. Rhaenyra's big moments in the episode earn some of the strongest reactions of the season, with both hosts reflecting on what this finale finally reveals about how she understands the weight of the crown and what wielding it actually costs the people around her. David closes with a closer listen to...

David, Lisa, and Bryan light a candle for Sam Neill, who passed away shortly after announcing he was cancer free following treatment for the blood cancer he was diagnosed with in 2022. In this shorter tribute episode, the trio traces Neill's journey from his Northern Irish birth through a childhood in New Zealand, where a stutter taught him to listen, to a 50-year career spanning 74 credits across film and television. From early breakthroughs in Sleeping Dogs and My Brilliant Career through iconic roles in The Hunt for Red October, Dead Calm, The Piano, and of course Jurassic Park, the hosts...

John and Elysia are joined by Mark from Nevermind the Music to revisit the music and characters of The Vampire Lestat (aka Interview with the Vampire S3) and hand out their Song Superlatives (00:40:47), create their own album playlists (01:14:26), and name some overall Season Superlatives (01:39:08) as they look forward toward S4 (aka Queen of the Damned) and beyond.The Queen of the Damned teaserAutumn Brown interviews new showrunner Hannah MoscovitchContact UsQuestions or comments? Send emails to: askdan@thelorehounds.comLinks to...

David and Jean dig into listener feedback on "A Dragon in Winter," with a community that had plenty to say. The conversation opens with a lively debate on where Cole's death ranks among the great villain exits in the Westeros universe, with Jean making the case that his particular brand of self-deluding villainy makes it more satisfying than either Joffrey or Ramsay. Ormond gets a thorough going over as listeners weigh in on his manipulation of Ulf and his willingness to set aside his stated principles the moment a dragon becomes available to him. The Harrenhal dream sequences spark...

With DCU's Supergirl (2026) now available to watch at home, Jean and Elysia dive into the controversial film. After their spoiler-free (more positive than not) fresh takes (00:32:38), they talk through the on-screen action and the lore behind it (00:53:52).But, before that, they begin by checking in on recent Marvel news (00:02:15) – from a new T’Challa and Ghost Rider to the the Wonder Man heartbreak – plus the DC trailers (00:23:06) for the swiftly approaching Western scifi Noir take on Lanterns and October's body-horror appears-to-be-a-banger Clayface.Contact UsQuestions or comments? Send emails to: comics...

David and Jean cover the penultimate episode, packed with small scenes and big questions about power. The dragon fight gets its due, from the direction and CGI to what the outcome means for every rider involved. Helena's dream sequences get a close reading, with the pale horse, the eclipse, and the snow pointing toward Game of Thrones' final chapter in ways the community is already debating. Daemon's plea for his daughter's life marks a genuine moment of growth, while the Rhaena's storyline draws pointed criticism from both hosts, who feel the show has sidelined her agency in service of...

John's been working with Aaron and Richard from Radioactive Ramblings to bring you Cosmere Corner, a book club podcast about the novels of Brandon Sanderson! Elysia talks to John about this new project.And guess what? It's on audio AND video!This is the only episode that will be on this feed. Please subscribe via the links below to keep listening.linktr.ee/cosmerecornerAny opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinions of or belong to any employers or other entities.Advertising Inquiries: https...

David and Jean dig into community feedback on "Faceless Men," covering listener reactions to the episode's many moving pieces and open questions. The discussion takes in Marilyn's deep dive into the history of male squeamishness around menstruation, Jacob G.'s sharp parallel between Hugh's disastrous trip home and the Gold Cloak resignations, and the community's ongoing debate about Alys Rivers and whether the show has yet given her a moment that earns her the witch credibility the story keeps implying she deserves. Military Corner returns with a breakdown of Cole's flail and a primer on the rules of warfare...

David and Jean cover episode six, unpacking the episode's title across its multiple meanings and what they signal about where the season is heading. The discussion covers Criston Cole's end, Daemon's increasingly poor judgment, the Gold Cloak crisis, and what the shadowy assassin network operating inside King's Landing means for Rhaenyra's grip on power. David also brings some real world political history to bear on the question of what happens when rulers neglect their security forces.Contact UsQuestions or comments? Send emails to: hotd@thelorehounds.comOr, send us a voicemail! You...

David and Jean dig into listener feedback on "Unbowed and Unbent," and the episode's most contested scene dominates the conversation. The community pushes back hard on the Harrenhal rescue sequence, with listeners arguing that Alys Rivers is far too capable and calculating to have genuinely needed saving, and that what looked like a damsel in distress moment may actually be Alys tightening her psychological hold over Aemond. The discussion also takes in Criston Cole's arc and the community's feelings about his inevitable end, a tinfoil hat theory from the Dungeons 'n' Durags crew about how Ormund's assassins are getting...

Take a seat at the table for the 7th course (the soul!) of this feast of a season. Elysia and John become talking heads about talking heads as they recap the emotional journeys of Lestat and Louis. And of course, we can't forget our favorite murder gremlin and his emotional growth.Stick around after the credits for a book spoiler Inside the Coffin segment and a Body Thief MurderboardContact UsQuestions or comments? Send emails to: askdan@thelorehounds.comLinks to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliateslinktr...

David and Jean take a scene by scene approach to "Unbowed and Unbent," an episode that shifts gears from the psychological intensity of the earlier run into something more mechanical, moving pieces into position for the back half of the season. Criston Cole gets the lion's share of attention, with Jean making the case that Cole's entire identity is the product of a man who never got over rejection, and David walking through the real world history and tactical use of caltrops as Cole's guerrilla campaign hits its limits. The Harrenhal storyline draws pointed criticism for leaning on the...

David and Jean dig into listener feedback on "Tumbleton," with voicemails and messages from community members and fellow podcasters. The conversation covers the moral and tactical questions around Ormond's garrison strategy, the disturbing picture the show is building of who Ormond really is and what his hold over Daeron reveals about power and abuse, and Corlys once again putting his own agenda ahead of everyone depending on him. The episode closes with Military Corner, David's new segment breaking down the battlefield positions of the Blacks and the Greens and what the uncommitted forces in the Stormlands could mean for...