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Space the Nation — Arts
Space the Nation

On Space the Nation, we take our love of science fiction (and fantasy and horror) and smash it together with our professional passions: international relations (as brought to the table by Tufts University professor and Washington Post columnist Dan Drezner) and cultural criticism (as brought to the table by political columnist Ana Marie Cox). It’s a highly informed but hilarious conversation that starts with an examination of a particular text (everything from Ursula K. LeGuin to the MCU, Star Trek to Colson Whitehead) and veers into current events, mental health practices and imagined conversations between Ted Cruz and the Predator. For people who like white papers and graphic novels, Chapo Trap House and what Political Science Twitter used to be.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Copyright: © Space the Nation

Latest Episodes:

ENCORE: ROGUE ONE May 29, 2025

Show notes

From the heady days of May 2022: Dan and Ana would have the pilot give the plans directly to the rebels, but decide to watch the movie anyway. Can you make a great movie entirely premised on a retcon? Does it take extremists to goad rebellions into action? How would Adorno feel about all this? There is IR in this movie.

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ANDOR S2 E10-12 May 29, 2025

Show notes

Ana and Dan hope you’re enjoying the leisurely pace of these episode drops, letting you linger in the all-too-brief glory that was Andor Season 2 even as it starts to fade into memory. There’s a bit of IR in this show. And if you're a patron, don’t miss our video chat on a post-Andor rewatch of Rogue One.

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ANDOR S2 E7-9 May 18, 2025

Show notes

Ana and Dan aren’t too green to podcast in this volatile environment—they’ll be fine.

NOTE: Dan repeatedly refers to the "KX" droids as "KY" droids, and I did nothing to stop him.

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ANDOR S2 E4-6 May 10, 2025

Show notes

Ana and Dan brush off the bourgeoisie’s cosplay rebellion to get to the real heart of revolutionary struggle: ignoring signs of drug abuse in loved ones. Star Wars for grown-ups continues to ask hard questions about means and ends—and doubles as a PSA for trauma-informed workplace policies. There’s IR and a critique of capitalism in this show.

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G20 May 04, 2025

Show notes

After seeing trailers for this action-amid-the-white-papers flick, Ana and Dan brainstormed the next wave of thrillers based on foreign policy gatherings: New from Netflix: THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, with Naomi Watts, Jason Isaacs, and Alison Pill. Hulu presents THE MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE. Paramount+ unveils a new prestige drama: UNESCO.

Alas, G20—the actual movie—is not quite the geopolitical thrill ride we hoped for. EGOT-winner Viola Davis gives it her all, but the film doesn’t deserve her. Also: way less IR than you'd expect.

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ANDOR S2 E1-3 May 04, 2025

Show notes

Ana and Dan dance like no one is watching. Andor Season 2 is finally here—was it worth the wait? The first arc brings us sexpest fascists, sad droids, multiple rebellions in search of a group chat, Cassian in motivational speaker mode, Mad Men in space, and genocide served over light refreshments. We dig into imperial bureaucracy, Star Wars as labor economy, and why Tony Gilroy might be the last great showrunner of his kind. Yes, there is IR in this galaxy.

Content warning: discussion includes sexual assault and real-world current events.

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MICHAEL CLAYTON Apr 22, 2025

Show notes

Ana and Dan pause to commune with the horses just as dawn breaks. How is 2007's "Michael Clayton" related to science fiction? 1) Only alien technology explains how someone with Clooney's looks and charm is the office henchman and not running the place 2) It's the creation of Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy. This is good enough. Highly quotable, gorgeous, perhaps (in Ana's opinion) a perfect film in the vein of Alien: not a single shot or line of dialogue wasted, everyone in the movie performing at the same high level, endlessly re-watchable, satisfying without being trite. Enjoy!

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SEVERANCE S2 E6-10 Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

Ana and Dan reintegrate to unpack the second half of Severance Season 2, from haunting standalone episodes to an action-packed finale. They explore the show's psychological and thematic depth: labor alienation, the inner child, and late-stage capitalism in a company town. We learn Harmony Cobel invented severance, Gemma was probably lured with a fake baby promise, and Cold Harbor might be killing innies one spreadsheet at a time. Also: Milchick dances, Gwendoline Christie fights, and the baby goat lives (for now). There's class war, metaphysical angst, and echoes of The Graduate, The Matrix, and every emotionally constipated Apple product demo. There’s IR in this episode, and a critique of capitalism bosses hate more than big words.

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THE ELECTRIC STATE Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

Ana and Dan would not volunteer for a road trip across a ruined America, even if it involved Gen-X micro-targeted mid-90s nostalgia. We break down The Electric State, a film that raises big questions about AI labor and passive entertainment but then does nothing interesting or coherent with them. The most expensive film Netflix has ever made (no, seriously), yet everything looks like a student film shot in the mustard aisle. The Tuch Tuches it up! Giancarlo Esposito does chillingly casual menace! All in vain. There’s class war, robot angst, and echoes of Terminator, The Road, and that Fallout series I forgot to finish. There’s some IR in this episode, and a critique of capitalism that feels like a drone strike from above.

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MICKEY17 Apr 01, 2025

Show notes

Ana and Dan would not volunteer to die over and over again, even to be a working-class counterpoint to an obvious Trump parody. We explore the existential horror of being a disposable clone in a world that treats human life like office supplies. There’s class war, clone angst, and echoes of Moon, The Prestige, and Severance. Also: One of us finds the romance compelling, the other is skeptical. There's some IR in this episode and a critique of capitalism that will hit you like a giant pill bug.

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