One For The Kids: Battle Royale with Jimmy Aquino
April 27, 2026
Mandy Kaplan has thoughts about 42 Japanese ninth-graders being forced to murder each other on a deserted island, and honestly, who among us doesn’t?
Mandy Kaplan has thoughts about 42 Japanese ninth-graders being forced to murder each other on a deserted island, and honestly, who among us doesn’t?
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Mandy Kaplan tackles Smallville, the superhero origin story that swaps capes for corridor drama. John Mundy joins her to unpack meteor-fueled mayhem and why teenage uncertainty might be the best way to make Superman interesting.
Mandy and Jeremy dig into The Great Pottery Throw Down (Season 4): the charm, the tears, the weird challenges, and why this gentle little show is sneakily addictive.
Jon Cassie returns to discuss HBO’s Heated Rivalry, the Canadian hockey romance that’s become an inescapable phenomenon. He hasn’t been “swept away obsessively by a show in decades,” but he’s watched this one multiple times—and Mandy discovers how it balances graphic first episodes with Hepburn-Tracy wit while launching four legendary careers.
Is The Big Lebowski a brilliant anti-plot masterpiece or just two hours of vibes, bowling, and unchecked aggression? Mandy Kaplan and David Isser go toe-to-toe over cult devotion, cinematic discomfort, and why sometimes the rug really does tie the room together—even if you still hate the room.