Cordkillers 553: Stranger Danger and the Narrative Trap

The hero’s journey is everywhere, but should it be? Meanwhile, Netflix has no chill, cranking out updates on Wednesday, Squid Game, Knives Out, and Stranger Things. Also, perks for Disney+, no Marvel at Hall H, and Lisa from Blackpink gets her own doc.

This week on The FULL Experience: Andor (212 - "Jedha, Kyber, Erso")

Next week: 24 (101 - "12:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.")

YouTube: https://youtu.be/184GSf1qqx8

Supply Run

Why does every movie and show feel the same?

Eliane Glaser argues that our obsession with the three-act structure and the “hero’s journey” is limiting the kinds of stories we tell. Maybe it’s time we tried something else.

Read on Aeon

Search Party

New trailers and teasers galore:

Buried Treasure

Brian spotlighted the tight writing in Rick and Morty and Murderbot, while Tom endorsed Doctor Who and celebrated Hacks getting renewed for Season 5

More on Variety

Scanning the Horizon

  • Starz added 530K U.S. streaming subs last quarter, hitting 12.3 million

    Read on Deadline

  • Disney+ and Hulu’s new “Perks” program offers DoorDash, Adidas discounts, and Handmaid’s Tale props

    Perks on Engadget

  • Apple TV earns privacy praise in a deep dive from Ars Technica

    Read on Ars Technica

  • Marvel skips Hall H at Comic-Con due to Avengers delay

    More on Deadline

  • Mattel merges TV and film units to form Mattel Studios, announces Masters of the Universe and Matchbox films

    Full story on Reuters

Chatter

  • Amar wonders if ESPN and Fox’s a-la-carte sports packages mark the true end of cable

  • Terry wants a Hogan’s Heroes rewatch to see how Nazi humor plays in 2025

  • Brian supports weekly release schedules and compares them to YouTube culture

  • Reed proposes a new “F.U.L.L.” acronym and says it’s time for Rogue One Spoilerin’ Time

  • Dan wants to know what show tracker Tom uses since SideReel is basically unusable