Survivor 33: Finale Preview

With two days left before the winner is crowned, we're back to decide which foxhole we want to die in as we vow to swallow a cyanide pill rather than admit defeat. Plus, is it fair to cast high schoolers to play against grown-ass (wo)men? Is Ken just Gabriel Cade fifteen years later? Is this the least predictable jury of all time? And who the hell's winning this thing? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

(music: U2)

Where Big Brother Ends Up: Fan Interaction on RTV

(Music: Strangers - Passenger)

For obsessive reality TV fans, a favourite pastime is grimacing at the excesses of other obsessive reality TV fans. With the end of the aptly named Big Brother: Over The Top, where fans had more influence than ever before over the players they loved and hated, this seemed like the perfect time to explore the nature of fan interaction in reality TV. We take a tour through the history of the genre with film & media professor Amanda Ann Klein, while Stephen Fishbach and Andy Herren discuss their experiences as reality show contestants, alumni, and Twitter firebrands.

5:21 - Stephen
50:04 - Amanda
1:27:10 - Andy

You can listen below, here, or find us on iTunes here.

Survivor 33: Between a Rock and a Hard Place -- Episodes 10 + 11 Recap/Analysis

This week the takes are hotter than microwaved mashed potatoes as we're back to give thanks for Wednesday's fantastic double episode. Is one of David or Zeke turning into the next Survivor kingpin, and if so, which one? Were the trust clusters right to stay rock solid or should anyone have thought about flipping?  After an heroic start to the season, has Ken been officially been sent to Winner Edit Exile? And honestly, what's even the point of life? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

Survivor 33: The Kids Aren't Alright -- Episode 9 Recap/Analysis with Taran Armstrong

This week Taran Armstrong steps away from the Big Brother live feeds to inject some youth into a Survivor season currently hemorrhaging millennials. When is it socially acceptable to eat instead of compete and why aren't more people considering it? With limited allies and an idol in his back pocket, where does Jay go from here? Why such a drastic heel turn for Adam and what might it mean for his long-term story? And with all the drama surrounding Taylor's personal life, how deep will Jeff really dig at the reunion? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

Watch the LFC murder Colin at Mario Party here.

Election 2016: President Trump Recap/Analysis with Michael Botta and Scott Green

In today's podcast we welcome GeniusCast's Michael Botta and Scott Green to break down Tuesday's shocking election results and speculate about where the country might be headed under President Trump. Plus, how did his campaign strike such a chord with the silent majority, and what were Hillary's critical errors? What's changes should we be prepared for regarding health care, immigration, taxes, and foreign policy? And could the media circus strategy play an even bigger role in elections going forward? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

Survivor 33: The Art of the Deal -- Episode 8 Recap/Analysis

In today's podcast we usher in the Trump era (HOW?) to break down what was surely a Survivor merge . Did Adam make the right moves with his advantage, idol, and alliance or has he already played his way out? What's caused Ken to go from Tremendous to Purple? How did the target ultimately end up on Michelle? And who's even the best player on the island? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

Survivor 33: Jay and Silent Will Strike Back -- Episode 7 Recap/Analysis

While many Americans are out casting bitter jury votes to determine which of our unlikely Final 2 will become champion, we're back to break down the latest Survivor #blindside and preview tomorrow's surely-chaotic merge. Did David make the right move telling Zeke about his idol, and how long will Zeke keep his secret safe? After a complete audience blindside and an invisible week for Ken Tremendous, is it time to start backpedaling? And what's the real reason Michaela didn't blow up Jay's idol? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

Survivor 33: Some Kind of Mance -- Episode 6 Recap/Analysis with AJ Van Gilder

While Dom is out tailgating this weekend's NFL game in London, official podcast accountant AJ Van Gilder returns to to break down the latest Survivor action and forecast what's yet to come. How cohesively can Jay and Michaela move forward now that there's a new hidden idol in the mix? Did Adam make the right decision in turning on #Figtails? And in a season loaded with big characters, how many legitimate winner candidates still remain? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

Survivor 33: Blurred Lines -- Episode 5 Recap/Analysis

It's swap time in Fiji and this week we're just praying we don't have to start our whole camp over from scratch. After the shake-up, whose ticket is already punched for the merge and who needs to hope to stay immune? Did former OU Sooner Chris punt his game away by turning on GenX too early or is this still a battle for field position? And what's the appropriate grace period for Netflix spoilers? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

Survivor 33: David Right? -- Episode 4 Recap/Analysis

With Dom finally back from a week-long seminar about what constitutes appropriate locker room talk, we return to answer the most pressing questions from Survivor: 30 Letters is Way Too Many to Unscramble.  Did David make the right move using his idol so soon and what might have swung his decision? Who's in the best spot to capitalize on the impending swap? And in a season loaded with breakout characters, how many legitimate winner candidates still remain? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

(music: Pixies)

Survivor 33: Paul is Dead -- Episode 3 Recap/Analysis with Jordan Parhar

With Dom out for the weekend, BBCAN veteran turned RHAPpy Hour host Jordan Parhar fills in to talk about all the latest Survivor happenings with a side of OTT and BB18. How much of a front-runner has Ken become and who might still win instead? How long will it take for Jeff Probst to stop dying his hair? Plus, the inaugural Confessional Draft below, here, or on iTunes here.

Survivor 33: Freaks and Geeks and Zekes -- Episode 2 Recap/Analysis

While the internet continues to wipe puddle after puddle of salty tears from its eyes, we're back to break down the solidly above-average second episode of Survivor: David and Friends. Now that Mari's off the board, who's the new front-runner? Could Bible Parvati really be the next Parvati? And who's the greatest ginger in the history of reality TV? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

Survivor 33: Season Premiere + Australian Survivor Recap/Analysis

Last Wednesday both Survivor and Mother Nature returned in full force and today we're back to break down all the drama and excitement from the sopping season premiere. What's the risk/reward formula for a balance beam? Which religious person will give the jury false hope and watch their co-conspirator win unanimously? And in the season of Robs vs. Johns, how screwed are the Daves? Plus, a whirlwind tour of the fifteen Australian Survivor episodes that have aired sometime in the past day or two! All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

Golden Balls: Nick Corrigan
Golden Balls: Liv Boeree
Golden Balls: £100,000

Survivor 33: Season Preview - Age Wars Hype Hour

With only a few days until we learn which generation is officially to blame for everything, join us as we preview what promises to be a season of the television show Survivor. Free English lessons included.

You can listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

 

Why You Should Watch Survivor Maryland

As Australian Survivor and Millennials vs Gen X take over the internet, we want to draw your attention to the most exotic Survivor location of all: the University of Maryland campus. Survivor Maryland director Austin Trupp joins us to explain how he created the gold standard for fan-made Survivor series, why the genre deserves more respect, and what it can teach us about casting and gameplay on televised Survivor.

We then go over the gory details of Guts & Glory, the most recent season that wrapped up recently to a great reception. The spoiler section starts at ~41:00.

As always, you can listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

Inside Survivor feature
Survivor Maryland YouTube

Australian Survivor Catchup with Mike Bloom

Australian Survivor is moving too fast for anyone to keep up with, but we'll give it our best effort. Mike Bloom was kind enough to come on at short notice to break down the first five (!) episodes of a promising reboot of the franchise, with hot takes that will surely be discredited by new episodes that will have already aired by the time this goes up. You can listen below, here, or find us on iTunes here.

Sarah Freeman: Why Survivor Failed in the UK

Digging Deep into Survivor (and The Genius!) with Josh Wigler

While Survivor is off on summer vacation, we're back today with THRHAParade's Josh Wigler to talk about the current state of the franchise and where things may be going from here. What's kept the show on the air for so long, and might it be over anytime soon? What are Josh's updated thoughts on the Aubry vs. Michele debate now that we've all had some time to digest the finale? Plus, what got him hooked into The Genius in the first place and why should everyone watch it immediately? And most importantly, how great and/or terrible is Final Fantasy VII? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

SPOILER ALERT: All four seasons of The Genius are openly discussed starting at 1:05:00. Get caught up here and then come back for that.

Campaign 2016: Conventional Commentary + Brexit Followup

As the oldest and best reality show continues its craziest season yet we take an extended look at the pressing questions of the campaign, including: why has Trump been so disturbingly successful, and what's the best way to attack him? How are the key players adjusting to this new political reality, and are they doing it well? And do the warnings about 'throwing your vote away' or enabling Trump if you don't vote for Hillary have any merit (featuring a heated 20-minute debate about Ralph Nader)?

We also follow up on the political aftermath of Brexit - the rise and fall (and rise again) of Boris Johnson, the coronation of a new Prime Minister, and Labour's last stand - as well as the difficulties in making Brexit happen now that the dust has settled.

As always you can listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

Breaking Bad: Master List

Our first foray into scripted television saw us break down Breaking Bad, with some cameo appearances by an entirely meth-free Stephen Fishbach:

Season 5, Episodes 1-2

Season 5, Episodes 3-5

Season 5 Halftime Review with Stephen Fishbach

Season 5, Episodes 9-10

Season 5 Finale Preview

Season 5 Series Review with Stephen Fishbach

Game of Scones -- Brexit Recap/Analysis

As we keep turning and turning in the widening gyre, there's a lot left to say about Brexit. We cover the first week's fallout, clear up some widespread misconceptions, and take a guided tour through the horror show of Britain's class system and politics. As always you can listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

Brexit Through the Gift Shop

As the UK shocks the world by leaving the European Union, a Brit talks to a Britta about how and why it happened and where things go from here. It's a crash course in British and EU history, an examination of Western political trends, and a case for Brexit, delivered through a curious blend of sober analysis and hot takes. As always you can listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

The Genius: Season Three in Review (Part 2)

Chinguya! After talking through the first four episodes of The Genius: Black Garnet in Part 1 (here), we're finally back to continue our discussion and analysis as we break down the Miner Game, Stormy Stock Market, and Constellation Game in Part 2. Learn how to maximize your stock in Bankruptcy and Death while avoiding the bombs (or not) when you listen on the player below, here, or on iTunes here.

(music: Mr Confuse)

BB18: Must-Win Auction Draft with Ian Terry

Today we're back with BB14 winner and confirmed BB18 coach Ian Terry to once again take part in our two favorite summer pastimes -- low stakes gambling and treating people like objects -- as we auction off this season's cast. Find the full results here or listen to the audio version below, here, or on iTunes here.

SPOILER ALERT: The rumored returnees are discussed openly in this podcast. If you want to stay unspoiled on that, come back to this episode sometime next week, or whenever Twitter ruins the suspense for you.

(music: Buffalo Springfield)

Survivor 34: Must-Win Auction Draft with Kos

With Kaoh Rong already a fond, distant, three-week-old memory, we're back today to auction off the cast of Survivor 34: Names from a Hat. Bidding in actual American dollars and cents, we dive into the hodgepodge group that will grace our screens in eight short months and offer early projections on how things might go down. The complete results can be found here and the full audio version can be found below, here, or on iTunes here.

(music: Pearl Jam)

MP3 download HERE.

Survivor 32: Season in Review

Now that everything's been said, done, and suckled, we're back to break down Michele's win, Aubry's loss, and much more as we wrap up our coverage of Survivor 32. How will the result affect the way fans view not only the season, but also the jury system in general? Where does Michele's winning game stack up historically? How does Kaoh Rong rate in our extremely scientific season rankings? Plus, a first look at the cast of Survivor 34 when you listen on the player below, here, or on iTunes here.

SPOILER ALERT: While most of the S34 discussion begins 2h54m in, a few of the returnee names get mentioned earlier. For anyone averse to that sort of thing, tune out around the 2 hour mark, and probably stay off Twitter for the next 8 months.

(music: The Hives)

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Season in Review

Episode 13

Episode 12 with Alex Kidwell

Episode 11 with Kos

Episode 10

Episode 9 with Sarah Freeman

Episode 8

Episode 7
Episode 6
Episode 5
Episode 4
Episode 3
Episode 2 with Taran Armstrong
Episode 1
Season Preview

Survivor 32: The Truth Is Out There -- Finale Preview

With a day and a half to spare, we're back to offer our final thoughts on the season before finding out if the truthers have in fact been falsers all along. But how likely is it that Michele could lose, and what takeaways might we have about the way the show is edited if that happens? Inversely, what might be the fallout if the know-it-all dipshit truthers were actually correct? And might Aubry be getting a *loser's* edit? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

Note: BBCAN4 discussion and two minor Survivor finale spoilers come up around 40 minutes in (never follow the CBS Survivor Twitter account).

(music: Truth Hurts)

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Episode 13

Episode 12 with Alex Kidwell

Episode 11 with Kos

Episode 10

Episode 9 with Sarah Freeman

Episode 8

Episode 7
Episode 6
Episode 5
Episode 4
Episode 3
Episode 2 with Taran Armstrong
Episode 1
Season Preview

Survivor 32: The Bounty Hunted -- Episode 12 Recap/Analysis with Alex Kidwell

While Dom is suffering from a severe case of Bracco Fever, RHAP correspondent Alex Kidwell sits in to break down the latest happenings on Survivor: Loose Change. What's the current state of the truthers versus the world debate that seems to be defining the season on Twitter, and why do both sides feel even more certain after this week? Plus, Is Joe the obvious medevac or might we see the return of Chekhov's Giant Swollen Thigh? And with Jason gone, who's the new sure-thing lock losing finalist? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

(music: Radiohead)

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Episode 12 with Alex Kidwell

Episode 11 with Kos

Episode 10

Episode 9 with Sarah Freeman

Episode 8

Episode 7
Episode 6
Episode 5
Episode 4
Episode 3
Episode 2 with Taran Armstrong
Episode 1
Season Preview

Survivor 32: Episode 11 Analysis + Endgame Forecast with Kos

As we draw another week nearer the (inevitable) conclusion of Survivor: Kaoh Rong, longtime friend of the podcast and perpetual auction draft hoobae Kos joins us to analyze the latest episode and try to reverse-engineer how everything will eventually go Michele's way. Plus, what might lead to Aubry's eventual downfall, and more importantly, is she a better player than Sophie? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

(music: k-os)

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Episode 11 with Kos

Episode 10

Episode 9 with Sarah Freeman

Episode 8

Episode 7
Episode 6
Episode 5
Episode 4
Episode 3
Episode 2 with Taran Armstrong
Episode 1
Season Preview

Survivor 32: Bracco's Modern Life -- Episode 10 Recap/Analysis

Dom managed to make it out alive from the week-long keg party that was the Queen's 90th birthday, and after another chaotic week in Cambodia, we're back to break down the latest Survivor happenings. With another massive episode under her belt, is Aubry the clear front-runner, the new Spencer, or the final medevac? With an advantage, an idol, and Mark the Chicken on his shoulder, where does Tai go from here? And might Michele be the modern Morasca?  All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

(music: Eminem)

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Episode 10

Episode 9 with Sarah Freeman

Episode 8

Episode 7
Episode 6
Episode 5
Episode 4
Episode 3
Episode 2 with Taran Armstrong
Episode 1
Season Preview

Survivor 32: The Debbie Downers -- Episode 9 Recap/Analysis with Sarah Freeman

While Dom is off running with the bulls, RHAP blogger and fellow servant to the crown Sarah Freeman sits in to discuss all that went down in Wednesday's wild episode and where the eight remaining players stand going ahead. What constitutes a women's alliance and why shouldn't we be thinking about them? Will Tai return the bonus idol or hang onto the keys to the kingdom? And is Mark the chicken actually a horcrux? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

(music: Beastie Boys)

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Episode 9 with Sarah Freeman

Episode 8

Episode 7
Episode 6
Episode 5
Episode 4
Episode 3
Episode 2 with Taran Armstrong
Episode 1
Season Preview