House of R

Latest Episodes:

Our 10 Favorite Speeches of the Century (So Far) Jun 19, 2025

Show notes

Mal and Jo are going through their favorite speeches of the century. Listen as they struggle to narrow it down from ‘Lord of the Rings,’ ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Andor,’ and much more!

(00:00) Intro
(7:45) Rules
(21:03) Jo’s no. 10
(26:03) Mal’s no. 10
(31:14) Jo’s no. 9
(36:15) Mal’s no. 9
(43:07) Jo’s no. 8
(48:46) Mal’s no. 8
(55:25) Jo’s no. 7
(58:55) Mal’s no. 7
(01:05:59) Jo’s no. 6
(01:12:35) Mal’s no. 6
(01:16:04) Jo’s no. 5
(01:23:57) Mal’s no. 5
(01:30:05) Jo’s no. 4
(01:34:31) Mal’s no. 4
(01:41:08) Jo’s no. 3
(01:46:42) Mal’s no. 3
(01:53:33) Jo’s no. 2
(02:02:22) Mal’s no. 2
(02:07:11) Jo’s no. 1
(02:14:17) Mal’s no. 1
(02:21:24) Honorable mentions

Hosts: Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson
Producers: Carlos Chiriboga and John Richter
Social: Jomi Adeniran
Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell

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'Batman Begins' Turns 20 | Nolan Revisited Jun 17, 2025

Show notes

It’s Hot Nolan Summer! Mal and Jo are back to revisit Christopher Nolan’s first Batman movie, ‘Batman Begins.’ They discuss how the movie holds up 20 years after its release and give out some superlatives. They break down everything from the most baffling accent to the sickest set piece and more!

(00:00) Intro

(06:41) ‘Batman Begins’ turns 20

(01:00:59) Funniest line/moment

(01:04:08) Sickest set piece

(01:09:18) Who is the real villain of the movie?

(01:17:04) Most exquisitely gorgeous shot

(01:20:16) The scene you think about the most

(01:29:13) Where would you put the one f-bomb?

(01:32:52) Most baffling accent

(01:35:25) Best use of a Nolanverse regular

(01:40:41) Best stunt

(01:44:28) Stealth MVP

(01:50:28) Best dead wife moment

(01:53:30) Clearest “great man” moment

(01:56:38) Regrettably miscast and how to replace them

(01:58:03) Most satisfying twist

(01:59:50) Horniest moment

(02:02:05) The line that hits the hardest

(02:03:49) Most devastating moment

(02:05:50) Most unforgettable Zimmerism

(02:08:45) Never returned to the Nolanverse but should have

(02:09:15) The most Nolan thing about this movie

(02:10:59) What about ‘The Odyssey’ are you most hyped for?

Hosts: Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson

Producers: Carlos Chiriboga and John Richter

Social: Jomi Adeniran

Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell

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The 2025 Summer Hype Meter Jun 13, 2025

Show notes

Let the hype flow through you! Mal and Jo are here again to get you hyped for the things they are most looking forward to this summer season!

(00:00) Intro
(01:50) ‘House of R’ Summer Lookahead
(12:09) Rules
(18:21) ‘Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil’
(22:30) ‘Ironheart’
(25:39) ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’
(27:56) ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’
(35:58) ‘Eyes of Wakanda’
(38:16) ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2
(43:23) ‘Katabasis’
(48:19) ‘Squid Game’ Season 3
(53:47) ‘28 Years Later’
(01:00:35) ‘Alien: Earth’
(01:08:27) ‘Star Trek: Strange New Words’ Season 3
(01:14:31) ‘Fantastic Four: The First Steps’
(01:22:03) ‘Superman’
(01:29:52) Honorable Mentions

Hosts: Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson
Producers: Carlos Chiriboga and John Richter
Social: Jomi Adeniran
Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell

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‘Ballerina’ and Our 10 Burning 'John Wick' Questions Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

Mal and Jo are back to go through the latest installment in the John Wick universe, ‘Ballerina.’ They discuss the film’s box office results, break down what changed in the extensive reshoots, and talk about the future of the 'John Wick' franchise and whether it can survive without Keanu Reeves. Next, they each come up with five burning questions about ‘Ballerina’ and the rest of the Wickverse.

(00:00) Intro
(05:45) Opening snapshot
(08:45) Box office results
(25:32) What happened during the reshoots?
(32:12) Our history with the Wickverse
(42:38) Burning questions
(43:59) Timeline continuity issues
(55:43) Training dogs to attack the crotch
(58:33) Is it time for the Continental to change its policies?
(01:05:16) Is Evanescence's "Fight Like a Girl" the worst needle drop?
(01:10:18) How much of a city in the Wickverse is made up of assassins?
(01:15:42) What about the rest of the children at Hallstatt?!
(01:17:15) Will the Director and Ruska Roma look to recruit at Hallstatt?
(01:24:45) Accent corner with Joanna Robinson
(01:28:13) Who put the hit on Eve?
(01:39:35) Letter grades and final reaction

Hosts: Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson
Producers: Jessie Lopez and John Richter
Social: Jomi Adeniran
Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell

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‘Mission: Impossible’ Movie Draft Jun 06, 2025

Show notes

Mal and Jo are joined by Rob Mahoney for the ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie draft! They’ll be drafting their best Ethan Hunt, two team members, a villain, a MacGuffin, a stunt, and a device/gadget. Later, they also rank the ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies!

(00:00) Intro

(08:21) Rules

(18:39) Mal Pick 1

(21:57) Rob Pick 1

(27:06) Jo Pick 1

(31:00) Jo Pick 2

(33:26) Rob Pick 2

(35:29) Mal Pick 2

(40:06) Mal Pick 3

(43:06) Rob Pick 3

(44:31) Jo Pick 3

(47:26) Jo Pick 4

(50:43) Rob Pick 4

(57:31) Mal Pick 4

(01:01:52) Mal Pick 5

(01:07:11) Rob Pick 5

(01:10:36) Jo Pick 5

(01:12:42) Jo Pick 6

(01:16:44) Rob Pick 6

(01:19:34) Mal Pick 6

(01:23:54) Mal Pick 7

(01:28:55) Rob Pick 7

(01:32:48) Jo Pick 7

(01:37:03) Recap

(01:39:39) Honorable Mentions

(01:46:32) ‘Mission: Impossible’ Rankings

(01:51:16) Outro

Hosts: Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson

Guest: Rob Mahoney

Producers: Carlos Chiriboga and John Richter

Social: Jomi Adeniran

Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal

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'Andor' Showrunner Tony Gilroy on World-Building, the Ideology of 'Andor,' and Characters He'll Miss Writing For Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

Mal and Jo are joined by ‘Andor’ showrunner Tony Gilroy! They dive into everything from the world-building and ideology of ‘Andor’ to the fate of the Maya Pei Brigade, what’s in Syril’s box, and much more!

(00:00) Intro
(05:08) Speeches and Quotes in ‘Andor’
(07:16) World-Building in ‘Andor’
(10:24) The Sense of Place and Ideology in ‘Andor’
(15:30) Balance of Characters
(21:15) Power Dynamics and How They Shift
(23:32) If You Made ‘Rogue One’ After ‘Andor,’ How Would it Be Different?
(25:41) Jyn and Cassian’s Relationship
(26:52) Figuring Out Character Retributions
(29:42) Luthen and Saw
(34:35) Staying in His Five-Year Period
(36:40) Taking the Ideas of ‘Andor’ and Moving Beyond It
(43:39) Which Characters Will You Miss Writing For?
(46:11) Cinta Kaz and Tay Kolma’s Demise
(48:00) B2EMO and a Farewell Scene with Cassian
(51:57) Budget Restrictions Where They Had to Get Creative
(56:56) Lessons to Take from ‘Andor’
(01:00:35) Syril’s Private Box and Enza
(01:03:04) Did Anyone from the Maya Pei Brigade Survive?

Hosts: Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson
Guest: Tony Gilroy
Producers: Carlos Chiriboga and John Richter
Social: Jomi Adeniran
Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal

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The 2025 Spring Mailbag May 30, 2025

Show notes

From books to ‘Star Wars’ to ‘The Last of Us,’ the House of R mailbag is here. Jo and Mal are here to answer all of your burning questions about the content you love!

(00:00) Intro

(07:09) Book club with the Orioles

(17:39) House of R countdowns

(25:19) R-rated 'Star Wars' movies

(43:49) 'Survivor 50' casting

(52:30) 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' reboot

(57:37) Book recommendations

(01:13:13) Bras and gauze in 'The Last of Us'

(01:21:15) Food options in 'The Last of Us'

(01:28:43) Finale reaction

Hosts: Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson
Producers: Jessie Lopez and John Richter
Social: Jomi Adeniran
Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal

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‘Rogue One’ Revisited Through the Lens of ‘Andor’ May 28, 2025

Show notes

Mal and Jo are joined by Chris Ryan to talk about how ‘Andor’ has changed their perception of ‘Rogue One.’ Then they dive deep into the movie and talk about each moment and character through the lens of ‘Andor.’

(00:00) Intro

(07:21) Opening snapshot with Chris Ryan

(50:27) Krennic comes for Galen

(01:04:01) Cassian meets Tivik on Kafrene

(01:10:48) Prison break: Jyn Erso

(01:15:23) Taking Jyn to Yavin

(01:23:21) Project: Imperial infighting

(01:35:23) Converging on Jedha

(01:58:07) Saw and Jyn reunite and hear Galen’s message

(02:21:05) A change of heart on Eadu

(02:38:28) A tense flight back to Yavin

(02:42:13) Everyone in a position of power embarrasses themselves

(02:56:36) Our rogues get their name

(03:00:41) The Battle of Scarif

(03:06:48) Cassian and Jyn versus Project Stardust

(03:22:02) Vader chases us to 'A New Hope'

Hosts: Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producers: Jonathan Frias and Carlos Chiriboga

Social: Jomi Adeniran

Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal

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‘The Last of Us’ Season 2, Episode 7 Deep Dive May 26, 2025

Show notes

Joanna and Mal are back to talk about the season two finale of ‘The Last of Us’! They take their signature deep dive and discuss this devastating episode. They talk about Ellie’s confession to Dina, a shocking death, catching up with Abby, and (most importantly) where is Shimmer!?

(00:00) Intro

(24:08) A night at the theater

(35:16) Shimmer name check #1

(01:10:59) Shimmer name check #2

(01:23:15) It’s not our war

(01:39:08) Is my Costco membership still good in the apocalypse?

(01:49:56) The confusingly named Kingston Bookstore

(02:13:01) I’m seasick just watching this

(02:15:38) Day trip to the aquarium

(02:32:52) Curtain call

(02:43:30) Seattle day 1 (Again)

(02:45:45) Spoilers: a fungus among us

Hosts: Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson

Producers: Steve Ahlman and Carlos Chiriboga

Video Supervision: John Richter

Social: Jomi Adeniran

Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal

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'The Last of Us' Season 2, Episode 6 Deep Dive May 20, 2025

Show notes

Joanna and Mal are back to talk about the latest episode of 'The Last of Us'! They take their signature deep dive and discuss this flashback-filled episode. They talk about Joel and Ellie’s trip to the museum, Eugene’s death, Ellie finding out the truth, and more!

(00:00) Intro

(18:44) Austin, 1983

(44:48) Vanilla … It’s Easier

(52:59) “All My Missing Stolen Parts”

(01:25:54) “This Is Just Too Good to Be Gone”

(01:50:04) “When the Hurricanes and Cyclones Raged”

(02:00:29) “I’m Grateful Now They’ve Left”

(02:05:35) “All the Complexities and Games”

(02:29:45) “When Wind Turned Dirt to Dust”

(02:32:34) “All the Missing Crooked Hearts”

(02:37:11) “All the Promises at Sundown”

(02:56:03) Spoilers: A Fungus Among Us