Inside TV+Movies with Daniel Fienberg
Listen: Firewall & Iceberg Podcast No. 83
Dan and Alan talk 'Breaking Bad,' 'Alphas' and 'Damages'
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Happy Monday, Boys & Girls.
Time for a busy installment of The Firewall & Iceberg Podcast, featuring reviews of Syfy's "Alphas," DirecTV's "Damages" and, most importantly, AMC's "Breaking Bad."
Hopefully, Sepinwall and I will be back on Thursday with an all-Emmys podcast covering the nominations. Hopefully. And then next week, we will NOT have a Monday podcast, but we'll have a podcast later in the week, probably from San Diego, where we'll be mobilized for Comic-Con. Then it'll be Press Tour and we'll podcast when we can. But the next couple weeks are gonna require you to keep an eye on Twitter and our blogs and iTunes for the arrival of the next podcast.
Here's this week's breakdown:
"Alphas" -- 02:00 - 14:15
"Damages" -- 14:15 - 26:00
"Breaking Bad" -- 26:35 - 37:15
Listener Mail focusing more on TV/Film Actors -- 37:20 - 52:50
"Twin Peaks" -- 52:55 - 01:03:30
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 here's the podcast...
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.
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupKingofPunjab
July 11, 2011 at 4:51PM EST Reply to CommentMr. Sepinwall& Feinberg,
Will you guys discuss Entourage (HBO) in the next podcast?
Thanks
dan KingofPunjab - "Entourage" is at least one likely podcast topic for whenever we podcast next week. For sure...
July 11, 2011 at 5:20PM EST-Daniel
July 11, 2011 at 5:28PM EST Reply to CommentSince my email didnt make the cut, can you briefly talk about what youre looking forawrd to at san diego?
galxe
July 11, 2011 at 6:26PM EST Reply to CommentWhat you guys said about Breaking Bad makes the wait for Sunday night to get here even more agonizing than it already was!
And hearing your thoughts on it is also a bit of a relief, seeing how fantastic it was last year, I was almost a little worried whether there's nowhere to go but down from here, despite having faith in Gilligan and his team.
theholyavenger
July 11, 2011 at 6:30PM EST Reply to CommentBreaking Bad Breaking Bad Breaking Bad Breaking Bad. I'm so glad this show is back. Dan, I assume you will be doing recaps plus devoting an entire podcast to Whisker Wars when it premiers next month?
renton
July 11, 2011 at 7:39PM EST Reply to CommentI would rather listen to another car podcast than to hear Dan's "Warriors" impression again.
Craig Ranapia
July 11, 2011 at 8:55PM EST Reply to CommentTo be fair to Josh Duhamel, how could you tell whether he's got any charisma ("movie" or otherwise) in the Transformers franchise? His sole function there is to hit his marks and look convincingly awe-struck by a volleyball tied to a broomstick. He does what's required, and isn't asked to do any more.
Tausif Khan He was in romantic comedy with Katherine Heigl as the romantic lead, Las Vegas as a main character and the eponymous Tad Hamilton in Win a Date with Tad Hamilton. Given that movie did not make much money shows that not many people want to date Josh Duhamel and diminishes the idea of him as a sex symbol or more importantly charismatic.
July 12, 2011 at 1:48AM ESTTausif Khan Life as We Know It the movie with Katherine Heigl did fairly well but there were a lot of other interesting people in their like Heigl, Christina Hendricks and Melissa McCarthy.
July 12, 2011 at 1:51AM ESTDebbie Downer
July 11, 2011 at 10:12PM EST Reply to CommentChimps aren't monkeys; they're apes. And I think you shouldn't love "monkeys" in movies (or on TV). Here's why:
http://www.janegoodall.org/chimp-central-entertainment
http://www.centerforgreatapes.org/apes-in-entertainment.aspx
http://adage.com/article/special-report-super-bowl/chimps-apes-ad-star-endangered-species/148714/
I don't want to see animatronic apes, either, though it's better than a real (non-human) ape. But I feel like it maintains or even heightens people's craving for apes and encourages the use of real ones to satisfy that.
Tausif Khan Read Dan's review of Project Nim to see what he really thinks about our primate relatives and how the movie made him think differently: http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/the-fien-print/posts/sundance-review-project-nim
July 12, 2011 at 1:55AM ESTAlso if you have more links like this it would be great because I am writing a paper on this topic.
belinda
July 12, 2011 at 12:15AM EST Reply to CommentWhat? I thought BB having a weekly slot in the podcast was a given. Yes, assume makes an ass...yadda.
Please?
July 12, 2011 at 12:48AM ESTTausif Khan I third regular feature.
July 12, 2011 at 1:56AM ESTtomtom7
July 13, 2011 at 7:39AM EST Reply to CommentI like the firewall & iceberg podcast a lot. however your review on the latest damages season was a huge disappointment. If you don't watch or like a series, stop reviewing it. However "kind of" reviewing it whereas one of you stopped watching during season 1 and the other during the third season doesn't qualify you for reviewing season 4. As you can tell, I am a fan of the show. Glenn Close is stellar. And season 3 with Tomlin, Short and the very topical storyline was a highlight for me. If you don't like it, skip it. But don't review it half-assed.
Ken Raining I dunno, I like that Alan and Dan talk about notable shows when they return even if they don't like them. Though I do disagree with their views on "Damages" pretty strongly as well.
July 13, 2011 at 11:54AM ESTdan TomTom7 - Doesn't QUALIFY us? Geez. There wasn't a thing in the episode I watched that I didn't understand because I skipped a few episodes last season. It sounds like what you think makes us unqualified is that we have a different opinion from yours. Sorry 'bout that.
July 13, 2011 at 12:10PM EST-Daniel
SpyTV I've watched every episode of Damages on FX, and I enjoyed it. However, I agree with Alan and Dan. If you realize that the rug will be pulled out on a regular basis, and you enjoy the performances, you'll enjoy the show. However, if you try to approach this as a "whodunnit", then you'll just be frustrated. Don't even bother, because the writers change the character's motivations and actions on a whim to keep you guessing. I would have watched season 4 on FX, but don't really miss it, and I wouldn't pick up DirectTV just to see more episodes.
July 14, 2011 at 2:17AM ESTKen Raining
July 13, 2011 at 11:52AM EST Reply to CommentDan: when exactly was the period that Michael Bay didn't make horrible, horrible movies? Grade school or something?
dan Ken - I'll stand by "The Rock" and the first "Bad Boys" movie as fine examples of what they are. Heck, I think "The Rock" is a ton of fun. Everything since then? Awful...
July 13, 2011 at 12:12PM EST-Daniel
July 13, 2011 at 2:21PM ESTSpyTV I don't know why everyone is so down on Michael Bay. One of the biggest disconnects between reviewers and my opinion concerns Armagaddon. I love that movie, over the top, I don't care if some of the physics of space flight is inaccurate, just the parody of The Right Stuff was worth the price of admission. Transformers was cheesy but had some great comedy moments (the parents) transformers 3 was surprisingly good (can't help it, my son wanted to see it). Anyway, he gets a bum rap from critics sometimes, I respect a guy who has tongue planted firmley in cheek.
July 14, 2011 at 2:11AM ESTSpyTV ...firmly in cheek. bad typo.
July 14, 2011 at 2:13AM ESTElevation
July 13, 2011 at 11:44PM EST Reply to CommentYou guys should invite Jonathan Frakes onto the show under the guise of interviewing him about Star Trek TNG, but then spend the entire hour doing beard talk.
Elevation
July 14, 2011 at 10:11AM EST Reply to CommentYou guys should invite Jonathan Frakes onto the show under the guise of interviewing him about Star Trek TNG, but then spend the entire hour doing beard talk.
Elevation Sorry about that. My account is acting wacky.
July 14, 2011 at 10:12AM ESTBH
July 15, 2011 at 5:48PM EST Reply to CommentFor the record, comparing Damages to The Killing is like comparing filet mignon to ground chuck.
jamie o shea
July 15, 2011 at 8:28PM EST Reply to Commentthanks for reading the email read out makes my day,cant wait for breaking bad best show on tv