Monthly Archives: January 2019

The Toy Department – Episode 153

  By toyAdmin | January 30, 2019 - 11:25 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 153, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky begin by addressing Derek’s horrifying weather predicament, before staying calm and carrying on through:

  • The season finale of The Good Place (3:50) which satisfied one host more than the other…
  • Killer Mike’s Trigger Warning (9:25) on Netflix, and whether or not it thinks itself through properly or delivers enough punch to have real impact…
  • Lifetime’s YOU (20:55) – available on Netflix – its odd tone and addictive nature, and the prospect of a step up (or sideways?) for future seasons…
  • The delightful premiere of the final season of Comedy Central’s Broad City (27:40) and the guys’ hopes for a thrilling conclusion…
  • Comedy Central’s new show The Other Two (31:05) and whether it bears further consideration…
  • Some thoughts on the upcoming Super Bowl (37:00) and the more intriguing of available prop bets…
  • Homework for next week (57:55), including: the shows Black Earth Rising and Russian Doll, both available on Netflix, and the new albums by Sharon Van Etten (Remind Me Tomorrow), Toro y Moi (Outer Peace) and Malibu Ken (self-titled debut from Aesop Rock/Tobacco collaboration)…

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The Toy Department – Episode 152

  By toyAdmin | January 23, 2019 - 1:19 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 152, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky set the scene — a scene where Kolsky is podcasting from a hot tub in an undisclosed location — before bathing in topics such as:

  • Oscar nominations (2:40) — who’s missing, what’s interesting and what the guys hope to see…
  • Netflix’s documentary Fyre (15:10), covering the failed Fyre Festival, including some thoughts about the simultaneous Hulu film on the same subject and who the real victims of the disaster are…
  • Kolsky goes solo for a quick review of Showtime’s SMILF (26:50) and encourages everyone to give it a look…
  • Showtime’s new comedy Black Monday (28:35) and how it was a surprising delight for both guys…
  • Netflix’s Sex Education (33:40), which is another strong recommend from both guys and features the music of previously mentioned Kolsky favorite Ezra Furman…
  • A quick check-in on Top Chef (38:15), featuring the CARNÉ man and thoughts on show favorite Justin…
  • Homework for next week (40:55), including: the return of Broad City on Comedy Central, and a new show that follows it called The Other Two, plus a couple of Netflix shows — Killer Mike’s Trigger Warning and the Penn Badgley stalker drama YOU…

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The Toy Department – Episode 151

  By toyAdmin | January 16, 2019 - 10:48 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 151, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky once again tempt fate by suggesting they might produce a short podcast, then engage in lengthy discussions of:

  • Season 2 of Netflix’s Friends from College (1:30) and how the guys have slightly different reactions to a highly enjoyable television program…
  • Season 3 of HBO’s True Detective (14:55), the brilliance of Mahershala Ali and whether the show is worthy of its current cultural attention…
  • The Season 5 premiere of You’re the Worst (30:45) and how the guys are feeling about the pod favorite as it heads into its final handful of episodes…
  • A check in on the NFL Playoffs (35:55) after a fun Divisional Round set us up for the final four we expected all year long…
  • Homework for next week (46:50), including: Netflix’s Fyre Festival documentary Fyre, and the new show Sex Education (also on Netflix), Showtime’s Black Monday and the return of Crashing on HBO…

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The Toy Department – Episode 150

  By toyAdmin | January 9, 2019 - 11:33 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 150, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky cruise past a hiccup — or, more accurately, a giggle-cough — at the start to cover:

  • The Lifetime docu-series Surviving R. Kelly (1:45), which Madden watched and about which he gives an impassioned address to both Kolsky and the audience…
  • Top Chef’s Restaurant Wars episodes (13:15) and how the show continues to be wildly entertaining, the peak of reality television…
  • A wrap-up of Escape At Dannemora (30:20) and whether it has enough to it to be a really good show…
  • The award-winning film The Favourite (38:35) and the guys’ mildly differing opinions on how well it pulls off a satirical look at England of old…
  • Some quick thoughts on the Golden Globes (47:45) and their predictably bizarre results…
  • A check-in on the NFL playoffs (53:35) after a Wild Card weekend that left Kolsky near tears, a look forward to the Divisional Round and some thoughts on team-building…
  • Homework for next week (1:18:40), including: watching more NFL Playoffs, the return of You’re the Worst on FX, season two of Friends from College on Netflix and season three of True Detective on HBO…

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The Toy Department – Episode 149

  By toyAdmin | January 2, 2019 - 12:01 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 149, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky lament the ever-increasing speed of the passage of time before discussing:

  • Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (3:10) and how it’s an interesting idea that ultimately falls short in terms of story and character…
  • The new film Vice (20:25) and how despite a non-linear plot and rather unlikable characters it very much succeeds as a film…
  • Ellen’s new standup special Relatable (31:10) and how Madden and Kolsky are very much split on how funny it is…
  • The Netflix film Private Life (36:40) and how much both guys enjoyed the honesty of its storytelling and the tremendous performances of its lead actors…
  • Barry Jenkins’ new movie If Beale Street Could Talk (42:55) and how it is a cinematic masterpiece that should be appreciated far more than some lesser but over-appreciated Oscar contenders…
  • The start of the NFL Playoffs (58:25), covering Kolsky’s Bears feelings and a Wild Card Weekend slate that looks tantalizing…
  • Homework for next week (1:07:45), including (but not limited to, because the guys gotta do some research on what to consume): watching the aforementioned NFL Playoffs and the film The Favourite, plus Restaurant Wars on Top Chef…

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