Authors Micaiah Johnson ('The Space Between Worlds') and Carmen Maria Machado ('In the Dream House,' 'Her Body and Other Parties') join Nerdette host Greta Johnsen to discuss the Oscar-nominated film ‘Promising Young Woman.’‘Promising Young Woman’ is a genre-busting rape revenge tale starring Carey Mulligan as a flinty avenger on the hunt for so-ca…

Is this movie a documentary? Maybe a horror film? Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal! It’s the podcast where we rewatch movies from 1999 and dissect them like the intense nerds we are. Today, it’s all about Office Space, a workplace comedy from Mike Judge that has firmly … (“I believe you have my stapler”) ... wedged itself … (“Hello …

First thing we’re doing after this pandemic? Paintballing in Washington State, of course! Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal! It’s the podcast where we rewatch movies from 1999 and dissect them like the intense nerds we are. Today, it’s all about 10 Things I Hate About You, a far more benign reimagining of William Shakespeare’s The Ta…

Fair warning: This movie can be really tough to watch. Boys Don’t Cry is a heart-wrenching biopic based on the true story of Brandon Teena, a transgender man who was raped and murdered in Nebraska in 1993. The film stars Hilary Swank, who won an Oscar for her performance, with a stellar supporting performance from Chloë Sevigny and a haunting one f…

There’s an election going on! This podcast has absolutely nothing to do with it! Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal! It’s the podcast where we rewatch movies from 1999 and dissect them like the intense nerds we are. Today, it’s all about Election, a very dark comedy featuring Reese Witherspoon, Matthew Broderick and about 15 servings …

Today's episode is all about The Blair Witch Project, a 1999 film with a $60,000 budget and three unknown actors that made over $240 million. Listen as Peter, Tricia and Greta break it down, and then join us next week for Election ... just in time for the election. And don’t forget, we want to hear from you! Join the party and send us a voice recor…

What is The Matrix? Why, it’s a film that the matrix would make about the matrix, of course! Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal! It’s the podcast where we rewatch movies and dissect them like the intense nerds we are. This time around, it’s all about the films of 1999. And today, we’re breaking down The Matrix, a seminal film from the…

Quick! Name six iconic movies that hit theaters in the year 1999. Nothing?! Ok. We'll do it for you: The Matrix The Blair Witch Project Election Boys Don't Cry 10 Things I Hate About You Office Space And the craziest thing is? That's not even the half of it! In honor of that crazy year in movies, Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal is back again, feat…

Either Peter really hates the 1991 film Hook or he’s suffering from some serious Peter Pan envy … or maybe both! Welcome to a special bonus episode of Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal! his week it’s all about Steven Spielberg’s Peter Pan sequel, starring Dustin Hoffman as the titular captain, Robin Williams as an adult Peter Pan and Julia Roberts a…

Six weeks of movie recaps and there still seems to be no sign of intelligent life anywhere. This week it’s all about the 1995 Pixar classic Toy Story, starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and all of our collective childhood memories. Listen as Peter, Tricia and Greta recall the moments that made them weep, search for hidden religious analogs and consider …

The $5 milkshake. Once a shocking, exorbitant example of the scourge of inflation. Now, a hot bargain that shouldn’t be missed! Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal! It’s the podcast where we rewatch movies of the ‘90s and dissect them like the intense nerds we are. Episode 5 is all about 1994’s Pulp Fiction, starring John Travolta, Uma…

Does Dazed and Confused have a plot? Barely! Does that matter? To some people, yes! This week's recap is all about 1993’s Dazed and Confused, starring young versions of Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Ben Affleck and Anthony Rapp. It’s also an early film from director Richard Linklater, who went on to make critically-acclaimed movies like Before…

We didn’t ask him, but I think we can say it with certainty: Peter Sagal definitely cannot dunk. Episode 3 of Nerdette Recaps features our very first sportsball movie: 1992’s White Men Can’t Jump, starring Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson and Rosie Perez. It’s director Ron Shelton’s followup to Bull Durham and the script might just contain more obsce…

If you’re a former fighter pilot and the world is facing annihilation at the hands of an alien species whose only motivation is permanently ending the human race, well then, who cares if you’re the president? You belong in the air, baby! Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal, the podcast where we rewatch movies of the ‘90s and dissect th…

Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal! the podcast where we rewatch movies of the ‘90s and talk about them like the intense nerds we are. Our first selection is Clueless, the 1995 Emma adaptation filled with ridiculous footwear, Paul Rudd putting mayo on cold cuts and also Friedrich Nietzsche for some reason. Listen to our conversation, …

What better way to remember a simpler decade than by watching some of the biggest films from 30 years ago? Join Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal of NPR’s Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me! as they dissect movies from the ‘90s. (And yes, we’re totally gonna do Dazed and Confused.) Listen to this new trailer, then come back here on Wednesday, Aug…

Spoilers ahead! WHAT. A. FINALE. In the latest His Dark Materials, Will hunkers down in lots of places, Mrs. Coulter becomes increasingly unhinged, and we finally learn what the prophecy about Lyra’s betrayal really means. Join us as Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal break down the final episode of the first season.…

Now that’s what I call a bear fight! In the latest His Dark Materials, Iorek Byrinson returns to his homeland, Will Parry engages in mortal combat and we finally meet back up with Lord Asriel, who is strangely pleased to see Roger Parslow. Join us as Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal break it all down ahead of next week’s season finale. …

That was INTENSE. Lyra narrowly avoids disaster, has a heart-to-heart with mom, creates some chaos in Bolvangar, and … falls into a whole new disaster! Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal have some thoughts on the latest episode, as did you. So join us! P.S. We want to hear from you! Tell us: In the final episodes, are you willing to endur…

The first season of His Dark Materials is more than halfway done and while things are coming together, we still have a lot of questions. Like much does it cost to CGI a daemon? What exactly are the Gobblers up to? And if you dial up a friend in another dimension, will the phone still ring? Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal are here to di…

Armored drinking bears! Sassy thieving cowboys! Dudley Dursley for some reason! Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal are here to discuss the latest episode of His Dark Materials, which is either the moment this TV series comes to life or a terrible approximation of an excellent book, depending on who you listen to.…

Holy plot developments! Based on how much we learned in Episode 3 of HBO’s His Dark Materials, it’s safe to say this young TV show is maturing quite rapidly! And as per usual, Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal are here to break it all down. Listen to the latest recap, and remember that we also want to hear from you! Join the conversation…

Boy is it getting DUST-y in here. (Haw haw, get it?) The second episode of HBO’s His Dark Materials sees Lyra travel to London with Mrs. Coulter as the Gyptians track down the so-called Gobblers and try to find their kidnapped children. And after some monkey business in Mrs. Coulter’s study, Lyra discovers that her surrogate mother is up to somethi…

Grab your daemons and put on your snow boots, because Greta Johnsen and Tricia Bobeda of Nerdette and Peter Sagal of NPR’s Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me! are back together again to recap another HBO fantasy show: His Dark Materials. This week the team discusses the series premiere, which aired Monday, so beware, there are some episode 1 spoilers (but w…

… Oxford! That’s right, just like Weezer, Sleater-Kinney, and the Spice Girls before them, the Nerdette Recaps crew is getting the band back together for the new HBO series His Dark Materials. Starting Tuesday, Nov. 5 — the day after the premiere episode of His Dark Materials airs — you’ll find all new episodes of Nerdette Recaps His Dark Materials…

It’s the end of an era. After more than 70 hours of television and nearly ten years of worrying about the Stark children, Game of Thrones is finally over. Tricia, Greta and Peter got together one last time to reflect on the series..Av WBEZ Chicago

Game of Thrones is over, and there is a *lot* to process. In this recap of the series finale, Tricia realizes she doesn’t like endings, Peter wants Jon Snow’s head and Greta observes the Valyrian word for Dorne appears to be Dornut. Listen to this recap of Game of Thrones Season 8, episode 6, titled “The Iron Throne.” Then be sure to come back next…

That was pretty messed up! The penultimate episode of Game of Thrones has come and gone, and we all just witnessed Dany commit a few thousand war crimes. What just happened? Madness! How are we feeling? Conflicted! But there was some good news if you're a land speculator: Now might just be a great time to buy real estate in King’s Landing. Join Ner…

With the Battle of Winterfell over, the Stark clan needs to talk. What do we do about this Dany lady? And who’s making dinner Tuesday night? There are only two episodes left before Game of Thrones concludes, and Peter, Tricia and Greta have convened to discuss this episode's curious events. Consider: Jon decided to play telephone with his bombshell…

Don’t worry, if you couldn’t tell what exactly was going on last night, we’ve got your back. And a lot of feelings to process. The army of the undead finally descended on Winterfell, and it turns out the crypt really was one of the safest places to hide. (At least, compared to the carnage upstairs.) Tricia, Greta and Peter consider the undead, the …

It sure seems like the crypt is the safest place in Winterfell. Anyone want to check it out? But wait ... considering these folks are about to fight, you know, AN ARMY OF THE UNDEAD, perhaps taking refuge in a crypt of their enemy’s potential allies is a bad idea? To answer just this type of pressing question, Nerdette has once again joined up with…

Game of Thrones has returned with reckless abandon! Well, maybe not reckless abandon … nobody you know and love died. (Yet.) But whew! A ton of stuff went down: Sansa and Dany exchanged neverending side-eye, Jon got some insight into his family tree and — in what will certainly lead to endless nightmares amongst the wider populace — the piercing sc…

What’s the Night King doing with his ice dragon? Will Tyrion tell Daenerys that Cersei is pregnant? Is everyone on their way to Winterfell? And Hot Pie! Why is no one talking about Hot Pie?! A lot went down in the last season of HBO’s Game of Thrones. To help refresh your memory, Nerdette’s Tricia Bobeda and Greta Johnsen rejoin Wait, Wait…Don’t Te…

Tricia, Greta, Peter and about 400 wildlings met up in Chicago’s Lincoln Square for one last recap of Season 7. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the DANK House on Wednesday, August 30.Av WBEZ Chicago

Let’s be real: The true hero of this episode was that shot of Jon Snow’s butt. A lot of action went down in this season finale and not all of it involved those buns. The zombie summit went off the rails a little bit, Sansa dispenses some sweet justice, Theon discovers his super power, and the Night King has a 'Mr. Gorbachev' moment. Nerdette’s Gret…

As expected, Jon Snow’s Mission: Impossible turns into Mission: D’oh, Dany weighs in on her nickname, Arya tries to knock Bran down as the Stark family creep, and the Night King gets a new pet. Nerdette’s Greta Johnsen and Tricia Bobeda team up with Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me host Peter Sagal to recap all of that in more in this week’s podcast.…

Family barbecues take on a new meaning in this week’s Game of Thrones, and it may have some major consequences for Dany. In this week’s recap, Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda, and Peter Sagal chew the fat over the fate of the Tarly family, Cersei’s big surprise for Jamie, Samwell’s late-night library raid, Jon Snow adding “zombie hunter” to his resume…

The only thing that could have made the final scene of this week’s Game of Thrones better is if Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” started playing (but covered by Ed Sheeran). In episode four’s “The Spoils of War,” we get one of the baddest, most heavy metal scenes with Dany charging into Jaime’s army while riding on top of one of her dragons. So for …

Careful. Spoilers abound. Did Jon Snow take a Concorde jet to Dragonstone? What kind of loan forgiveness can you expect from the banks in Westeros? And did Samwell wash that hand? After a night of spirited brooding, Tricia, Greta and Peter gathered to analyze the latest episode of HBO's Game of Thrones. Feel free to join the conversation by using t…

What does bad boy pirate Euron do right before battle? Does Daenerys' leadership indicate strength or weakness? And is a large crossbow really a weapon of mass destruction? Tricia, Greta and special Peter-replacement Miles Doornbos analyze Season 7, Episode 2 of Game of Thrones.Av WBEZ Chicago

If there’s one thing to learn about staying alive in Westeros, it’s never go to a party, ever. Tricia, Greta and Peter toast off the Season 7 premiere, giving their takeaways of bad boy pirate Euron, the Frey dinner party and Sam's library chores. They also share what they see when they look deeply into a fire.…

Where exactly is Bran again? Does Cersei have any kids left? Are Tyrion and Daenerys besties? A lot went down in the last season of HBO’s Game of Thrones. To help refresh your memory, Tricia Bobeda, Greta Johnsen and Peter Sagal recap the last season and take a stab at making their own predictions for the next season, which premieres July 16. You c…

The endgame is set to begin. Is Daenerys' coalition of the willing the squad to beat? What can Cersei do after her conflagratory masterpiece, and is she beholden to the second half of her miserable prophecy? What new brutality can we expect from Those Who Do Not Sow? What of Jon? Littlefinger? Arya? Sam? And will any of it matter against an army th…

Eddard Stark was an honorable man. That we knew. But now that it seems that R+L=J, what does that mean for Jon? What were the whispers that Bran was conveniently too far away to hear? Is the Cersei we knew gone forever, and if so, what is she now? And why is it only the main characters who seem to find the express ships? Join Wait Wait... Don't Tel…

And only one bastard remained. Also, is dragon muscular atrophy a thing? Is smirking becoming its own language? Can a giant finally catch a break? And did we find out just how loyal a hungry dog really is? Join Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me's Peter Sagal and Nerdette's Tricia Bobeda and Greta Johnsen as they analyze "Battle of the Bastards" episode fr…

The Mother of Dragons arrives just in time to save her friends and their seemingly doomed city. (Shock!) Tyrion drinks wine, spouts bland dialogue and does nothing. (Gasp!) Arya somehow survives her wounds and the T-1000 that casually pursues her. (Heresy!) Is the show's lack of source material beginning to reveal itself in a not so appealing way? …

The Hound returns to the screen, but will he also return to his past form? Whom exactly is Arya fighting? Is it as fun to write for indifferent older characters as it is to hear them? And does Davos’ silver tongue make up fully for his desiccated fingers? Join Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me's Peter Sagal and Nerdette's Tricia Bobeda and Greta Johnsen a…

Zombie Night’s Watch guy to the rescue! Just how does Bran avoid a frigid end beyond The Wall? What surprise ally has apparently joined forces with Bernie Sparrow? Is The Mother of Dragons actually the villain of this series? And is it too much to ask for one family dinner to pass without grandiose political gesturing? Join Wait Wait... Don't Tell …

Just what has Hodor been saying, and perhaps preparing for, his entire adult life? Should we finally be taking the Iron Islands seriously? Are the White Walkers biological weapons gone rogue? Oh, and time travel. Join Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me's Peter Sagal and Nerdette's Tricia Bobeda and Greta Johnsen as they analyze "The Door" episode from Game…

Remaining Starks unite! What does the mini-reunion mean for Ramsay Bolton and his incessant throwing of shade? What does "Bernie Sparrow" have up his tattered sleeves? And just how loyal are the families of the North to the Stark name? Join Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me's Peter Sagal and Nerdette's Tricia Bobeda and Greta Johnsen as they analyze these…