Cordkillers 388 - I Muted Everything (w/ Andrew Mayne)
Spoiler alert: spoiler alerts are "ruining" media...maybe? Plus, a new casting protocol that wants to be universal and Cowboy Bebop got cancelled after one season. All that and more on Cordkillers! With special guest Andrew Mayne ( https://andrewmayne.com/ ).
This week on It's Spoilerin' Time: Hawkeye (104), Squid Game (108), Miami Vice (209, "Bushido")
Next week: Hawkeye (105), Squid Game (109), Miami Vice (211, "Back in the World")
CordKillers: 388 - I Muted Everything
Recorded: December 13 2021
Guest: Andrew Mayne
Intro Video
The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window
Primary Target
SPOILER ALERT: Spoiler Alerts Are Making Us All Stupid
- Jason Kehe wrote a column for Wired called "SPOILER ALERT: Spoiler Alerts Are Making Us All Stupid If you think they’re protecting the experience of experiencing art, you’re more deluded than you know."
- Suffice to say the author no longer believes that spoilers are as bad as everyone says. He used to but he's changed his mind.
- You should read the full article but here are a few of his points
- Good critics needs to evaluate the entire work
- We know what happens in Romeo and Juliet but people seem to keep enjoying it.
- Knowing plot points helps you appreciate other aspects of a work
How to Watch
Matter Could Bring Universal Casting That Actually Works.
- Matter is a smart home standard coming together to make smart devices interoperability among members. And the members include Google, Amazon, Apple and Samsung among many others, so it looks likely to succeed.
- The Verge notes that Matter includes a protocol for casting to TVs. Right now there are 5 main ways to cast that depend on what device you use. The two main ways are Google's Cast and Apple's AirPlay. Ideally Matter's protocol could replace all those. But it may not. We'll explain.
- Amazon is leading the development of Matter's TV protocols. Which makes sense, since Amazon is one of the few big tech companies without its own casting protocol, and its smart assistant is one of the main ways of interacting with TVs by voice.
- The Matter spec supports casting from a Matter client (remote control, smart speaker, phone app etc) to an app running on a TV or TV-connected streaming device that supports Matter. It can also support URL-based casting which means there doesn't need to be an app on the TV side if the TV supports DASH or HLS DRM streams. Most TVs and devices support at least one if not both.
- In addition to casting from your phone, The Matter protocol could let smart devices like your door lock or doorbell send a notification to the TV and even show a video feed. It does not rely on the cloud, just your home network on ethernet, wifi or Thread.
- The spec will need apps to build in support at first. On the TV side, it can work with URls but it will work better if they are Matter compliant. Samsung, TCL, Panasonic, and LG are all involved with Matter, Vizio, Sony, Toshiba, and Roku are not. And keep in mind that member company's do not have to support all parts of Matter on every device.
- So Apple and Google don't need to support the Matter TV casting protocol but if Amazon does, you could still use it to cast from a phone running Prime Video to the Prime Video app on Apple TV or Google TV devices.
What to Watch
‘Cowboy Bebop’ Canceled By Netflix After One Season
- The majority often rules, and the majority of people did not like the new live-action Cowboy Bebop so Netflix will not make a second season. It didn't get enough viewers and it was very expensive.
Peloton responds to surprise death in And Just Like That... with new commercial
- The Sex and the City revival, which is called "And just like that" featured a surprise death int he first episode, related to working out on a Peloton. Peloton stock dropped, which may or may not be related to the plot point. But Peloton responded by putting out an ad less than 48 hours after the show premiered featuring the dead character, very much alive along with the Peloton instructor that was shown in the episode. The characters talk about taking "another ride" and then Ryan Reynolds does a rapid-read voice over on how good exercise is for your heart finishing with "He's alive." The ad was made over the weekend with Reynold's marketing company "Maximum Effort."
‘Harry Potter’ Reunion Special Debuts First Look Featuring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
- HBO max released a still from its upcoming special "HBO celebrates the things it has rights to by getting the actors together to talk about the thing but not necessarily make another version of it!" Also known in his case as "Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts." The still shows Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson on the set of the Gryffindor Common Room as Warner Brothers Studio Tour London. The show will premiere on HBO Max January 1st.
‘Star Wars’ Disney Plus Series ‘The Acolyte’ Eyes Amandla Stenberg for Lead Role
- Amid the innumerable spinoffs happening the days you may be forgiven that Disney Plus has one in the works called Star Wars: The Acolyte, which will take place in the final days of the High Republic, about 50-100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace. Variety's source say Amandla Stenberg is in talks to play the lead role. They are known for playing the character Rue in The Hunger Games and roles in Dear Evan Hansen, Sleepy Hollow and The Eddy.
‘Last of Us’ HBO Series Casts Nick Offerman as Bill
- Variety reports that Con O'Neill has had to bow out of the Last of Us because of a scheduling conflict and the role of Bill has now been given to Nick Offerman. Time to check in on Brian's feelings relating to the HBO series still in production.
Eyes On
Andrew: Defunctland
Brian: Music Box Docs, Succession
Tom: Dr. Brain, Succession
On the Lookout: Saturday Morning All Star Hits
Front Lines
Roku, Google settle messy battle over YouTube distribution
Google Warns YouTube TV Subscribers That Disney, ABC, ESPN and Other Channels Might Go Dark
- Crisis averted. A day before the YouTube TV app would have disappeared from the Roku store, Roku and Google agreed to a multi-year extension to distribute both YouTube and YouTube TV on Roku's platform. Roku's deal with Google was set to expire December 9th, with the YouTube TV app removed from the Roku Store in April. Crisis has begun! Google is now telling YouTube TV subscribers they might lose Disney-owned channels like ESPN and ABC if the two sides are unable to reach a deal by Friday at midnight. If that happens YouTube TV will reduce its price by $15 a month.
Hollywood Foreign Press Unveils Its Golden Globes Nominations: ‘Belfast’, ‘Power Of The Dog’ & Netflix Lead Field
- We know that NBC has declined to air the Golden Globe awards ceremony next year, but The Hollywood Foreign Press Association will still award them and Snoop Dogg helped announce the nominations Monday. Netflix led the way on the film side with 17 nominations and HBO Mx not the TV side with 10 nominations.
Peacock will stream NBCUniversal movies as soon as 45 days after theatrical release
- Staring in 2022, NBCUniversal says it plans to add the majority of films from Universal, Focus Features and DreamWorks to Peacock as soon as 45 days after they premiere in theaters. Variety's sources say a few blockbusters like Jurassic World: Dominion and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer will be exceptions and run in theaters longer.
Netflix created an info hub for its original shows and movies
- Netflix launched a web page at netflix.com/tudum to collect official announcements about its shows and movies. Netflix promises "exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes videos, bonus features, and more."
Paramount+ unveils teaser trailer for the HALO TV series
Marvel's 'Eternals' will hit Disney+ on January 12th
‘Invasion’ Renewed For Season 2 At Apple
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore trailer introduces new Grindelwald
‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ Trailer: Ben Schwartz Returns As Beloved Blue Blur Along With Tails & Knuckles
Netflix Debuts ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 4 Trailer
The Book of Boba Fett drops a new trailer with action on Tatooine
Paramount+ Sets Premiere Date For Second ‘South Park: Post Covid’ Movie Event
- In a roundup of TV and movie news, Disney Plus announced Eternals will arrive January 12th on streaming. Apple renewed Invasion for a second season. And Paramount Plus's South Park: Post Covid: Covid Returns arrives December 16th.
-We also got trailers for Paramount PLus's Halo TV series, Disney PLus's The Book of Boba Fest coming December 29th, Netflix's Cobra Kai Season 4 coming December 31st, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore coming April 15th, Sonic the Hedgehog Two coming April 8th.
Paramount Plus Launches 18 Linear Themed Channels, Including 24-Hour Streams for Star Trek, SpongeBob and Paw Patrol
Charter Will Give Spectrum TV Subscribers Peacock Premium Free for 12 Months
YouTube TV arrives on Xfinity Flex set-top boxes
DirecTV Stream prices will reportedly increase on most plans this January
Disney Plus Is Now Available on Cox’s Contour TV Platform
- Some streaming news details, paramount Plus will launch 18 Pluto-TV like linear channels, including one devoted to Star Trek 24-7, Charter will give Spectrum TV subscribers a year of free Peacock Premium, YouTube TV is available on Comcast's Xfinity Flex box, Cox cable has added Disney Plus to its Counter TV and Contour Stream Player, and Streamables sources say that DirecTV Stream will raise prices in January.
Dispatches from the Front
Hello Tom and Brian,
Just heard the episode where you were discussing binge-watching and didn't think anybody only watches one episode a week if they have more available. Well, I am here to tell you I am that person. I do it for a lot of reasons really. I probably watch way too much TV, in general, (but that is a different issue) so by limiting myself to 1 episode at a time it allows me to keep up with my shows instead of increasing backlogs of the shows not getting watched. It also helps me decide what to watch. Since I watch TV as much out of habit as I do for actual entertainment I can fall into spending a lot of time just figuring out what I want to watch at any given time. So instead of deciding I just go down the "list" by watching an episode then moving on to the next show I also do it cause it can give me something to look forward to each week instead of just getting it over with like a long movie. Also, a lot of what I watch isn't necessarily about the story but that I enjoy the characters and to a lesser degree the actors themselves. (Supernatural was a prime example of this, after the 5th season the stories themselves were somewhat repetitive but I enjoy watching Sam and Dean). I often don't like to get to the end of things I enjoy (I've been known to actually just stop watching something for an extended period of time just to put off having it finished) so as to spend more time with it, weekly viewing spreads out that time (and also conversely kinda force me to finish things).
This isn't to say I won't binge-watch something. Sometimes I just want something to be more background noise than something I'm trying to pay attention to. Sometimes a show has a hook that is just too good not to keep watching. Sometimes I want to catch up on a show. I also like to binge a sitcom (either new or familiar) as a sort of a wind-down in the last hour or two before bed.
Ultimately, I've developed a lot of habits and rituals around my TV watching that recreates really how I watched TV as I was growing up. Sure I could binge through TV programs like there was a prize for finishing in the fastest time but that just leaves me searching for that new hit (or constantly trying to catch up) I find spacing my viewing to be more enjoyable, practical, and comfortable.
Regards,
- Frank
I tend to binge a series I know I'm really into and the episodes are interrelated. My four current examples are Succession, Invasion, Star Trek - Discovery, & Dexter New Blood. I'll start Succession this weekend and I'm half-way through Invasion. And a binge can be anywhere from two episodes a day to more. I also held off on Foundation. I probably wouldn't have finished it otherwise.
Then there are shows which are good enough to watch, but not good enough to binge. Current examples are Dr. Who, 911, FBI, NCIS Hawaii.
Hope this helps.
Your boss,
- Bill
I can't imagine I'm the only person who ends up responding this way to your binging conversation, but considering your reaction to even the possibility of me existing, maybe I am. I purposefully do not binge TV shows, regardless of how they are released. The reason is that I tend to get burned out after more than an episode or two in a row of anything. Even with the Justice League Snyder Cut, I broke it up like a TV show and watched 2 chapters per week. Don't worry, I do watch all standard length movies in one sitting. I'm not an animal. I just get far more enjoyment in getting parts of a bunch of different stories and genres every week, rather than watching 10 hours of the same story with the same characters with the same tone in a row. Binging just never appealed to me.
- Justin
Hey Cordkillers team!
I loved your analysis and discussion of Get Back on Disney+. I wouldn't describe myself as a big fan of The Beatles but have enjoyed their music and understand their greatness in the pantheon of music. With that said, nothing you said made me change my mind to see what seems like another overlongPeter Jackson movie/show/documentary. But I appreciate you doing it so I don't have to. Patreon money well spent!
- Norm
One data point that supports Tom's impression of Star Trek: Prodigy...
My youngest, now 8, got scared watching the original series episode Miri. I haven't been able to get him interested in anything Star Trek since. Like Tom I'm watching because, well I watch all the Star Trek. Within a couple of minutes, my youngest had moved over to play in front of the TV and watch. He's now watched all of the episodes and we're waiting for more.
I think this really is well-suited for younger children even if it is lacking for those of us that are older.
- Scott
Links
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