Join the vassals as we discuss the excellent second season of Andor. A show that has really added to what Star Wars can be on screen.
Hosts: Adam (drownedsnow), Kevin (Nuncle Kevin), Pat (TwoPointOh), and Zander (Lord Baron Blackfyre).
Spoilers: Andor season 1 and 2 as well as the entire Star Wars movie universe and some of the other Star Wars TV shows.
Editor: Adam
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Bina007, Pat, Adam and Zander discuss the final Poirot novel, written during the Blitz, but published in September 1975. We welcome back Captain Hastings to Styles – now a guesthouse – for a combination of a closed house AND locked room mystery.
Spoiler free to 53m. In the spoiler-section avoid spoilers for Murder on the Orient Express between 1hr7m and 1hr8m.
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Pat and Bina007 put up a passionate defense of the 1971 Miss Marple murder mystery. The first half may be baggy as Miss Marple investigates a past murder by the son of the plutocrat Jason Rafiel. But the psychology and tragedy of the crime, as well as the audacity of the final set piece, elevate the novel.
Spoiler free to 58m. Thereafter spoilers for Nemesis, Death on the Nile and Body In The Library.
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Long believed lost, but rescued by brave Fremen, after a 20 worm ride into the deepest Southern Desert of Arrakis, the VOK Dune Part 2 podcast finally arrives. Vassals Pat, Michal, Jock and Michael discuss Denis Villeneuve’s 2024 epic science fiction film, Dune: Part 2.
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Bina007 and Pat put up a spirited defence of Agatha’s much-maligned 1963 Poirot mystery set in a suburban street where a man was murdered surrounded by clocks. Christie picks up on the Cold War paranoia of the time, as channeled through her primary investigator Colin Lamb. We also have a cool Rear Window call-back.
Spoiler free to 40m45s.
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In this celebratory 800th episode a host of Vassals go back to their ASOIAF roots and give us their weirdest whackiest theories of how the story will end for a character, story arc, or the entire thing.
Bina007, Adam/DrownedSnow and Ben/KingJucio kick us off with theories about Big Walder Frey, Rickon and Bran, Dany, Lady Stoneheart, Arya and Sansa, Ser Shadrich and Harry The Heir, Uncle Benjen, Davon Lannister and Mors Manwoody!
At 48m, Michal/Inkasrain gives her theories on how Brienne and Littlefinger’s stories end. And at 49m35s Pat/ Two Point Oh gives his theory on Jojen.
Finally at 51m10s Duncan Hubber aka Valkryist talks to us about his new book of essays on A Song Of Ice and Fire, Notes from the Citadel: The Philosophy and Psychology of A Song of Ice and Fire.
Show spoilers from 13m50s to 15m – 19m50s to 27m – 37m to 39m – 49m35s to 51m35s.
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In this episode Bina007 and Pat / Two Point Oh discuss the 1956 Agatha Christie murder-mystery featuring Ariadne Oliver and Hercule Poirot. Ariadne has set up a fake mystery for guests at a summer fete to solve, but the fake murder victim ends up being murdered for real.
Spoiler free to 35m35s.
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The fabulously wealthy Aristide Leonides is murdered and suspicion immediately falls on his much younger second wife who could be having a flirtation with the grand-children’s tutor. But Aristide’s children and grandchildren also stood to benefit from his death in different ways. Aristide’s favourite granddaughter Sophia asks her fiancé to investigate….
Bina, Pat and Hannah disagree about the merits of this critically acclaimed standalone detective story originally published in 1949.
Spoiler-free to 48m; spoiler-filled thereafter.
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Bina007, Julia (No True Lady) and Steph (GSDG) discuss this year’s Oscar nominated movies.
Oppenheimer (1m); Poor Things (8m30s); Killers of the Flower Moon (24m10s); Barbie (30m10s); Maestro (37m40s); The Holdovers (40m5s); American Fiction (43m10s); Anatomy of a Fall (45m); The Zone of Interest (48m50s); Napoleon (51m10s); Past Lives (52m); Society of the Snow, Nyad, The Creator, MI Dead Reckoning Part One, Rustin, El Conde, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, May December and The Boy and The Heron (54m).
Picture credit: The Hollywood Reporter.
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When Gordon Cloade is killed in the Blitz his young wife inherits his fortune, much to the chagrin of his parasitical family. Poirot is called in to investigate whether the marriage was bigamous.
Bina and Pat love the social history and intricate plotting of this Hercules Poirot mystery right up until the epilogue where their favourite character makes a handbrake turn.
Spoiler-free to 46m; spoiler-filled thereafter.
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Bina and Pat disagree as to the merits of fan favourite Hercule Poirot “mystery” The Hollow. Celebrated doctor John Christow is found shot by a swimming pool. His wife Gerda is holding a smoking gun but the last word he utters is his mistress’ name. Is the solution to this murder as simple as it seems, or a confounding mystery?
Spoiler-free section: first impressions and introduction; social change and historic context (5m40s); characters (16m10s); how the novel holds up to modern readers (48m); adaptations (1hr1m); spoiler-filled discussion of the ending (1hr6m); brief discussion of the new BBC Murder Is Easy (1hr23m30s).
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Bina and Pat discuss the last Colonel Race novel, Sparkling Cyanide, with side conversations about domestic science and The Crown. A year ago, beautiful young, and fabulously rich Rosemary Barton committed suicide at a restaurant surrounded by her dearest family and friends. A year later, her devastated husband recreates the scene, hoping to smoke out the person he now suspects of murder. Will anyone crack?
Spoiler-free to 1hr5m and spoiler-filled for this novel thereafter.
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Bina and Pat discuss the last Superintendent Battle novel, Toward Zero, which is typically admired by Christie aficionados. An old wealthy lady is found bludgeoned to death in her cliff-top home. As a result, questions are asked about the apparently accidental recent death of her close friend and lawyer. And how does all this relate to a schoolgirl falsely accused of a crime, and an attempted suicide?
Spoiler-free to 37m and spoiler-filled thereafter.
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Bina and Pat discuss the sublime Hercule Poirot cold-case murder mystery set in a gorgeous English country house. Fashionable portrait painter Amyas Crale is poisoned and his wife is convicted of the crime. Decades later, Poirot interviews those present at the invitation of their daughter to see if she really did it.
Spoiler-free to 59m and spoiler-filled thereafter.
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Bina and Pat discuss the Hercule Poirot murder-mystery set in a holiday resort on an island. Glamorous Arlene Marshall is holidaying with her stuffy husband and hated stepdaughter. Not uncoincidentally, her handsome lover and his spurned wife are also on the island. What could possibly go wrong?
Spoiler-free to 36m and spoiler-filled thereafter.
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Bina, Pat and Hannah discuss the 1940 Hercule Poirot mystery that is told mostly from the perspective of proud heiress Elinor Carlisle, accused of poisoning her love rival and on trial for her life.
Historic context; plot set up, structure and the publisher pressure (9m); characters (17m); regressive content (37m); adaptations (39m); spoiler-filled discussion of the plot (42m).
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This is the second of a two part discussion of Agatha Christie’s frighteningly bleak standalone mystery, And Then There Were None. In this second spoiler-filled episode, Bina, Pat, Hannah and Bing discuss the characters, the plot construction (22m30s) and the adaptations of the novel (37m30s).
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This is the first of a two part discussion of Agatha Christie’s frighteningly bleak standalone mystery, And Then There Were None. In this first spoiler-free episode, Bina, Pat, Hannah and Bing discuss the original title of the novel and how it has changed, as well as the historic context in which this book was first published. Trigger warnings for discussions around racism and racial epithets.
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Bina007 and TwoPointOh aka Pat discuss the 1938 Hercule Poirot locked room mystery set in an English country house. Mean father Simeon Lee is found brutally murdered in his room. Was it one of his children or one of the new visitors to the house?
1m Initial impressions and historic context; 14m – the Christiverse, plot outline and characters; 35m – regressive/ progressive attitudes; 40m – Adaptations; 45m – Spoiler filled discussion of the solution.
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Bina007 and TwoPointOh aka Pat discuss the 1938 Hercules Poirot murder-mystery set in Jerusalem and Petra. Christie paints an acute psychological portrait of a sadistic mother who controls her children and strikes a battle of wills against young Dr Sarah King.
1m – Plot outline and setting; 14m – the build-up to the murder and characters; 34m – the Christieverse and regressive/ progressive attitudes; 40m – Adaptations; 48m – Spoiler filled discussion of the solution.
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Vassals of Kingsgrave 