Twelve Percent and Worth It: Sphere with Kynan Dias
Kynan Dias returns to defend a movie sitting at twelve percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and he makes a far better case than that number suggests. Seriously. It’s crazy. You might want to watch it again. Mandy brings pink eyeshadow, a jellyfish grievance, and one very good question nobody can answer.
Neverland Has Xenomorphs Now: Alien Earth with Rick London
Author Rick London hands Mandy the goriest thing she’s ever agreed to watch, and there’s a Peter Pan retelling hiding inside it. She squirms, she theorizes, and she may never unsee the slug.
When the Music Is Happenating: The Grateful Dead with Jeffrey Nicholas Brown
Mandy watched all four hours of the official Grateful Dead documentary so you don’t have to — though Jeffrey Nicholas Brown, 27-show Deadhead and returning champion, would very much like you to. One of them ends the episode inventing a new word.
A Desire for More Cows: Arrival with Justin Jaeger
Mandy avoids anything with aliens, death, or unanswered questions, so of course JJ Jaeger handed her all three at once. It’s Arrival, and there may be a lump in her throat.
A Boy’s Best Friend Is His Mother: Psycho, Deconstructed with Jesse Fister
Mandy has never seen Psycho, which is a bit like admitting you’ve never heard of birds. Jesse Pfister — voice actor, day trader, owner of an alarmingly convincing prop knife — is here to fix that, one shadow-drenched Adam’s apple at a time.
My So Called Life with Sloan Just
A 1994 teen drama that aired against Friends, died after one season, and somehow described your entire inner life better than anything since. Mandy finally meets Angela Chase — and the leaning boy who ruined a generation.
Dr. Horrible’s Sing a Long Blog with Krissy Lenz & Kyle Olson
A musical written during a writers strike, funded out of Joss Whedon’s own pocket, and starring a not-yet-evil Neil Patrick Harris — and somehow Mandy had never seen it. Kyle Olson and Krissy Lenz drag her into the Evil League of Evil, one unfinished song at a time.
Batman Pulled a Gun: Batman Beyond with Jason Yeung
Batman doesn’t use guns — so why does Batman Beyond hand an aging Bruce Wayne one in the first five minutes? Voiceover actor and lifelong nerd Jason Yeung walks Mandy through the criminally underrated Batman nobody watched.
Leave the Gun, Take the Nerd: The Godfather with Seth Vargas
Mandy has spent her entire life dodging The Godfather. Movie nerd Seth Vargas finally makes her an offer she can’t refuse.
Prince with Kyle Olson and Pete Wright
Pete brought Kyle. Kyle brought a playlist. Mandy brought a fourth-grade dance routine she will never forget.