The Lorehounds

Latest Episodes:

Backrooms (2026) Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

David and Elysia venture into the Horror Hounds to discuss Backrooms (2026), A24's creepypasta-turned-feature film directed by Kane Parsons and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. They trace the film's remarkable origin — from an anonymous 2019 post on 4chan to Kane Pixels' three-year YouTube web series — and unpack how a 19-year-old first-time director delivered a confident, visually stunning film on a $10M budget with a 14X box office return. The conversation digs into the film's rich thematic layers, including the backrooms as a Jungian mirror of shared anxiety and mental illness, the AI-as-mimicry subtext, the literary connection to Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper, the psychological character studies of Mary and Clark, and what this film signals about a new generation of internet-native storytellers reshaping the horror genre.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: lorehounds@thelorehounds.com

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

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The Vampire Lestat – Interview with the Vampire S3 preview Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

Part spin-off series following a new voice and perspective, part season 3 of AMC's Interview with the Vampire, all The Vampire Lestat. John and Elysia get together to discuss their favorite fanged villains and antiheroes ahead of the new season – opening with a (mostly) spoiler-free discussion of why those who haven't should tune into the first two seasons, before launching into their dive into the new season: what we know so far, the characters, the music, and awards for the vamps most likely to do anything from stand you up for a date to fall for an internet scam.

Catch up with the discussion and recap of Interview with the Vampire seasons 1 &2 here.

Lestat's music videos so far:

• “Long Face”

• “All Fall Down”

• “Dancing with Myself” (cover)

• “Butterscotch Bitch”

• “Your Biggest Fan”

Promo material referenced:

• Latest, longest trailer

• “I bet” trailer (first extended look)

• Incest / “failure” trailer (“The Rolin Cut”)

• Lestat discovers the book (clip)

• Pom commercial

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Send emails to: lorehounds@thelorehounds.com

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) Jun 01, 2026

Show notes

Elysia and John continue the journey of the galaxy's favorite father and son in The Mandalorian and Grogu. They catch up with the New Republic before meeting Hutts of various sizes, watching stop motion and puppetry showcases, and overall having a fun, standalone adventure.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: starwars@thelorehounds.com

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Widow's Bay – S01E01-05 – The characters & all the haunts May 24, 2026

Show notes

John drops in for cocktail hour before Mark, Lisa, and Elysia make a meal of all the lore-building and juicy character moments in the first five episode of Widow's Bay on Apple TV – also laying out what the many teases and blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments might mean for the rest of this season (and beyond?).

This episode begins with spoiler-free reactions to the show so far before beginning our spoiler discussion.

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Send emails to: lorehounds@thelorehounds.com

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Punisher: One Last Kill (2026) – MCUniverse Special Presentation May 17, 2026

Show notes

Jean, Luke, and Elysia check in on the good, the could-be-better, and the absolute Red-Band of the 2026 Marvel Special Presentation The Punisher: One Last Kill on Disney+. Their conversation is dotted with discussions of grief, target audiences, the comic-book inspiration, and the future of this character and the rest of the MCU (with important opinions about movie-theater seating thrown in for good measure).

Daredevil: Born Again coverage:

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Send emails to: mcu@thelorehounds.com

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Luke's podcast

ItCouldBeSaid

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Project Hail Mary (2026) – Hope for humanity May 13, 2026

Show notes

John, Elysia, and Marilyn follow Ryan Gosling to the far reaches of space to save humankind from destruction. They discuss the impressive puppetry and visuals, the hopepunk core of the film, and the parallels to other sci-fi worlds.

Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Send your questions and feedback to lorehounds@thelorehounds.com.

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Pitt - S02 Season Wrap-Up w/Nichole, John & Ian May 11, 2026

Show notes

David is joined by Nichole from Nevermind the Music, John from the Dune Minute Podcast, and Ian from Captain's Pod: A Star Trek Companion for a full-spoiler season wrap-up of The Pitt Season 2.

The panel works through the season's central argument: that Season 2 is a fifteen-hour indictment of what the American healthcare system does to the people inside it, told not through one catastrophic event but through the slow grind of a single ordinary shift. The conversation covers the Robby problem and his pattern of hot-and-cold behavior, individual patients as vessels for systemic critique, Langdon's recovery arc and stunning role reversal, the S1 vs S2 debate, off-screen controversies including cast departures and fandom toxicity, and what a Season 3 winter shift might need to do to stay vital.

Guest Links

Nevermind the Music: https://redcircle.com/shows/nevermind-the-music
Dune Minute Podcast: https://linktr.ee/theduneminute
Captain's Pod: A Star Trek Companion: https://redcircle.com/shows/captains-pod-a-star-trek-companion9159

Contact Us Questions or comments?

Send emails to: lorehounds@thelorehounds.com

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Daredevil: Born Again S2-E5-8 – A really Devilish lawyer (MCUniverse) May 09, 2026

Show notes

Jean, Luke, and Elysia are back to wrap up their discussion of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 with an analysis of episodes 5 through 8, and plenty of speculation of where this story will go in season 3, not to mention the Punisher special presentation next week and everything else going on in the MCU this year or next.

They're asking the important questions, from who is the least empathetic character on this show to when we will get the Buck–Pretty Woman crossover of Elysia's dreams. Plus, tips on the most essential comics to read to prepare for the next part of this tale.

DD:BA S2 eps 1-4

Watch out next week for our coverage of The Punisher: One Last Kill.

Last season's coverage:

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Send emails to: mcu@thelorehounds.com

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Luke's podcast

ItCouldBeSaid

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Star Trek, Star Wars, and the Stories We Need - A Conversation with Dr. Amy H. Sturgis May 08, 2026

Show notes

David sits down with Dr. Amy H. Sturgis, professor of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Gothic literature at Signum University and a contributor to the Hugo Award-winning podcast StarShipSofa, for a wide-ranging conversation about Star Trek, Star Wars, and the stories we need.

They explore why both franchises have retained such fierce cultural grip across generations, unpacking the co-creative tradition that has defined Star Trek fandom, the danger of nostalgic and entitled fandoms, and the distinct but complementary ways the two franchises ask us to think about power, agency, and the future. The conversation also touches on Amy's two co-edited Vernon Press anthologies, the acafan identity, dark academia as a Gothic tradition, and her current recommendations across television, fiction, and music.

Guest Bio

Dr. Amy H. Sturgis is a professor of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Gothic literature at Signum University. She has authored or edited more than a dozen books, contributed over sixty scholarly essays, and holds a PhD in Intellectual History from Vanderbilt University. Since 2008, she has contributed her "Looking Back on Genre History" segment to the Hugo Award-winning podcast StarShipSofa. Her most recent books are two co-edited anthologies: Star Trek: Essays Exploring the Final Frontier and Star Wars: Essays Exploring a Galaxy Far, Far Away (both Vernon Press, 2023).

Website: amyhsturgis.com

Mastodon: @DrAHSturgis@Universidon

Amy's Three Things

Vienna Blood (TV series, PBS Masterpiece)

https://www.pbs.org/show/vienna-blood/

The Liebermann Papers novels by Frank Tallis https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/MXL/max-liebermann/

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins https://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/sunrise_on_the_reaping.htm

In Times of Dragons by Tori Amos

https://toriamos.com/music/

Also Mentioned

Signum University SPACE Program (Adult Continuing Education) https://signumuniversity.org/non-degree-programs/adult-continuing-education/

Heat Death — Decline and Fall series by Asher and Saul Elbein

https://heat-death.ghost.io/tag/decline-and-fall/

Questions or comments? Send emails to: lorehounds@thelorehounds.com

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Maul: Shadow Lord - S01E09-10 - Strange Allies / The Dark Lord May 07, 2026

Show notes

David, Jean, and Bryan close out the first season of Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord with a finale that earns a standing ovation from the entire team. The conversation opens with reactions to a season they rank among the best Star Wars storytelling ever produced, animated or live action, before diving into full-spoiler discussion of both episodes. The team explores the shifting alliances and escalating power dynamics of the finale, Daki's complete character arc and the respect he ultimately earns, and the question of whether Devon's final choice is truly her own or the product of masterful manipulation. Bryan raises a compelling question about legacy versus weaponry in the Sith tradition, while Jean unpacks the cycle of grief and loss that connects the dark side across generations. Elysia delivers fresh takes and a lore bomb on the history of Stormtroopers. The crew also previews a packed slate of upcoming coverage across the network.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: starwars@thelorehounds.com

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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