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"In every generation, there is a Chosen Podcast."
Episodes
Friday Jun 04, 2021
Friday Jun 04, 2021
“Cagey little brutes, aren’t they?”
The Mother of Angel Studies, author and vampire queen Stacey Abbott is back! This week we discuss the somewhat strained metaphor and textual subtext of episode 113, “She,” which for years I’ve remembered as unutterably terrible, but on this rewatch I find myself being a bit kinder to. If nothing else, the episode gives us some of the greatest comedic moments from all of this first season, possibly the series. Alexis Denisof deserves a pratfall Oscar!
Also on tap, 114, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” makes good use of a classic Hollywood horror trope, as well as providing the first tantalizing hint at darker depths to Wesley. And 115, “The Prodigal,” where the Whedonverse continues its focused, brutal assault on the notions of fatherhood.
NEXT: Post-Production Supervisor and Hollywood man-about-town Michael Holland is back to help me look over episodes 116, “The Ring” and 117, “Eternity.”
BREAKDOWN
00:00:55 - Intro / Guest
00:02:40 - Main Topic
01:11:17 - Outro / Next
LIBRARY
Celluloid Vampires: Life After Death in the Modern World, by Stacey Abbott
Reading Angel: The TV Spin-off With a Soul, edited by Stacey Abbott
Angel (TV Milestones Series) by Stacey Abbott
Near Dark (BFI Film Classics), by Stacey Abbott
Global TV Horror, edited by Stacey Abbott and Lorna Jowett
LINKS
Monstrum: A Peer-Reviewed Journal of Studies in Horror
MUSIC
“Conversations (feat. Wesley Mead)” by Azura (2017)
“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” by Frank Sinatra, Songs for Swingin’ Lovers! (1956)
Monday May 17, 2021
Monday May 17, 2021
“Wherever evil lurks, wherever the forces of darkness threaten humanity, that’s where I’ll be.”
Johny Ho is back! Wesley Wyndam-Pryce is back! Johny Ho is back to talk to me about how awesome it is that Wesley Wyndam-Pryce is back! In 110, “Parting Gifts,” Angel Investigations get their very own rogue demon hunter, as well as a shiny new tagline. 111, “Somnambulist” gives us Baby Hawkeye as a vampire, and Kate is finally in on the big secret. And 112, “Expecting” features the first of many mystical pregnancies, plus Ken freaking Marino!
Seriously though, all that matters is Wesley Wyndam-Pryce is here and everything will be okay from now on.
NEXT: the saint of Angel studies, author Stacey Abbott joins me to discuss what some may or may not consider to be the low point of Season One, episodes 113, “She,” 114, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” and 115, “The Prodigal.”
BREAKDOWN
00:00:55 - Intro / Guest
00:06:27 - Main Topic
01:10:48 - Outro / Next
MUSIC
“Conversations (feat. Wesley Mead)” by Azura (2017)
“Rogue Hunter” by Vin Mott, Rogue Hunter (2019)
Wednesday Apr 07, 2021
Wednesday Apr 07, 2021
“Is that it? Am I done?”
It’s taken much longer than I would’ve liked to get this episode edited and out to y’all, and I was way off what I will laughingly refer to as my game, but hey...our rats are low at least. This time around I’m joined by America’s favorite philosophizing Frenchman Matthieu Cravatte as we discuss the pain and heartbreak of network-mandated crossovers, the inspirational value of heroes, the lack of Nazi subtelty, and the first of many genuinely traumatic sacrifices made by characters on this series as we sob our way through episodes 108, “I Will Remember You” and 109, “Hero.”
NEXT: a rogue demon hunter joins the cast and we get some momentary relief from the pain (Cordy doesn’t, but we do) with episodes 110, “Parting Gifts,” 111, “Somnambulist,” and 112, “Expecting.”
BREAKDOWN
00:00:55 - Intro / Guest
00:05:00 - Main Topic
01:13:55 - Outro / Next
MUSIC
“Conversations (feat. Wesley Mead)” by Azura (2017)
“Hero” by Lissie, My Wild West (2016)
Monday Mar 01, 2021
Monday Mar 01, 2021
Hollywood bigshot and industry insider Michael Holland welcomes us to HIS turf as we continue our transition from the cemeteries of Sunnydale to the morgues of LA. The conversation this time covers two episodes often dismissed as early-series filler, but which we argue actually have important things to say about the characters and the developing themes of the show. In 106, “Sense & Sensitivity,” we get some needed background on Det. Kate Lockley, including a genuinely marvelous emotional performance by Elisabeth Röhm, and insight into the interpersonal dynamics between our heroes. (Bonus: Angel as Magnum P.I.!) And in 107, “Bachelor Party,” Allen Francis Doyle gets a powerfully humanizing (or rather half-humanizing) storyline that makes the most of what will turn out to be the very limited time we get with the character, fleshing him out more in one episode than many shows give their cast in a full season.
NEXT: philosopher Frenchman Matthieu Cravatte joins me to probably get really sad as we discuss episodes 108, “I Will Remember You” and 109, “Hero.” Bring your own tissues.
BREAKDOWN
00:00:55 - Intro / Guest
00:14:57 - Main Topic
01:38:43 - Outro / Next
LINKS
Michael’s Blog - Holland Imaginarium
MUSIC
“Conversations (feat. Wesley Mead)” by Azura (2017)
“Too Sensitive” by Op Ed, Satellite (2018)
Sunday Feb 21, 2021
Sunday Feb 21, 2021
Can we get back to Angel? Please?! *sobs*
My dear friend, author, and hot chick with superpowers Dale Guffey has stayed over from last week to help me get back into the swing of things. As avowed and unapologetic Spike fans, we bask in the glorious, bleach blonde silver lining that is that opening voiceover of the otherwise basic 103, “In the Dark.” As avowed and unapologetic Doyle fans, we savor every single hilarious and touching moment we get with him in 104, “I Fall to Pieces.” And in 105, “Rm w/a Vu” I mourn the Phantom Dennis spin-off we never got.
NEXT: recurring guest and friend of the show Michael Holland is back, and with the move from Sunnydale to LA we’re finally on HIS turf. He joins me to speak with Angelino authority on episodes 106, “Sense & Sensitivity” and 107, “Bachelor Party.”
BREAKDOWN
00:00:55 - Intro / Guest
00:04:00 - Main Topic
01:50:12 - Outro / Next
LIBRARY
Faith and Choice in the Works of Joss Whedon, by K. Dale Koontz
Reading Joss Whedon, edited by Rhonda V.. Wilcox, Tanya R. Cochran, Cynthea Masson, and David Lavery
MUSIC
“Conversations (feat. Wesley Mead)” by Azura (2017)
“I Fall to Pieces” by Patsy Cline, Showcase (1961)
Saturday Feb 13, 2021
Saturday Feb 13, 2021
Where do we go from here? That question has perhaps never been as relevant or as painful within the Whedony community as it is right now. It’s a difficult time to be a fan, as the recent and continuing alegations and revelations about the man that has, so far, given this entire fandom its name, force us to reckon with some hard truths. I thought this podcast could continue with perhaps just a passing mention of the controversy, but it quickly became clear that I, and thankfully some much smarter people than myself, would have to address this head on. And so I welcome you to this Very Special Episode of Conversations with Dead People. I ramble on uselessly, as usual, but two of my very favoritest people in the world, let alone the field of Whedon Studies, Nikki Stafford and Dale Guffey join me to talk about how and why all of this feels so much more personal than similar fallen pop culture icons; what, if anything, I should do with this podcast going forward; and what we think this might all mean for the Whedon Studies Association. It’s a horribly unpleasant topic of conversation, made so much more enjoyable by having it with such wonderful people.
NEXT: Dale is sticking around to record the podcast we’d PLANNED to record this week. We’ll be continuing our journey through Angel: The Series with episodes 103, “In the Dark,” 104, “I Fall to Pieces,” and 105, “Rm w/a Vu.”
LIBRARY
Bite Me!: The Unofficial Guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Seven Seasons One Book), by Nikki Stafford
Once Bitten: An Unofficial Guide to the World of Angel, by Nikki Stafford
Faith and Choice in the Works of Joss Whedon, by K. Dale Koontz
Reading Joss Whedon, edited by Rhonda V.. Wilcox, Tanya R. Cochran, Cynthea Masson, and David Lavery
A Dream Given Form: The Unofficial Guide to the Universe of Bablyon 5, by Dale Guffey and Ensley F. Guffey
LINKS
MUSIC
“Conversations (feat. Wesley Mead)” by Azura (2017)
“Mad Woman” by Taylor Swift, folklore (2020)
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
The sun has set on Sunnydale, and so now we leave behind the hell of the small town and head into the Big Bad City. Stacey Abbott, Lecturer in Film and Television Studies at Roehampton University, editor of Reading Angel: The TV Spin-Off With a Soul, and author of Celluloid Vampires: Life After Death In The Modern World and Near Dark (BFI Film Classics) joins me to usher in the era of Angel, the/a vampire with a soul. We talk for a bit about how she was, for years, a shining beacon of Angel Studies at many, many of the Slayage Conferences, being the only person willing and eager to present on the spinoff series, before FINALLY diving into our discussion of the first two episodes.
“City Of” introduces the new paradigm of the film noir Los Angeles setting, with it’s dark alleys, buzzing neon, and rapid-edit transitions. We’re also introduced to a new player in half-demon “sidekick” Doyle, sent by the Powers That Be (“Powers that be what?”) to be Angel’s sponsor on his quest for redemption. And we get the very welcome return of Cordelia Chase, although she’s slightly different in this new setting than when we last saw her. And lastly, the notion of a Big Bad seems like it might not mean quite the same thing in this series as it did in the last one.
After the first episode sets the cast and stage, “Lonely Hearts” (or is it “Heart” singular?!?) begins to show us how this show will explore themes of heroism, good vs. evil, savior complexes, and helping the helpless. And one more damaged character joins the dramatis personae as Kate Lockley, the “cop contact sympathetic to the private eye” noir trope, enters the picture.
NEXT: Stephanie Graves follows us from the graveyard to the morgue as we discuss episodes 103, “In the Dark,” 104, “I Fall to Pieces,” and 105, “Rm w/a Vu.”
BREAKDOWN
00:00:55 - Intro / Guest
00:18:08 - Main Topic
01:27:06 - Outro / Next
LIBRARY
Reading Angel: The TV Spin-off With a Soul, edited by Stacey Abbott
Angel (TV Milestones Series) by Stacey Abbott
Celluloid Vampires: Life After Death in the Modern World, by Stacey Abbott
Near Dark (BFI Film Classics), by Stacey Abbott
LINKS
Monstrum: A Peer-Reviewed Journal of Studies in Horror
MUSIC
“Conversations (feat. Wesley Mead)” by Azura (2017)
“Touched” by VAST, Visual Audio Sensory Theater (1998)
Monday Oct 26, 2020
Monday Oct 26, 2020
With Buffy the Vampire Slayer in our review mirror and its amazing spin-off series Angel looming on the horizon, we’re going to take this limbo-like space in between to explore some comics. One comic in particular, Joss Whedon’s 2001-2003 four-color debut Fray. Joining me for this discussion 200 years in the making are returning guests Dale Guffey and Vickie Willis Navarra. Together we look at the trauma of being incomplete; female rage; Vickie blows my mind with talk of the control of a woman’s reproduction in the final battle; Dale blows my mind with definitions of the word ‘fray’; and I gush over the artwork of Karl Moline and Andy Owens (including my beloved fight choreography obsession).
NEXT: maybe Angel, maybe more comics. Who knows?
BREAKDOWN
00:00:55 - Intro / Guest
00:18:53 - Let’s Go to Work
01:52:30 - Outro / Next
LIBRARY
Faith and Choice in the Works of Joss Whedon, by K. Dale Koontz
LINKS
V.E.W. Navarra: Writing All The Things
MUSIC
“Conversations (feat. Wesley Mead)” by Azura (2017)
“Four of Two” by They Might Be Giants, No! (2002)
Friday Oct 02, 2020
Friday Oct 02, 2020
“What are we gonna do now?”
All good things, as the saying goes. It’s been quite a journey, this rewatch and analysis of a show I’ve had a mostly-love-but-just-a-little-bit-hate relationship with for the past 20+ years, and I’d like to think we’ve all learned some things. For example, in this very episode I learn how to stop worrying and love the flawed metaphor at the end of the series, and you all have learned that I’m an insufferable twit. But fortunately I keep pulling y’all back in with wonderful guest hosts who are always more intelligent than myself, and this discussion of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer finale “Chosen” is no different as I welcome back a panel of fan-favorites. Original guest Nikki Stafford, most frequent guest Elizabeth Rambo, and most barely tolerated guest Arlo Wiley are here to pay their respects to a pop culture phenomenon that has spoken to and shaped each of us in immeasurable ways.
NEXT: As we leave the smoking crater of Sunnydale behind us, we head to the City of Angels, or one Angel in particular at least. After an as-yet-undetermined pause, Conversations with Dead People will return for a five season exploration the first vampire with a soul and his quest for redemption.
BREAKDOWN
00:00:55 - Intro / Guests
00:04:14 - Main Topic
01:39:46 - Outro / Next
LIBRARY
Bite Me!: The Unofficial Guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Seven Seasons One Book), by Nikki Stafford
Buffy Goes Dark: Essays on the Final Two Season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Television, edited by Lynne Y. Edwards, Elizabeth Rambo, and James B. South
Television Finales: From Howdy Doody to Girls, edited by Douglas L. Howard and David Bianculli
The Deli Counter of Justice, written/edited by Paul Smith, Arlo Wiley, and Eric Sipple
LINKS
Nikki Stafford’s Great Buffy Rewatch Archive
Whedonology: An Academic Whedon Studies Bibliography
MUSIC
“Conversations (feat. Wesley Mead)” by Azura (2017)
“Look What We’ve Become” by Grace Potter, Midnight (2015)
Monday Sep 28, 2020
Monday Sep 28, 2020
“Thank God we’re hot chicks with superpowers.”
Returning hot chick with superpowers Dale Guffey, recently crowned Area Chair of "Lawyers and the Legal System in Popular Culture" for the Southwest Popular/American Culture Association, continues her award-winning guest stint in the graveyard as we talk about sex with all the pre-Apocalypse hookups of 720, “Touched.” And in the penultimate episode of the entire series, 721, “End of Days,” we discuss deus ex machinas and swords in stones. There’s some amazing cross-cut fight choreography; Spike shows Buffy how to speechify; and wheelchair fight!
BONUS: Dale pitches Miss Kitty Fantastico: Vampire Slayer!
NEXT: All good things must come to an end. Nikki Stafford, Elizabeth Rambo, and Arlo Wiley join me to discuss the series finale “Chosen” as we eulogize Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
BREAKDOWN
00:00:55 - Intro / Guest
00:10:07 - Main Topic
01:52:16 - Outro / Next
LIBRARY
Faith and Choice in the Works of Joss Whedon, by K. Dale Koontz
Reading Joss Whedon, edited by Rhonda V. Wilcox, Tanya R. Cochran, Cynthea Masson, and David Lavery
A Dream Given Form: The Unofficial Guide to the Universe of Babylon 5, by Ensley F. Guffey and K. Dale Koontz
Wanna Cook?: The Complete, Unofficial Companion to Breaking Bad, by Ensley F. Guffey and K. Dale Koontz
LINKS
MUSIC
“Conversations (feat. Wesley Mead)” by Azura (2017)
“Let’s Talk About Sex” by Salt-N-Pepa, Blacks’ Magic (1990)