The Adaptables

Latest Episodes:

Normal People S1E2 with Alli Hoff Kosik May 02, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of The Adaptables, Emma chats about episode 2 of the Hulu and BBC adaptation of NORMAL PEOPLE by Sally Rooney. She's joined by Alli Hoff Kosik, host of the SSR Podcast.

Emma and Alli discuss likeability, consent, teenage sex in movies, Marianne's killer style, and more.

Discussion breakdown:

Intro (0:30–2:51)
Alli’s tenuous relationship with NORMAL PEOPLE (2:51–4:34)
Interiority in the show vs. the book (4:34–7:49)
Episode recap (7:50–9:30)
Let’s talk about sex, baby (9:32–13:00)
Female sexual desire (13:00–15:05)
THE SPECTACULAR NOW and the treating of teenage sex in movies (15:05–17:15)
Marianne and Connell's vulnerability with each other (17:15–20:37)
Marianne’s family dynamic (20:37–23:55)
Imogen Heap’s "Hide and Seek": can this song ever be used in a serious manner or is this a ploy to get millennials to love the show? (24:54–27:14)
Alli’s thoughts about her own relationship as contrasted with Marianne and Connell's (27:14–32:01)
Alli’s favorite adaptations and what she’s reading (32:40-36:19)

Marianne Fringe Report:
✂ Marianne’s styling with bangs and looking like a young Anne Hathaway
✂ Should we all get bangs in quarantine? Someone please stop us.

The Adaptables is a podcast from Read it Forward and Penguin Random House that dives into your favorite book-to-screen adaptations. This season, we’re watching the Hulu and BBC adaptation of NORMAL PEOPLE by Sally Rooney. Join hosts Abbe Wright and Emma Shafer as we interview authors, insiders and each other, about what makes an adaptable great, why watching and reading are important self-care rituals, and the many other books and shows we are binging and loving right now. Because at The Adaptables, we love to watch what we read. (Warning: there will be spoilers!)

Send us an email or voice recording to AdaptablesPod@Gmail.com. What did you think of the episode? Are you watching the show? Is NORMAL PEOPLE a successful adaptation of the book?

Follow @ReadItForward on Twitter and Instagram, follow Alli Hoff Kosik on Instagram and Twitter at @ahoffkosik and the SSR Podcast on Instagram and Twitter at @SSRPod and tweet your thoughts on this episode and other adaptations you love. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

NEXT UP: We’ll recap Episode 3 with Kelsey Manning, Senior Marketing Manager at Penguin Random House.

Normal People S1E1 with Michelle Hart Apr 29, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of The Adaptables, Abbe and Emma chat about episode one of the Hulu and BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney's bestselling novel, NORMAL PEOPLE. They’re joined by Michelle Hart, Assistant Books Editor at O, The Oprah Magazine.

Abbe, Emma, and Michelle discuss the pressure of reading a highly-anticipated follow-up to a beloved book, the joy of short episodes of TV, the power of longing glances, and more.

Discussion breakdown:

Intro (:01–1:15)
Emma, Abbe, and Michelle break down their relationship to the book, as well as to Sally Rooney’s first novel, CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS (1:15–5:38)
Emma extols the virtue of 30-minute-long television (5:40–6:40)
Episode recap (6:40–9:27)
Major themes, including the use of visual mirroring between Marianne and Connell, the negotiation of their secret relationship, and their shifting power dynamics (9:30–15:10)
Is Marianne’s brother, Alan, the ultimate villain of episode one? Plus more dissection of the familial relationships. Impromptu inaugural meeting of the Lorraine Fan Club (15:10–18:30)
Casting the major characters from the book for the screen, Marianne’s gentle humor, and the intricacies of Gaelic football (18:30–23:55)
The use of close-ups and longing gazes to establish Connell and Marianne’s intimacy (23:55–27:33)
Cringeworthy high school moments, the negotiation of Connell and Marianne’s romantic relationship, and the use of music—and silence—in the show (27:34–29:59)
Eroticism in the book and the show and how author Sally Rooney approaches sex scenes (33:00–35:30)
What Michelle is reading now and the adaptation she loves (35:30–37:58)

The Fringe Report:

✂ In the pilot, we see Marianne’s fringe as a curtain for her super expressive eyes, and those eyes are doing a LOT of character work here.

Read the full transcript of Michelle's interview with Sally Rooney on OprahMag.com here!

The Adaptables is a podcast from Read it Forward and Penguin Random House that dives into your favorite book-to-screen adaptations. This season, we’re watching the Hulu and BBC adaptation of NORMAL PEOPLE by Sally Rooney. Join hosts Abbe Wright and Emma Shafer as we interview authors, insiders, and each other, about what makes an adaptable great, why watching and reading are important self-care rituals, and the many other books and shows we are binging and loving right now. Because at The Adaptables, we love to watch what we read. (Warning: there will be spoilers.)

Send us an email or voice recording to AdaptablesPod@Gmail.com. What did you think of the episode? Are you watching the show? Is NORMAL PEOPLE a successful adaptation of the book?

Follow @ReadItForward on Twitter and Instagram, follow Michelle Hart on Twitter @mhmhart22, tweet your thoughts this episode and other adaptations you love. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

NEXT UP: Emma recaps episode 2 with guest Alli Hoff Kosik, host of the SSR Podcast.

Little Fires Everywhere S1E8 with Mira Jacob Apr 22, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of The Adaptables, Abbe and Emma chat about episode eight—the finale!—of the Hulu adaptation of Celeste Ng’s bestselling novel LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE. They’re joined by Mira Jacob, author of GOOD TALK and THE SLEEPWALKER'S GUIDE TO DANCING.

Abbe, Emma, and Mira discuss baby birds, trans-racial adoptions, being surprised by the adaptation of a book we've all read, those pesky fires everywhere, Elena's redemption and more.

Discussion breakdown:

Emma’s Fire Count (2:22–4:33)
Emma recaps the episode (4:45–9:31)
The lemonade stand flashback, the baby cardinal and what it means to Izzy (9:33–10:42)
The four Richardson siblings against the world—and their mother (10:42–12:58)
Elena sniping at Bill, yelling at Izzy about the Keds, and her softness with Lexie (13:00–14:19)
Elena on Lexie and Brian’s breakup (14:19–15:22)
Linda’s testimony, speaking about May Ling’s birth culture and the stickiness of a trans-racial adoption (15:22–18:19)
Mia’s audiobook on A Look at Race in Shaker Heights and her latest art project (18:20–19:24)
AD Writ Large (19:25–20:34)
Mia building Shaker out of flour and inviting Pearl to witness her art (20:34–22:33)
Pearl’s agency grows and the complexity of being a person in the world (22:33–24:00)
Celeste Ng on her characters today: “I have a general sense of them and my general sense of them is that they’re going to be okay.” (24:00–24:27)
Mia and Izzy’s farewell conversation and the scorched earth (24:29–25:28)
In the book, who is responsible for burning the house down? How does that differ in the show? (25:30–25:41)
Does Elena’s taking responsibility for her children’s actions excuse everything else she’s done up ‘til now? (25:41–27:23)
Were we surprised by the verdict? Do the beautiful, rich people always win? (27:24–31:15)
The fiery ending! (31:16–34:21)
The final scene: was it satisfying? (34:21–35:30)
Our Favorite ‘90s moments: Fat-Free lemonade, Mirabelle watching Barney & Friends, Izzy’s outfits, Bill’s cigarette smoking, and Men in Black, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Excess Baggage. (35:30–37:30)
Mira Jacob tells us about her graphic memoir, GOOD TALK (38:15–40:11)
What is Mira reading? (40:12–40:35)

TV show recap:

A flashback episode to the early ‘90s when the Richardson children are young. They are running a lemonade stand, and Izzy tries to rescue a baby cardinal.
Izzy tries to throw out all of her girly clothes, floral curtains, and Keds that she no longer wants to define her.
Pearl and Mia are still at odds. Pearl asks Mia to call her dad and tell him about her.
Mia does try to call the Ryans and Madeline picks up and correctly guesses who it is.
Elena: still meddling. Asks her doctor friend to break confidentiality about Bebe, but discovers Lexie/Pearl’s file instead.
Linda gives her testimony and the judge goes into a week of deliberation.
The judge rules in favor of the McCulloughs and they are awarded custody of Mirabelle.
Mia and Pearl make up, at Trip’s urging. But they realize they can’t stay in Shaker and leave without saying goodbye.
Izzy sees Mia and Pearl leaving the key and tries to chase after them, but it’s too late.
Izzy snaps and grabs a gas can to light her belongings on fire. The other three Richardson children see her, and try to stop her, but then what Elena says causes them all to light matches and start little fires everywhere. Izzy runs away.
Pearl and Mia leave Shaker and Pearl decides she wants to see her grandparents.
Bebe steals her daughter back from the McCulloughs and makes a run for it.
Elena takes the blame for the fires and goes to the duplex hoping Izzy is there, but she isn’t. She finds the cardinal feather in Mia’s artwork and cries over the ruination of her perfect life and the loss of her daughter.

LITTLE FIRES COUNT: 10

🔥 Mia and Pearl’s fire burning for the entire episode
🔥 The story of the prairie fire
🔥 Bill’s lighting of a cigarette

4–9.🔥 Little. Fires. Everywhere! 3 of the 4 Richardson children strike matches and light blazes.

🔥 Bill witnesses his house on fire.

The Adaptables is a podcast from Read it Forward and Penguin Random House that dives into your favorite book-to-screen adaptations. This season, we’re watching the Hulu adaptation of Celeste Ng's LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE. Join hosts Abbe Wright and Emma Shafer as we interview authors, insiders and Celeste Ng, herself, about what makes an adaptable great, why watching and reading are important self-care rituals, and the many other books and shows we are binging and loving right now. Because at The Adaptables, we love to watch what we read. (Warning: there will be little spoilers everywhere.)

Send us an email or voice recording to AdaptablesPod@Gmail.com. What did you think of the finale? Are you watching the show? Was Hulu’s LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE a successful adaptation of the book?

Follow @ReadItForward on Twitter and Instagram, follow Mira Jacob on Twitter at @mirajacob and Instagram at @GoodTalkThanks, tweet your thoughts on the finale and other adaptations you love. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

NEXT UP: We’ll start Season 2 next week with Hulu’s adaptation of Normal People, with guest Michelle Hart, Assistant Books Editor at O, The Oprah Magazine.

Little Fires Everywhere Interview with Celeste Ng Apr 20, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of The Adaptables, in anticipation of the finale episode of the Little Fires Everywhere adaptation on Hulu, Abbe sits down with author Celeste Ng to discuss how it felt to see her novel, LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, adapted for TV.

Abbe and Celeste discuss seeing Reese and Kerry embody her characters, watching the house burn, trusting a team of women to tell her story, Joshua Jackson's dad energy, and more.

Discussion breakdown:

How did the book end up in the hands of Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, and writer and showrunner Liz Tigelaar? (1:15–2:15)
What role did Celeste have in adapting her book for the screenplay? (2:15–3:15)
What part of the process did Celeste find most interesting? Celeste reveals she had a cameo! (3:12–4:08)
How it felt to watch a novel based on the interior lives of women brought to life by a team of women (4:09–5:30)
Trusting this team of people to tell the story (5:30–7:04)
A moment when Celeste felt like “Ok wow, this is really happening.” (7:05–8:04)
On reaching a broader audience with the adaptation and welcoming readers to the book after they’ve seen the TV show (8:04–8:57)
Some of Celeste’s favorite book-to-screen adaptations (8:57–10:14)
The scenes from LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE that Celeste was most excited to see (10:14–11:59)
Something from the book that Celeste was personally looking forward to seeing come to life (12:00–13:54)
AD On Second Thought (13:54–14:30)
Celeste on seeing Reese and Kerry embody her characters and how it made her see them differently (14:30–15:56)
How the HBO adaptation of BIG LITTLE LIES made Celeste see Reese Witherspoon as Elena Richardson (15:57–16:56)
Recreating the stifling setting of Shaker Heights, Ohio in the ‘90s (16:57–19:00)
What does this story gain from being set thirty years ago? (19:00–19:54)
Celeste on growing up in Shaker Heights in the ‘90s (19:54–20:38)
The necessity of including questions of race and privilege in Celeste’s work and the casting of Kerry Washington in the onscreen adaptation (20:38–23:30)
The ‘90s setting of LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE as seen through the lens of modern-day cultural phenomena like the Black Lives Matter movement (23:30–25:18)
The house on fire: Celeste on starting with a bang (25:18–26:16)
Why the show leans into the mystery angle and those episode-ending cliffhangers (26:16–26:57)
The differences in the ways that stories are told on TV vs. in novels (26:58–28:43)
Exploring mother-daughter relationships (28:43–30:00)
Will moms and daughters watch this show together? (30:00–31:31)
The POC authors Celeste Ng thinks everyone should read (31:32–33:07)
What Celeste is reading now (33:07–34:09)
How does Celeste balance reading with watching TV? (34:10–34:59)
Exploring the sensitive topic of abortion in LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE (35:00–36:44)
The response to LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE from adoptive kids and parents (36:45–38:16)
Celeste on Reese and Kerry as Elena and Mia (38:17–40:07)
Celeste’s cameo at book club in Episode 2 (40:20–41:20)
Did Celeste get to see her story in a new way on screen? (41:20–42:28)
How will book purists react to seeing the LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE adaptation? (42:28–43:16)
Celeste’s excitement on seeing the changes to her story and seeing it come to life visually (43:16–45:14)
Where are the Richardson children and Pearl now? (45:15–45:52)
Joshua Jackson as Bill Richardson and that tighty-whitey shot (45:54–47:02)

Send us an email or voice recording to AdaptablesPod@Gmail.com. What did you think of the episode? Are you watching the show? Is Hulu’s LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE a successful adaptation of the book?

Follow @ReadItForward on Twitter and Instagram, follow Celeste Ng on Instagram and Twitter at @pronounced_ing, tweet your thoughts on the LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE adaptation on Hulu and other adaptations you love. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

NEXT UP: We’ll recap episode eight, the finale, with Mira Jacob, author of Good Talk.

Little Fires Everywhere S1E7 with Elena Nicolaou Apr 15, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of The Adaptables, Abbe and Emma chat about episode seven of the Hulu adaptation of Celeste Ng’s bestselling novel, LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE. They’re joined by Elena Nicolaou, Culture Editor at OprahMag.com.

Abbe, Emma, and Elena discuss courage, hypocrisy, Izzy’s sexuality, the enduring legacy of AIM screennames, and more.

Discussion breakdown:

Emma’s Fire Count (1:13–2:32)
Emma recaps the episode (2:40–6:19)
Elena chats with Emma and Abbe about her relationship to the book (6:20–7:22)
Izzy’s sexuality storyline and backstory: “it’s the '90s,” revelation that April and Izzy were girlfriends, analysis of April as a character and their relationship (7:23–11:14)
Hypocritical actions and motivations of the characters in this episode, and the season so far (11:15–12:01)
Richardson family tree lighting, trial prep, and Christmas card photo shoot. What are Elena’s motivations in this episode, particularly her obsession with helping people, or being seen as a helper. Is this the root of her conflict with Mia? (12:02–14:49)
AD Latina to Latina (14:50–15:34)
Elena’s confrontation with Mia in the courthouse bathroom, with a quick detour for Emma to flip out over courtroom procedure (15:35–18:01)
Izzy as Elena’s foil (18:01–18:29)
Celeste Ng on the complicated reality of adoptions “Every adoption starts with a loss.” (18:30–19:47)
Lexie and Pearl’s journeys to grow up without becoming their mothers: especially Lexie dealing with her guilt over what she did to Pearl, both to get into Yale and at the abortion clinic, plus her break up with Brian, and Lexie’s vocalization of the pressure to be perfect (19:48–22:40)
Courtroom scenes: Bill as an attorney and his mind for strategy, plus the thematic impact of Bebe and Mia’s testimonies (22:42–27:28)
Detective Bill solves the case of the suspicious dinner receipt and has to confront Elena’s behavior with Jamie 15 years ago and when she went to NYC (27:30–28:15)
Plot machinations abound: Trip reveals to Pearl that Mia is paying for Bebe’s lawyer, one of many things that start to make the two of them rethink their relationship. Meanwhile, Mia tries to back out of testifying after being threatened by Elena. Pearl and Mia have a huge blowup and Mia fails to reveal her and Pearl’s past to Pearl (28:27–29:48)
How courage, and its failure, guide the characters in this episode. Particularly, Mia in relation to her testimony and her need to tell Pearl about their past, April and her inability to be her authentic self at school, and Pearl and Trip failing to tell Moody about their relationship. “Why do any of us keep secrets? It’s because we’re scared or we feel bad.” (29:49–32:05)
We finally get the backstory of the toy horses that we’ve seen Pearl with, and write about, all season (32:05–32:23)
Izzy’s Babies For Sale art protest project at school, and its racial and class implications, along with Mia’s firm but loving explanation of how Izzy’s own privilege needs to be acknowledged in her art, “you don’t get to be the exception to the rule just because you want to be.” Plus Mia tells Izzy she was once in love with a women and gives Izzy a pep talk about perseverance. (32:27–35:27)
Trip and Pearl hook up in Moody’s hideaway (uncool) and decide to tell Moody they’re together (cool), but then Moody sees them anyway and Trip then chickens out of telling him (uncool again) (35:28–36:26)
Elena takes her final step to the dark side and reveals Pearl’s origin story to her. (36:27–36:53)
Favorite ‘90s moments: Borders Books, AIM screennames, Garbage, Collective Soul, and Tupac on the soundtrack, Tower Records, and a surprise sidebar about minimum wage practices in America. (36:54–39:12)
Question for the group: is the book arsonist going to be the show arsonist? (39:12–42:02)

TV show recap:

Flashback to last summer, reveals April and Izzy’s history (they got caught kissing during seven minutes in heaven at a party and April threw Izzy under the bus)
Lexie finds out she got into Yale
Elena and Izzy fight about Izzy’s attire for the Richardson family Christmas card
Elena and Izzy fight about Izzy’s cabbage patch kid art project, for which she is suspended and Elena tells Izzy that it’s “hard to be your mom.”
Elena cuts Izzy (who is flipping the bird) out of all of the Christmas cards and Izzy finds the photos of herself in the trash
The cracks start to show in Bill and Elena’s marriage
The disputed adoption trial for May Ling begins. Bebe and Mia both testify, despite Elena threatening Mia with exposure if Mia takes the stand
Brian and Lexie break up.
Trip and Pearl decide to tell Moody about their relationship, but fail to do so, and Moody finds out anyway.
Pearl and Mia have a fight when Pearl learns that Mia is paying Bebe’s attorney fees
Elena tells Pearl about her past, her father, etc.

LITTLE FIRES COUNT: 3

🔥 Mia sitting in front of her fire at the duplex, looking at keepsake photographs
🔥 Elena reveals Pearl’s history to her, in front of a roaring fire at the Richardson house
🔥 Bill is back on the cigarettes and he’s pissed about Jamie and Elena!

Send us an email or voice recording to AdaptablesPod@Gmail.com. What did you think of the episode? Are you watching the show? Is Hulu’s LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE a successful adaptation of the book?

Follow @ReadItForward on Twitter and Instagram, follow Elena Nicolaou on Instagram and Twitter at @elenawonders, tweet your thoughts on episode 7 and other adaptations you love. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

NEXT UP: We’ll release Abbe’s full-length interview with Celeste Ng and recap episode 8, the finale!

Little Fires Everywhere S1E6 with Arianna Davis, Abbe Wright, and Emma Shafer Apr 08, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of The Adaptables, Abbe and Emma chat about episode six of the Hulu adaptation of Celeste Ng’s bestselling novel, LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE. They’re joined by Arianna Davis, Digital Director of O, The Oprah Magazine.

Abbe, Emma, and Arianna discuss birth control, ambition, Meredith Brooks, the one-hit wonder, likeability, natural hair, Princess Di’s Royal Wedding, and more.

Discussion breakdown:

Emma’s Fire Count (2:50–3:50)
Emma recaps the episode (3:57–7:15)
Elena’s breakdown, whiny Jamie, and her pathological inability to apologize for anything. (7:15–8:00)
What happens to Elena’s dreams deferred? (8:00–8:36)
New Mom Elena gets to go back to work (8:36–9:55)
Elena trying to get birth control, Bill vs. Jamie (9:55–11:47)
Insight into Izzy and Elena’s tempestuous relationship and Elena’s relationship with her own mother (11:48–12:46)
The differences between Elena and Izzy’s relationship in the show vs. the book (12:47–14:26)
Elena and her mother and the push-pull over Elena’s career and the “what-ifs?” (14:26–15:50)
We stan a flashback episode (15:50–16:40)
Celeste Ng on how novels move back and forth in time. “TV has to find different ways to get the same information across.” (16:40–17:05)
Elena in a breaking point moment, her escape to Jamie and her WTF moment in the mirror. (17:06–18:26)
Dinner with young Mark and Linda and their infertility struggles (18:30–19:15)
AD Stories with Sapphire (19:15–20:39)
Mia heading off to art school from Pittsburgh (20:40–21:20)
Arianna on the decision to make Mia and Pearl black in the show and the mirrored treatment of the main characters on the show (21:20–23:07)
Mia’s close relationship with Warren (23:07–23:42)
Mia meets her professor Pauline (23:42–25:05)
Pauline’s lesson on “the uncanny.” (25:05–26:50)
Mia meets trenchcoat-clad Jesse Williams on the subway and hears his offer (26:50–28:05)
The complex Pauline/Mia relationship. What’s cool and not cool? What’s in the book and what’s new for TV? (28:25–32:04)
Richard Prince and appropriated art (20:52–33:14)
Surrogacy, taking things that don’t belong to you and the turkey baster shot. (33:14–34:46)
Mia’s immaculate conception and sex life (34:46–36:04)
Warren’s visit to NYC and honoring her brother by deciding to keep the baby (36:04–38:38)
Mia and Pauline have the DTR chat and bring their relationship to the next level (38:38–39:04)
Mia calls Anita and learns Pauline has died and the Ryans are looking for her (39:04–40:06)
The driving montage to bring them to present day and porcelain horses nod (40:05–40:48)
We love the soundtrack! (40:51–41:44)
Spider self-portrait (41:44–42:41)
Favorite ‘80s moments: HoJo to-go cup, Mia’s natural hair and Pauline’s braids, Elena’s work blouses, the clothes at the art opening, the Royal Wedding (42:27–44:20)
The likeability of the main characters and the importance of backstory (44:20–45:33)
Celeste Ng on mothers and daughters being brought together by her fiction. “I hope that mothers and daughters will watch this show together.” (45:33–46:30)
What is Arianna reading? (46:30–47:30)
Arianna’s fave book-to-screen adaptations (47:30–48:36)

TV show recap:

A flashback episode to the early 80s, when Mia and Elena are giving birth and raising their children.
Elena and Bill are living in the duplex and raising three kids.
Elena learns she’s pregnant with Izzy merely six weeks after giving birth to Moody, which stunts her career.
Elena finds out that four children is not like having three. She has a nervous breakdown and takes off in the middle of the night.
Elena rekindles things with her college boyfriend, Jamie…sort of.
Mia goes to art school in New York City and meets her mentor and professor Pauline.
Mia takes an offer to be a surrogate for wealthy couple in New York who can’t have a child after her scholarship falls through.
Mia really comes into her own as an artist.
Mia’s brother Warren passes away tragically and she’s not allowed to come to the funeral.
Mia decides to keep the baby she’s carrying and drives to San Francisco.
Pauline sadly dies and Mia and Pearl face the world alone.

LITTLE FIRES COUNT: 1

🔥 Mia is having her art critiqued by Pauline and reveals that she singed the negatives

Send us an email or voice recording to AdaptablesPod@Gmail.com. What did you think of the episode? Are you watching the show? Is Hulu’s LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE a successful adaptation of the book?

Follow @ReadItForward on Twitter and Instagram, follow Arianna Davis on Instagram @ariannagab and Twitter at @AriannaGDavis, tweet your thoughts on episode 6 and other adaptations you love. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

NEXT UP: We’ll recap episode seven with Elena Nicolaou, Culture Editor at OprahMag.com.

Little Fires Everywhere S1E5 with Taylor Noel, Abbe Wright, and Emma Shafer Apr 01, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of The Adaptables, Abbe and Emma dish about episode five of the Hulu adaptation of Celeste Ng’s bestselling novel LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE. They’re joined by bookstagrammer Taylor Noel, the woman behind @books_with_taylor.

Abbe, Emma, and Taylor discuss Alanis Morissette, Denison University, Magnolia Cupcakes, Celeste Ng’s moving abortion scene, Elena acting as a private investigator, and more.

Discussion breakdown:

Emma’s Fire Count (1:26–2:42)
Emma recaps the episode (2:45–5:21)
Elena in the Flashback casting: Paris, sticking to the plan, ambition, and Anna Sophia Robb (5:21–7:48)
Are we sympathetic to Jamie’s character? (7:49–9:15)
Denison University shout-out #DenisonProud (9:15–9:32)
The fight in the kitchen and the discovery of the photo of Mia (9:32–11:28)
Izzy reveals the photo to Mia (11:28–12:40)
Pearl questioning her own provenance (12:40–13:30)
Lexie gets an abortion at Planned Parenthood and betrays Pearl in the process (13:30–14:56)
Lexie trying to be honest with her mom vs. Pearl getting honest with her mom (14:56–16:04)
Snaps for Jade Pettyjohn doing a wonderful job with such a moving scene (16:04–17:50)
Celeste Ng on why she chose to include an abortion in her novel. “It’s something that virtually every teenage I know has had to deal with in some way or another.” (17:50–18:53)
Bebe and Linda interacting during the visitation (18:55–19:25)
Elena on the case in NYC (Magnolia Cupcakes actually suck.) (19:25–20:52)
The police officer checking on Elena and the race implications in the show. (20:52–22:22)
Izzy’s creation of the apology collage and the betrayal of Lexie coming out of Mia’s house (22:22–24:26)
Elena discovering Mia and Warren Wright (24:26–26:23)
Trip discovering he actually likes Pearl (26:23–27:27)
Favorite ‘90s moments: “You Oughta Know” violin cover and Alanis Morissette’s “Uninvited,” the Arch Deluxe vs. the McRib, vintage pregnancy test, double French braids with mini barrettes, the microfiche, a Cindy Sherman retrospective, Paula Jones vs. Anita Hill, the phone with the cord (27:27–29:40)
Bill gets heated when Elena goes to NYC (29:40–31:26)
Taylor’s favorite adaptations (31:26–32:28)
What is Taylor reading? (32:28–33:33)

TV show recap:

Opens in Paris in a flashback and we see how Elena and her college boyfriend Jamie know each other.
Bebe has been given visitation rights to be with May Ling.
Elena drives off to New York in the middle of the night to investigate Mia
She and Jamie have a rendezvous in New York City
Lexie finds out she’s pregnant and gets an abortion at Planned Parenthood with Pearl as her escort and seeks solace at Mia’s apartment afterward.
Izzy creates an apology collage, but ends up burning it up.
Pearl and Trip patch things up, he starts reading The Bell Jar and realizes he likes Pearl
Elena drives to Pittsburgh to interview Mia’s parents and learns the baby Mia has raised wasn’t hers to raise.

LITTLE FIRES COUNT: 4

🔥 Mia and Pearl’s Fireplace while they’re fighting over the phone
🔥 Mia feeding things into the fire as she’s on the phone with Anita
🔥 Izzy burning the apology collage for Mia
🔥 Jamie’s “Nightcap’s on me” comment

Send us an email or voice recording to AdaptablesPod@Gmail.com. What did you think of the episode? Are you watching the show? Is Hulu’s LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE a successful adaptation of the book?

Follow @ReadItForward on Twitter and Instagram, follow Taylor Noel on Instagram @books_with_taylor and Twitter at @TaylorAnneNoel, tweet your thoughts on episode 5 and other adaptations you love. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

NEXT UP: We’ll recap episode six with Arianna Davis, Digital Director of O, The Oprah Magazine

Little Fires Everywhere S1E4 with Camille Perri, Quan Barry, Abbe Wright, and Emma Shafer Mar 25, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of The Adaptables, Abbe and Emma dish about episode four of the Hulu adaptation of Celeste Ng’s bestselling novel LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE. They’re joined by novelists Camille Perri, author of THE ASSISTANTS and WHEN KATIE MET CASSIDY, and Quan Barry, author of WE RIDE UPON STICKS.

Abbe, Emma, Camille, and Quan discuss Pearl’s first time, Mia and Elena’s confrontations, Ani DiFranco, adapting your own work as a novelist, Mariah Carey’s “Honey,” and more.

Discussion breakdown:

Emma’s Fire Count (1:05–2:15)
Emma recaps the episode (2:44–4:00)
Camille Perri on the drama that all comes to a head in this episode (4:36–5:40)
The Elena and Mia confrontational arc on-screen vs. the book and other differences (5:40–7:56)
How did Bebe, the birth mother, find the McCulloughs? (8:00–9:11)
Where Linda McCullough is coming from? (9:11–10:05)
Trip, the original pick-up artist and stop, drop, and roll (10:46–13:25)
Izzy’s sexuality (13:26–14:32)
Celeste Ng on how we’re shaped by our mothers. "You're shaped by her presence or her absence." (14:32–14:57)
Izzy’s bedroom and Ani DiFranco (15:15–16:47)
Quan on the decision to cast Kerry Washington and Lexi Underwood as the Warrens (17:15–18:30)
Celeste Ng on how the casting has changed her own perspective on her characters. "Now, when I go back and look at the pages, I see them." (18:30–19:05)
Elena saying “You’re a bad mother.” (19:09–21:00)
Bebe’s immigration challenges and securing her legal representation (21:38–24:42)
What’s the deal with the artwork? (25:03–25:30)
Mean Girls, slut shaming, and “was that it?” Pearl’s first time. (25:30–27:15)
Departures from the book (27:15–27:56)
Celeste Ng on book purists, “Don’t worry, the book is always still there.” (27:57–28:28)
How extra is that closing shot? (28:28–29:29)
Favorite ‘90s moments: TLC, The Fugees, Mariah Carey, No Doubt, the Lilith Fair magazine cover, Forrest Gump, Jordan Catalano’s jacket, 12 Monkeys movie poster (29:30–32:34)
Foreshadowing moments (32:35–33:20)
Camille on adaptations and writing the screenplay of The Assistants (33:20–35:40)
Celeste Ng on why she didn’t want to be the screenwriter. “I got to sit in on the writer’s room and meet all of the really amazing writers that worked on the show.” (35:40–36:40)
Quan Barry on witchcraft, field hockey and her novel, We Ride Upon Sticks (36:40–37:27)
Quan and Camille on their favorite adaptations (37:50–39:25)
What are Camille and Quan reading? (39:24–40:15)

TV show recap:

Everyone talks about staying out of each other’s business and but then everyone gets into each other’s business.
Mia threatening Scott, the cook at Lucky Palace. Later, Elena also threatens Scott.
Moody and Trip are fighting over Pearl. Trip gives his younger brother some questionable dating advice.
Mia pushes Bebe to confront McCulloughs.
Linda obsesses over the police report from Mirabelle’s first birthday and Elena pushes the McCulloughs to confront Bebe.
Elena steps in to buy Bebe off with Mark’s checkbook.
Mia and Elena exploding at one another.
Mia snooping around Richardson’s and stealing the family’s items.
Izzy snooping around Mia’s apartment and studio.
The Halloween party and Trick or Treating.
Izzy confronting her own sexuality.
Pearl and Trip do it.
Mia lights the picture of Elena on fire.

LITTLE FIRES COUNT: 3

🔥 Stop Drop and Roll
🔥 The scorching of Elena’s photo
🔥 More weed smoking

Send us an email or voice recording to AdaptablesPod@Gmail.com. What did you think of the episode? Are you watching the show? Is Hulu’s LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE a successful adaptation of the book?

Follow @ReadItForward on Twitter and Instagram, follow Camille Perri on Instagram and Twitter at @camilleperri, tweet your thoughts on episode 4 and other adaptations you love. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

NEXT UP: We’ll recap episode five with Bookstagrammer Taylor Noel, the gal behind @books_with_taylor!

Little Fires Everywhere S1E3 with Grace Atwood, Becca Freeman, Abbe Wright, and Emma Shafer Mar 18, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of The Adaptables, Abbe and Emma dish about episode three of the Hulu adaptation of Celeste Ng’s bestselling novel LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE. They’re joined by Grace Atwood and Becca Freeman from the Bad on Paper podcast!

Abbe, Emma, Becca and Grace discuss awkward dinners at The Richardson household, the importance of that perfect dress for the homecoming dance, the stigma that every woman wants to be a mother, 90210, Joshua Jackson (duh), and more.

Discussion breakdown:

Grace Atwood and Becca Freeman talk about starting their hugely successful podcast, Bad on Paper (0:55–1:25)
Emma recaps the episode and reviews this episode’s fire count (1:25–2:26)
Bebe struggling to feed her daughter and the incompassionate store clerk who refuses her formula (2:48–5:17)
The differences between the show and the book (5:17–8:20)
A 90210 shout-out (8:20–9:03)
Brian and Lexie fighting over the stolen essay idea from Pearl for Yale; using sex as a bargaining tool (9:05–10:48)
Fake friendship between Lexie and Pearl and a cringeworthy shopping trip (10:50–12:22)
Quote from Celeste Ng about bringing the internal thoughts, realizations, and motivations of the characters to light by the screenwriters “It was really fascinating to watch the screenwriters figure out how to dramatize some of those quiet moments.” (12:22–13:10)
A dress for the dance. Did anyone else match with their friends? (13:11–14:20)
Mia has been talking to Bebe about the baby she left at the firehouse and begins to help Bebe search for her baby (14:30–16:35)
Elena and Mia meddling in other people’s business (16:35–17:25)
The creepy, anxiety-inducing final fifteen minutes of the episode (17:25–18:10)
Themes of motherhood throughout the episode (18:11–19:25)
Quote from Celeste Ng about how becoming a mother made her look at her relationship with own mother differently: “I now start to understand why my mom did a lot of the things she did.” (19:25–20:09)
The stigma that every woman wants to be a mother and the cultural attitudes of the mid-‘90s (20:12–22:15)
Awkward dinner table chat at The Richardsons (22:15–23:16)
Quote from Celeste Ng on reflecting on growing up in Shaker Heights, Ohio and writing about race and class: “It was a neighborhood where race was something that we talked about—or at least we tried to talk about.” (23:16–24:26)
Izzy trying to reinvent how others perceive her at the Homecoming Dance (25:10–27:00)
Moody ruining everything and the set-up of a major love triangle (27:01–29:25)
What happened with Izzy and April? (29:25–31:10)
Mia learns where Linda’s adopted baby has come from (31:11–33:12)
Favorite ‘90s moments: the music at the dance (Chumbawumba!), a slow, haunting Phil Collins cover, “Do you have any Grey Poupon?”, Tyson Beckford, and disposable cameras. (33:12–35:15)
The heightened drama when Bebe sees Linda McCullough and her baby as she crashes Mirabelle/May Ling’s birthday (35:15–36:20)
Joshua Jackson as a dad. Are we really that old? (36:20–37:15)
What are Grace and Becca reading? (37:14–39:15)
Grace and Becca’s favorite book-to-screen adaptations (39:15–40:55)

TV show recap:

Flashback to December 1996, where we see Bebe struggling with her infant daughter
Lexie steals Pearl’s experience for her Yale essay; Brian admonishes her
Mia has been talking to Bebe about her infant daughter, whom she left at a firehouse. Bebe wonders if she’s even still the baby’s mother
Lexie and Pearl grow closer, shopping together
Izzy trying to rewrite the script about what’s being said about her at school
The Homecoming dance!
Lexie and Brian having sex in the limo
A 1st birthday party for Mirabelle, the adopted daughter of Linda and Mark McCullough, thrown by Elena
Mia invites herself to the party in order to figure out if Mirabelle is actually Bebe's lost daughter, May Ling
We learn something about Izzy and April’s friendship fracture
Bebe crashes the birthday party and sees her daughter again, in the arms of another mother

LITTLE FIRES COUNT: 2

🔥 Mia’s lighter while she’s smoking weed
🔥 The lighting of the 1st birthday candle at Mirabelle/May Ling’s birthday

Send us an email or voice recording to AdaptablesPod@Gmail.com. What did you think of the episode? Are you watching the show? Is Hulu’s LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE a successful adaptation of the book?

Follow @ReadItForward on Twitter and Instagram, follow Bad on Paper podcast on Instagram at @BadonPaperPodcast and listen to the Bad on Paper Podcast here. Follow Grace Atwood on Twitter and Instagram @GraceAtwood and Becca Freeman at @BeccaMFreeman on Twitter and Instagram, tweet your thoughts on episode 3 and other adaptations you love. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

NEXT UP: We’ll recap episode four with Camille Perri, author of THE ASSISTANTS and WHEN KATIE MET CASSIDY, and Quan Barry, author of WE RIDE UPON STICKS.

Little Fires Everywhere S1E2 with Taylor Jenkins Reid, Abbe Wright, and Emma Shafer Mar 18, 2020

Show notes

Today on The Adaptables, Abbe and Emma chat about episode two of the Hulu adaptation of Celeste Ng’s bestselling novel LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE. They’re joined by Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of, most recently, DAISY JONES & THE SIX.

Abbe, Emma, and Taylor discuss the forthcoming adaptation of DAISY JONES & THE SIX, mother/daughter drama, the enduring wisdom of Fiona Apple, THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES, meatloaf with Ritz Crackers, and more.

Discussion breakdown:

Taylor Jenkins Reid recaps her novel DAISY JONES & THE SIX (1:20–4:23)
Taylor tells us about the forthcoming Hello Sunshine adaptation of DAISY JONES & THE SIX (4:25–5:35)
Taylor spills the tea on casting news for DAISY JONES & THE SIX, including Sam Claflin’s hot man energy (5:35–9:30)
Reflecting on reading LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE (9:45–10:45)
Emma reviews this episode’s fire count (10:45–12:39)
Emma tries to quickly recap the episode (12:44–17:00)
The differences between Elena and Mia and their relationship to one another (17:10–19:15)
Quote from Celeste Ng about the star power of Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon: “I don’t know what I did to get so lucky to have not one but two star actresses.” (19:17–19:41)
Meatloaf with Ritz Crackers. Is it a Midwestern thing? (20:00–20:30)
“Like eating an apple, seeds and all.” We see how integral motherhood is to both Mia and Elena. (20:33–24:57)
Quote from Celeste Ng about seeing Reese and Kerry bring Mia and Elena to life and how it complicated her own feelings about her characters. “It was really through the strength of those two performances that both of those feelings really got teased out.” (24:57–26:05)
Mia giving Izzy advice on standing up for herself after the orchestra teacher incident and telling Pearl to self-advocate about her math class (26:07–29:30)
Pearl annoyed at her mom infiltrating her hangout time at the Richardsons (30:00–31:00)
Taylor reflecting on how Izzy and Pearl remind her of Angela Chase in My So-Called Life (31:00–31:45)
Mother and daughter drama and “mom-switching” (31:45–33:05)
Favorite ‘90s moments: Buffy not recording, “Fiona Apple is right, the world is bullshit,” MTV and Ricki Lake, dial-up in the computer lab, the fax machine, Dooney & Burke purses and Steve Madden clogs, the popularity of THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES and MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, and nods to Beck, Melissa Etheridge, and Kurt Cobain (33:05–39:22)
Book club with a Celeste Ng cameo (40:15–40:45)
Quote from Celeste Ng on filming the book club scene: “My direction was just look like you’re a little confused and you don’t know what is going on, which was perfect for me.” (40:45–41:30)
Taylor refusing to make a similar cameo in DAISY JONES & THE SIX (41:30–42:16)
More on book club and the relatability of showing up without finishing the book (42:16–44:30)
Elena, um, examining herself. Can we ever really see ourselves clearly? (44:30–46:19)
Mia rescuing Elena at book club ignites their bonding (46:15–47:00)
Mia’s artistic work coming to life on-screen (46:40¬–47:12)
Celeste Ng on having a visual artist execute Mia’s artwork: “It was really cool to see what an actual visual artist did with the descriptions of what I had made.” (47:13–47:40)
Coming soon: the greatest album of ‘70s in the DAISY JONES & THE SIX adaptation (47:40–49:15)
Snippets of what’s to come (49:19–49:30)
Joshua Jackson appreciation segment (49:30–51:40)
What’s Taylor Jenkins Reid reading? (51:40–52:15)
Taylor’s favorite book-to-screen adaptations (52:15–53:44)

TV show recap:

First day of school at both the Warren and Richardson households
Izzy’s nervous about her first day of high school
Izzy is bullied with the Ellen TIME magazine cover and comments in orchestra class
Pearl is trying to get into a harder math class and is meeting opposition from the school
Elena runs a background check on Mia because she’s wary of her new house manager
Mia asks her Lucky Palace boss to fake a tenant reference for her
We are introduced to Bebe’s character, Mia’s co-worker at Lucky Palace
Elena’s Book Club meets to discuss THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES
Mia rescues Elena during book club and helps her sound smart
Izzy snaps at her orchestra teacher and defends another student
Bebe gets upset over a table at Lucky Palace
Cliffhanger: we find out that Bebe once had a daughter, but we aren’t sure what has happened to her

LITTLE FIRES COUNT: 4

🔥 Mia’s lighter while she’s smoking weed
🔥 The lighting of the Sterno under the fondue at book club
🔥 Pearl and Moody using the lighter and smoking weed
🔥 Pearl and Moody’s stoned mood lighting

Send us an email or voice recording to AdaptablesPod@Gmail.com. What did you think of the episode? Are you watching the show? Is Hulu’s LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE a successful adaptation of the book?

Follow @ReadItForward on Twitter and Instagram, follow Taylor Jenkins Reid on Twitter and Instagram at @tjenkinsreid, tweet your thoughts on episode 2 and other adaptations you love. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

NEXT UP: We’ll recap episode three with Grace Atwood and Becca Freeman from the Bad on Paper podcast!

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