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Listen: Firewall & Iceberg Podcast No. 119

Dan and Alan talk 'Missing,' 'Community,' 'Justified' and 'Walking Dead'

By Daniel Fienberg Monday, Mar 12, 2012 5:38 PM

The

Happy Monday, Boys & Girls.
 
Time for your weekly cure for The Mondays... Whiskey!
 
And while you're drinking your whiskey, here's another installment of The Firewall & Iceberg Podcast!
 
This week, Sepinwall and I catch up on "Justified" and "The Walking Dead," review ABC's "Missing," chatter about the return of "Community" and even, because we forgot to do so last week, talk about the season finale of "Parenthood."
 
So enjoy your whiskey and hopefully the podcast...
 
Here's the breakdown:
"Community" (00:02:03 - 00:11:25)
"Missing" (00:11:25 - 00:21:40)
"Parenthood" (00:21:40 - 00:37:25)
"Justified" (00:37:25 - 00:47:00
Listener Mail: Last week's "Awake" twist and stuff (00:47:20 - 00:51:25)
Listener Mail: Funny dramas (00:51:30 - 00:56:30)
Listener Mail: Coach on "New Girl" (00:56:30 - 00:59:15)
"Walking Dead" (00:59:50 - 01:11:00)

As always, you can subscribe to The Firewall & Iceberg Podcast over at the iTunes Store, where you can also rate us and comment on us. [Or you can always follow our RSS Feed.] 

And as always, feel free to e-mail us questions for the podcast.

Firewall & Iceberg - Podcast 119

Dan-feinberg-sm
Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor
A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.
Related Searches: Firewall & Iceberg, Podcast, Alan Sepinwall, daniel fienberg, Justified, The Walking Dead, Missing, Community
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  • Mastershake_talkback_profile

    War Chief Shake Zula

    I don't think Missing has an audience. The ads have made it look schlocky, and I'm anticipating that it'll join the ranks of one-season-and-done ABC Thursday 8pm shows...

    March 12, 2012 at 6:07PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Mastershake_talkback_profile

      War Chief Shake Zula Dear LORD does that "I am NOT CIA, I am a MOTHER, looking for her SON!" line read as cheesy and unbearable, no matter who says it and what tone it's in...

      March 12, 2012 at 6:12PM EST
    • Mastershake_talkback_profile

      War Chief Shake Zula Well, maybe that partly explains why Futon Critic used the "Bad Lifetime-movie-of-the-week vibe" line in their review of the pilot.

      March 12, 2012 at 6:20PM EST
    • Mastershake_talkback_profile

      War Chief Shake Zula "Some people like him, and some people don't."

      And some can't get around the fact that the entire series was a failure to care about the individual characters. And yet, I'll still be watching Skies next summer. To legacy genre mistakes...

      March 12, 2012 at 6:25PM EST
  • Default-avatar

    You

    It's really annoying that the episode description isn't showing up in iTunes anymore. Anything you can do to fix that?

    March 12, 2012 at 7:12PM EST Reply to Comment

    • You - I haven't changed anything in my upload procedure in two-plus years. Cuz I'm lazy. Our awesome behind-the-scenes team is looking into this mystery to see if it's anything we did if it's yet another peculiar iTunes mystery...

      -Me

      March 12, 2012 at 8:33PM EST
    • Default-avatar

      JamesTown I want to intern for this behind-the-scenes position with the podcast but something tell me it's not really a team. I'm quick.

      March 12, 2012 at 8:52PM EST

    • Jamestown - Heh. The "behind-the-scenes position" is really HitFix's tech team and it's quite real.

      I *think* we also may have figured out the problem. Maybe. Possibly. I shouldn't have said that out loud. Darnit.

      -Daniel

      March 12, 2012 at 9:49PM EST
  • Mastershake_talkback_profile

    War Chief Shake Zula

    If you can slide a funny scene into a drama w/out taking me out the show for that moment, more power to you. I find that's not always easy, though. Getting the timing of those moments right isn't something that I've seen handled elegantly on more serious show (most of the time).

    March 12, 2012 at 7:37PM EST Reply to Comment

    • It's interesting that Dan (I think) cited 'Battlestar Galactica' as a "pretty humourless" show. I remember reading an interview with Ron Moore when he was asked why the show was so humourless. He replied, and quite reasonably IMO, that when you're making a show that kicks off with the near-total genocide of the human race it's tricky to find the LOL moments. I actually think there was quite a lot of humour in BSG - but it tended to be situational, character-based and pitch black. (And for most of the first season, I though the 'comic relief' element of Baltar was over-played.)

      March 13, 2012 at 3:10AM EST
  • Default-avatar

    Will

    No discussion of comedic elements on great TV drama is complete without mention of Billy and Mindy Riggins on Friday Night Lights.

    March 12, 2012 at 9:27PM EST Reply to Comment

    • Will - Crap. I meant to mention the "I Think We Should Have Sex" episode as an example of how well "FNL" could use humor. But Landry tutoring Riggins or Billy & Mindy or Tyra playing volleyball are all also great examples for "FNL."

      -Daniel

      March 12, 2012 at 9:47PM EST

    • Landry and Matt had the best banter, and Coach was hilarious

      March 14, 2012 at 10:26PM EST
    • Default-avatar

      Guest Maybe it was just me, but the scenes of Matt and Coach, where they would attempt to go through the awkward boyfriend-dad banter until Coach eventually loses his temper, were my favorite parts of the show.

      March 15, 2012 at 7:42PM EST
  • Default-avatar

    JamesG

    **Walking Dead Spoilers from last Sunday**

    I feel like you both missed the discussion at the opening about how, with the fall season approaching, the streams around that farm that fed the swamps and created a natural barrier had dried up. This is why the zombies started making their way onto the property, attracted also, as Maggie points out, by the 60 or so cattle. We might be able to assume the woods were fairly populated with zombies throughout, as we would routinely find them trapped in the mud every time anyone would visit the swamp. The zombie herd, which is shown in the woods near the final shot, begins moving towards the farm after Carl fires the gun and kills Shane. It makes perfect sense that this is what would have alerted them now that they are within the farm's perimeter.

    On an unrelated note, this can all be traced to Lori's stupidity. Her (manipulative) conversation with Shane earlier sets into action a chain that results in Shane's death, almost results in her husband's death, makes her son a killer, and inadvertently alerts the zombies to the farm, which will surely result in many more deaths. Run away favorite for season 2 Least Valuable Character.

    March 12, 2012 at 10:42PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Bob7

    I'm glad you used the word, sociology, Dan, because that's really what Justified has been about these three seasons--the sociology of Harlin County, the sociology of the Marshall's office, the sociology of this lawmen and his friends and enemies and frenemies. It's been the big theme of Elmore Leonard's work--instead of a procedural, we get hangout plots featuring characters talking to one another about life, themselves and the job; the sociology of cops and criminals, being themselves and doing work in extreme professions.

    March 13, 2012 at 1:49AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    amg

    It's interesting to hear how the two of you reacted to that last "Awake" scene, not knowing it was coming. Since of course I had heard that something that *totally changes everything!!!* was going to happen, I was incredibly curious about what it was going to be, and then in watching the two motorcycle scenes was wondering what on earth I was missing about what had been given away. So when the last scene did finally pop up, my reaction was more "Aha, THAT'S what everyone's been talking about." (And then, "holy shit, this changes everything.") Plus, having been reassured that it doesn't take over the show in the next few episodes, I was able to sort of go with the flow with less concern. Anyway, just interesting how social media has changed the viewing experience. Even without being spoiled, much of the audience doesn't come to the show as purely as you two can.

    March 13, 2012 at 1:49PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Harry_lime_talkback_profile

    odessasteps

    No March Madness talk, either as sports or as TV?

    Can we pencil in talk next week on the Knicks' coaching change and the clock hitting 14:58 for Jeremy Lin?

    March 15, 2012 at 2:01AM EST Reply to Comment

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