Unabashed Book Snobbery

UBS #82 Caroline Was Right (for now) Mar 23, 2023

Julia, Kylie, Caroline, and Gretchen name their dragons, define antagonists, and wonder if they're secure in trusting House of the Dragon as they discuss the first season in full.

Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Intro
3:15 - The adjective game & fandom engagement
18:45 - HOTD tops itself/the ending
25:20 - Missteps, favorites, and Matt Daemon
29:40 - Avoid and evade, typical airbender tactics
39:20 - Season structure
51:30 - What's an antagonist?
1:02:00 - Liberatory violence
1:09:20 - Babes and MMD
1:22:30 - The dagger of it all
1:32:45 - Are we getting duped again?
1:45:45 - Season 2 hopes and dreams
1:56:20 - The Aemond of it all
2:05:20 - Name your dragon!

HotD 1x10 We Did It, Visenya! Feb 16, 2023

Julia, Kylie, Caroline and Bo celebrate Emma D'Arcy stealing the show, while Vhagar fulfills her own Targ destiny in the House of the Dragon season finale, "The Black Queen."

Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro, asks, recap, and Florida
16:25 - Rhaenyra is practically perfect
22:25 - The babe did come :(
32:30 - Daemon's spousal support
40:20 - Sweet gaming table
44:30 - Fucking Otto
53:15 - Daemon stans and a terrible ship
1:04:05 - A good ship
1:14:30 - Ask your doctor about Vermithor
1:19:56 - Treat in Kamino
1:28:35 - Julia reads from her Kobo
1:33:20 - Vhagar makes Visenya proud
1:42:15 - Kylie wants to rage-quit
1:49:15 - Highlights/lowlights

HotD 1x09 Rhaenys Flew Over The Coup Coup Nest Feb 08, 2023

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline get out their #girlboss mugs and smash through smallfolk to celebrate the first penultimate season episode for House of the Dragons, 'The Green Council'.

Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro & episode recap
12:05 - Struck down in his prime!
21:33 - A zany search sequence
31:42 - The princess in the tower
41:22 - Aegonball
50:10 - Defining 'closer to earth'
55:15 - Feet info exchange
1:06:25 - The plot carries Rhaenys this way!
1:12:50 - Girlbossing the smallfolk to death
1:38:30 - Highlights/lowlights & do we like this story?

HotD 1x08 Toastmasters Jan 25, 2023

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline reunite with Musa for an awkward family dinner where they toast the 8th episode of House of the Dragon, "The Lord of the Tides". Musa agrees Targs are boring with the exception of one particular edgelord.

Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Introduction & recap
22:10 - Julia wants to spoil Fire and Blood
20:00 - Mullets and age-bending
24:00 - Marie de' Medici and wall porn
34:21 - The Alicent that was promised
40:00 - Questionable online discourse
57:47 - Musa hates boring Targs
1:04:45 - Rhaenys needs to monologue her motivations
1:13:00 - Stupid prophecy dagger is stupid
1:20:15 - Helaena is thinkin' about bugs
1:35:00 - Family dinner of fun
1:46:10 - Julia reads from her Kobo
1:53:53 - Dramatic irony happens!
2:03:03 - Highlights/lowlights

HotD 1x07 Miguel Turns Off The Lights Jan 18, 2023

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline strain their eyes to watch House of the Dragon episode 7, 'Driftmark' thanks to Miguel Sapochnik, and begin their own familial strife over Alicent's poo face.

Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro, asks, and recap
12:25 - We're struggling, guys
26:10 - Green burial practices
35:55 - Miguel Sapochnik turns off the lights
39:50 - Caroline ships RhaenyraxDaemon
46:10 - Hiccup's first flight
51:15 - Kid punching and kobos
57:21 - Alicent monologues her motivations
1:15:00 - Laenor shows up with Starbucks
1:26:55 - We travel to the Fire Nation
1:32:35 - Highlights/lowlights

HotD 1x06 The Babe Won't Come Jan 04, 2023

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline are thrust forward in time 10 years where they discuss engorgement, dig up Criston Cole's 4chan posts, and shout "polycule" repeatedly.

Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro & episode recap
7:15 - Rhaenyra takes a lovely stroll
15:30 - The "we want to bang Rhaenyra" repression club
22:40 - How to train your dragon
34:30 - The Alicent in the room
47:15 - The babe won't come
1:10:55 - Criston Cole gets punched in the face
1:30:30 - Larys is eating her pie
1:40:22 - Highlighs & lowlights

HotD 1x05 Patriarchy Brains Break Dec 21, 2022

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline celebrate the royal wedding by squeeing through their entire discussion of episode 5 of House of the Dragon, "We Light the Way."

Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro & episode recap
7:00 - UBS corrections
8:45 - Lady Rhea
17:50 - Alicent's fun day
25:00 - A proposal is proposed at Driftmark
38:00 - Julia's Criston Cole headcanons
51:15 - Royal wedding time
1:13:00 - Julia pulls out her Kobo again
1:24:30 - The short, short version
1:32:10 - Highlights & lowlights

HotD 1x04 Thematic Parmesan Crisps Dec 14, 2022

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline welcome back Gretchen to chat about sex and sex rats, aka episode 4 of House of the Dragon, "King of the Narrow Sea".

Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Introduction & episode recap
7:17 -Some kind of chronological analysis
20:00 - Garden party
33:45 - Matt Smith talks in Valyrian
42:47 - Rhaenyra on the town
52:05 - Sex juxtaposition
1:05:00 - The Criston Cole scene
1:19:50 - Julia takes out her Kobo
1:43:10 - Highlights/lowlights

HotD 1x03 Dance of the Crabs Dec 07, 2022

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline watch episode 3 "Second of his Name" and get distracted by Mary Bennet and hairnets. This week's Dornish rant is nothing compared to the discussion of symbolic stags and crab dances.

Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Introduction
3:10 - Episode Recap
6:00 - CRABFEEDER
20:15 - Main plot & hairnets
32:15 - Breadtangle of politics
50:00 - Symbolic stags
58:00 - Targy traits
1:04:15 - Symbolic fingers
1:09:45 - Requisite Dornish discussion
1:20:10 - Highlights/lowlights

HotD 1x02 Her Hair is Full of Patriarchy Nov 30, 2022

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline continue their viewing of House of the Dragon with its second episode "The Rogue Prince" and crap...are they starting to really enjoy it? Only minor Dornish rants ensue, and we learn why Rhaenys's hair is so big.

Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Introduction
5:20 - Episode Recap
8:16 - Beginning of episode discussion
16:15 - Yet another Criston Cole rant
21:00 - Some clarifications from last week
25:00 - Alicent the sexual manipulator
35:20 - Will Viserys marry this 12 year old?
44:09 - Daemon shenanigans
1:10:41 - Let's talk costumes
1:16:45 - Highlights/lowlights

HotD 1x01 - Fine, We'll Watch the Boring Targs Nov 16, 2022

Julia and Kylie reunite with Caroline to cover yet another HBO A Song of Ice and Fire-universe show House of the Dragon...this time with actually nice things to say? In addition to, dare we say it, a degree of dramatic satisfaction. This episode focuses on the series premiere, "The Heirs of the Dragon."

Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full podcast notes and links.

Episode Breakdown

0:00 – Intro and catch-up
8:45 – Episode recap
11:15 – Review & discussion
48:40 – Dornish rant

UBS #71 Remembering Season 8 Part 2 Mar 25, 2020

Julia and Kylie continue their laborious journey back through Season 8, as they recap the final 3 episodes that broke fandom forever.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes and links.
Episode Breakdown

0:00 – Intro from the future!
8:30 – “The Last of the Starks”;
1:03:30 – “The Bells”;
1:37:30 – “The Iron Throne”

UBS #70 Remembering Season 8 Part 1 Mar 19, 2020

Back with a vengeance, Julia and Kylie begin their work revisiting Season 8 with one of their famous high level recaps of the entire season! Analysisishness ensues.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro from the future!
8:00 - "Winterfell";
1:00:00 - "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms";
1:43:45 - "The Long Knight"

The 4th Primetime Carol Awards - GoT Season 8 Aug 13, 2019

Kylie, Julia, and Caroline return as MCs for the most prestigious award show in all of television: The Carol Awards! Celebrating the best in dramatic satisfaction, they take you through Game of Thrones Season 8's greatest hits in 40 categories, once more.
The full Season 8 Carol Awards Ceremony post can be found on TheFandomentals.com. Nomination presentations begin around the 4 minute mark

UBS #68 Season 8 Grab Bag Jun 06, 2019

After taking a few weeks to recover, Julia and Kylie are finally ready to talk about Game of Thrones season 8, by clearing out Kylie's ask-box in a very unstructured conversation, as is fitting.
Due to the grab-bag nature of this episode, a proper "breakdown" was not possible.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.

8x06 "The Iron Throne" UBS Review May 21, 2019

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline, are joined by Gretchen for the FINAL EPISODE EVER of Game of Thrones. They discuss the dramatic satisfaction that obviously ensued, as well as a pesky little thing that begins with 's' and ends with 'ism'.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.

Episode Breakdown

0:00 - Intro & episode recap;
12:30 - Sansa and Dany;
44:00 - Jonny;
1:00:00 - Gvernance & character arcs;
1:36:00 - CAROL and closing thoughts

8x05 "The Bells" UBS Review May 14, 2019

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline, welcome Blaire to their bell choir, which is deeply significant to all involved. Topics include whether this is the worst episode to date, the reemergence of Carol, and Harry Strickland's horse.
Due to yet another epic battle episode on the show, this episode does not have neatly divided topic markers. Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full podcast notes.

8x04 "The Last of the Starks" UBS Review May 07, 2019

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline, welcome Jana back to the feed, to chat about the set-up for Game of Thrones's final theater. It is...not looking promising.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro & recap;
10:15 - Mad Queen Dany & her boyfriend;
32:45 - Sansa & violence in the show;
44:15 - Arya, Bronn, Jaime;
54:15 - Sam & Gilly, logistics, and some BS deaths;
1:11:30 - Pacing, meta lines, CAROL;
1:25:15 - Leaks for the remainder of the season;
1:35:15 - Closing non-spoilery thoughts

8x03 "The Long Night" UBS Review Apr 30, 2019

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline, are joined by fellow book-snob Musa to discuss one very long nighttime fight. It shouldn't need more emphasis than that, right?
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for related posts and the CAROL board.
This week, we are episode break-down-less, as there's really no useful distinctions in our conversation. Rather like the episode!

8x02 "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" UBS Review Apr 23, 2019

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline, put Danzie on trial. That's what the cool kids are calling conversations these days, right? Then they wheel-spin even longer than the show's wheel-spinning in the newest episode "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms."
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 – Intro and recap;
10:00 – Critical reception & Jaime's trial;
22:00 – Earned or not earned?;
1:02:45 - Nitpicks & Carol

8x01 "Winterfell" UBS Review Apr 16, 2019

Julia and Kylie welcome back Caroline, because the final season of Game of Thrones is here! Join them as they discuss Dave Hill's "Winterfell," catty women, casual dragon riding, and of course elephants.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes and the CAROL board.
Episode Breakdown

0:00 - 11:15 - Intro and episode recap;
11:15 - Winterfell, Sansa, and logistics;
32:45 - Even more Winterfell, Arya, and nonchalant dragon riding;
46:30 - Sam is also here plus an old friend;
1:04:00 - King's Landing & the Iron Fleet;
1:14:15 - Our CAROL board & random highlights

UBS #61 Season 4 Rewatch Mar 20, 2019

Julia and Kylie are joined by Caroline and Jana for yet another overly litigious episode. Having just completed The Wars to Come rewatch project, the four chat about Game of Thrones season 4, spooky skeletons, thunderstorms, and cough drops.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.
Episode Breakdown

0:00 – Season impressions, acting, and directing;
23:25 - Best and worst episode;
36:10 – Best and worst scenes;
57:45 – Best and worst plotline & themes;
1:15:05 – Women in S4;
1:50:00 – Caroline's random notes

UBS #60 Season 7 Odds and Ends Part 2 Feb 05, 2019

Julia and Kylie close out their Season 7 retrospective series with yet another conversation about the geographically scattered plots of the year. Part 2 features all Ironborn and one Redwyne.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro & Theon's arc;
35:45 - Euron the Hooligan;
58:15 - Olenna the Sour Grapes;
1:21:15 - The state of Weisseroff

UBS #59 Season 7 Odds and Ends Part 1 Jan 20, 2019

Julia and Kylie jump around in time to bring you their conversation of the many scattered plots of Game of Thrones Season 7 that ended up comprising their final retrospective. Here in Part 1, they discuss Dorne, Sam, Jorah, Sandor, and the Brotherhood without Banners.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 – Intro from the future;
9:00 – Nicknames & Dorne;
34:40 – Sam drops out of school;
1:06:54 – Jorah the Andal;
1:20:40 – Sandor and the Brotherhood

UBS #58 Season 3 Rewatch Dec 17, 2018

Julia and Kylie are joined by their season-commenter Caroline, and welcome Bo back! Today’s topic: Season 3 insights from participating in the Fandomentals GoT rewatch project: The Wars to Come.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.
Episode Breakdown;

0:00 - Season impressions and episodes;
20:00 - Best and worst scenes and plotlines;
38:10 - Themes of the season;
40:50 - Women in S3 part 1: Ros, Shae, Sansa, Marg;
1:00:30 - Women in S3 part 2: Cersei, Brienne, Cat, Talisa, Arya, the Baratheon women;
1:25:45 - Cracks in the plaster/adaptation

UBS 57 Dragonstone S7 Retrospective Part 2 Oct 21, 2018

Julia and Kylie finish their discussion of Game of Thrones Season 7's main plotline, with its knotty politics and breathtaking romance. Then they figure it all out.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro from the future;
5:30 - Fandom nicknames;
10:00 - "Beyond the Wall";
47:15 - "The Dragon and the Wolf";
1:14:45 - Analysis of the character arcs;
1:37:30 - Julia and Kylie discover the meaning of it all

UBS #56 Dragonstone S7 Retrospective Part 1 Oct 05, 2018

Julia and Kylie discuss the main plotline of Game of Thrones Season 7, involving two or three love triangles, two or three trips right past the North, and only one abandoned island.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro, nicknames, & 'Dragonstone'
28:15 - 'Stormborn'
51:05 - 'Queen's Justice'
1:14:20 - 'Spoils of War'
1:23:45 - 'Eastwatch'

UBS #55 Season 2 Rewatch Oct 01, 2018

Julia and Kylie welcome back season-commenter Caroline, and welcome for the first time Danzie! Today's topic: Season 2 insights, after having participated in the Fandomentals GoT rewatch project: The Wars to Come. Turns out Season 2 has been on theme this whole time!
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro & acting;
16:45 - Episodes;
31:25 - Scenes & plotlines;
56:30 - Themes & cracks;
1:15:30 - Now in hindsight...
1:21:15 - General adaptation talk

UBS #54 Season 1 Rewatch Jul 16, 2018

Julia and Kylie welcome snobby book fans Caroline and Jana to discuss Season 1 as a whole after participating in the GoT rewatch project: The Wars to Come. This is objectively the best season, so everyone's happy, right? Right? This is what happiness feels like!
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Introduction and musings on The Wars to Come;
13:00 - General highlights and lowlights;
30:45 - Best/worst episodes and scenes;
57:00 - Cracks in the plaster;
1:16:45 -Things the show improved/adaptational decisions;
1:36:00 - Our 8th grade book report

UBS #53 The Fall of Tyrion Lannister Part 1: ASOS Jun 06, 2018

Julia and Kylie are back with their favorite character in all of A Song of Ice and Fire. While we spent the first two books with him climbing to his character's heights, things take a turn in A Storm of Swords.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes. Episode Breakdown:
6:45 - Tyrion I & II "The Praise"; 25:15 - Tyrion III & IV "The Marriage Proposal"; 45:00 - Tyrion V & VI "The Dornish"; 52:45 - Tyrion VII & VIII "The Wedding"; 1:05:30 - Tyrion IX & X "The Surprise Witness"; 1:20:35 - Tyrion XI "The Tower"; 1:36:30 - Tyrion in ASOS Analysis;

UBS #52 Cherry Bomb S7 Retrospective Part 2 Apr 10, 2018

Julia and Kylie cry into their copies of A Feast for Crows in their attempts to finish processing the gut-wrenching break up between Cheryl and Larry.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 – Intro & fandom nicknames;
11:15 – 7x07 Recap "The Dragon and the Wolf";
41:15 – Outside the Episodes;
51:00 – Cheryl and Larry's relationship;
1:08:15 – The Cheryl that was promised?

UBS #51 Cherry Bomb S7 Retrospective Part 1 Apr 03, 2018

Julia and Kylie begin to parse out the heart-wrenching breakup between Game of Thrones OTP Larry and Cheryl, as well as their amazing political machinations in Cheryl's Landing. This half of the retrospective podcast ends...on a bomb.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro & fandom nicknames;
8:10 - Recap part 1, 7x01 "Dragonstone" and 7x02 "Home";
30:44 - 7x03 "The Queen's Justice";
1:05:45 - 7x04 "Spoils of War" and 7x05 "Eastwatch"

UBS #50 The Rise of Tyrion Lannister Part 2 Feb 25, 2018

Julia and Kylie bring you part 2 of part 1 of the Tyrion Lannister Reread Extravaganza. They close out discussing his Clash chapters before diving into some ~~analysis~~.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Introduction;
10:00 - ACOK Tyrion recap from Tyrion V;
1:05:00 - Tyrion's arc and character in A Game of Kings

UBS 49 The Rise of Tyrion Lannister Part 1 Feb 18, 2018

Julia and Kylie do yet another straight character reread for Kylie's absolute favorite: Tyrion Lannister. However, they decide to actually be somewhat reasonable and only tackle the first two books, and then proceed to get through just half of that in this episode.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Introduction and Tyrion I & II in AGOT;
17:00 - III & IV, the duel at The Wall;
27:45 - V & VI, justice in The Vale;
40:00 - VII , VIII, & IX, war councils and some fighting;
49:15 - ACOK I & II, Tyrion's first day in the office;
57:30 - III & IV, Tyrion's brilliant powers of deduction;
1:09:00 - Outro

UBS #48 Winterhell S7 Retrospective Part 2 Jan 28, 2018

Julia and Kylie set aside their treasonous letters to finish their discussion of the Winterfell plotline in Game of Thrones Season 7. The results are shocking...positively shocking.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Time traveling intro & thoughts on this retrospective;
15:40 - Back to it with "Eastwatch";
23:00 - "Beyond the Wall";
40:00 - "The Dragon and the Wolf";
59:30 - What we think they were trying to do

UBS #47 Winterhell S7 Retrospective Part 1 Jan 23, 2018

Julia and Kylie plop down their messenger bags full of faces and get comfortable as they discuss why no one will hug Sansa this year! It's difficult to explain. They get through four episodes before having to go count their grain stores.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro & fandom nicknames;
7:40 - "Dragonstone";
27:24 - "Stormborn";
42:45 - "Queen's Justice";
52:35 - "Spoils of War"

UBS #46 Q&A and Who Would You Do? Dec 19, 2017

Julia and Kylie deliver an immaculately planned question and answer session. Questions include Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire content, along with a very long game of "wed, bed, behead."
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Long introduction & the first wed, bed, behead
9:00 - Our feelings on GRRM's writing speed and Westerosi holidays
17:15 - The Room, Women in Dorne, and Dornish timelines
28:30 - Religion in Cheryl's Landing, Tyrion's whitewashing, and burial practices
40:45 - Stephen Dillane's ongoing salt, flaws of got, Peter Dinklage's acting, and Bran's parallels with Theon
54:00 - LGBT relationships in GoT, Why was Cersei Carolized? When did Cersei become Carol and what's up with Jaime's kinslaying?
1:09:15 - Ramin Djwandi is too good for this, Sansa's GoT arc, Benioff wrote Troy, and some bizarre asks about us
1:21:45 - Two more odd asks about us and devolution

The 3rd Annual Primetime Carol Awards - GoT Season 7 Dec 03, 2017

Kylie, Julia, and Caroline MC the most prestigious award show in all of television: The Carol Awards! Celebrating the best in dramatic satisfaction, they take you through Game of Thrones Season 7's greatest hits in over 40 categories.
The full Carol Awards Ceremony post can be found on TheFandomentals.com. Nomination presentations begin around 8 minutes in.

UBS #44 Is GRRM Literal Garbage? Oct 24, 2017

Julia and Kylie tackle the problems of the A Song of Ice and Fire book series, and make a definitive call on whether author George R.R. Martin should be run out of town. DISCLAIMER: After posting this episode we received a lot of feedback that we sounded quite dismissive of issues, particularly racial representation. We want to be clear all problems discussed ARE problems, and this is just how we tried to engage with or make sense them. However, we are planning follow-up discussions to this podcast specifically, where we will have guests who can speak to these issues with more agency.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro & general problems;
11:35 - Portrayals of race & racism;
32:40 - Worldbuilding;
36:00 - Women in Westeros & Dead Ladies Club;
50:00 - Sexism & sexual violence;
1:17:00 - Sex & queer rep;
1:32:10 - One final ask & conclusion

UBS #43 GoT Season 7 Q&A Sep 12, 2017

Julia and Kylie celebrate the ending of Game of Thrones Season 7 by...answering a bunch of asks all about it!
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Introduction & which character is the most screwed over?
9:45 - How would you have done R+L=J?
15:25 - GoT's Season 7 reception & fandom dialogue;
25:15 - Karen Smith sends an ask & Sam/Bran in S7 ft. MissWorm!
31:15 - What the hell was Winterhell, Lena Heady, Book!Cersei, and Theon;
43:00 - The idiotic truce and poor Cheryl!
53:50 - Character arcs, Tyrion's romantic feelings for Deadpan, Bronn's romantic feelings for Larry;
59:20 - "Aegon", most disappointing meme, Robert's Rebellion's depiction;
1:07:05 - Dragonstone, the Cherry bomb;
1:11:55 - Incest, Brienne fucks loyalty, Randyll's words of wisdom, and parenthood;
1:19:10 - Closing & final thoughts

7x07 "The Dragon and the Wolf" UBS Review Aug 29, 2017

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline say goodbye to Game of Thrones season 7 with tears in their eyes. Tears of what, we're not sure exactly, but between Littlefinger's mistrial, tepid boat sex, and a battle cardigan, there was plenty to dissect.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 - Intro & recap;
8:50 - Dragon Pit Meeting of Meaning;
27:55 - Dragonstone;
39:20 - The (Mis)trial of Lord Baelish;
54:55 - Branbot & Boatsex;
1:04:40 - Wall fall & closing thoughts

7x06 "Beyond the Wall" UBS Review Aug 22, 2017

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline are joined by Michael to enjoy a fresh pot of gumbo, while they discuss Halloween masks, Twix bars, and the horror-show that was "Beyond the Wall." Game of Thrones really out-Game of Thrones'd itself this week!
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.
Episode breakdown:

0:00 - Introduction & recap;
9:45 - Winterhell;
21:00 - A literal bag of faces;
26:00 - Dragonstone;
36:15 - Mission Gumbo (general comments);
43:50 - Walking and talking;
58:00 - Wight standoff & battle;
1:10:10 - Benjen, boat scene, spoilers

7x05 "Eastwatch" UBS Review Aug 15, 2017

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline chat about soup, belts, and marriage following Dave Hill's Game of Thrones episode "Eastwatch." It certainly was "go, go, go," but that might not be a good thing. Also we didn't order this gumbo.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 – Intro & recap;
7:45 - Loot Crate Field;
19:25 - The Island of Sexual Tension;
29:10 - Cheryl's Landing & more sexually tense goodbyes?
41:15 - Maester College;
50:00 - Winterhell;
55:00 - Character Gumbo;
1:01:30 - 7x06 spoilers

7x04 "The Spoils of War" UBS Review Aug 10, 2017

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline welcome Matt to discuss the 4th episode of Game Of Thrones Season 7, as well as Kylie's niece. Guess which topic is more interesting? Well, "Spoils of War" has been cited by many as the best episode yet, and we're sure these four will have the same reaction.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro & recap;
7:30 - No one hugs Sansa;
24:45 - Cheryl's Contractual Obligation;
26:21 - The Abandonded Isle of Sexual Chemistry;
36:35 - Loot Train Attack;
53:31 - 7x05 spoilers

7x03 "The Queen's Justice" UBS Review Aug 01, 2017

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline are joined across the pond by Jana, who stayed up until 4am her time just to discuss the brilliance that was "The Queen's Justice." This 3rd episode of Game of Thrones Season 7 broke all pretenses of even caring about silly things like location, to deliver us some heart-pounding, narrated battles...off-screen, of course.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Introduction & recap;
9:26 Dragonstone;
26:00 - Cheryl's Landing;
37:45 - Winterhell;
43:00 - Old Town;
46:40 - The battles;
1:04:00 - Spoilers for 1x04

7x02 "Stormborn" UBS review Jul 25, 2017

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline welcome Katie to chat about Bryan Cogman's wistful reminiscence of Season 1 evident in the new Game of Thrones episode, "Stormborn." With so much empowering representation abounding, these four women can barely contain their excitement!
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.
Breakdown:
0:00 - Intro & recap;
5:40 - Dragonstone;
23:20 - Winterhell;
29:45 - Arya in the Riverblands;
42:45 - Cheryl's Landing;
49:00 - Battle of the Bad Pussies;
1:00:00 - Spoilers for 7x03

7x01 "Dragonstone" UBS Review Jul 18, 2017

Julia, Kylie, and Caroline finally experience the dramatic satisfaction they've been craving with Game of Thrones's season 7 premiere, "Dragonstone." Help them decide: is there actually a theme?
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Introduction & recap;
7:07 - Arya & Bran;
16:10 - Winterhell;
26:00 - Cheryl's Landing;
43:40 - The Hound;
47:47 - Deadpan;
54:33 - Closing thoughts

UBS Season 7 Teaser Podcast Jul 14, 2017

Julia and Kylie welcome their soon-to-be (for 7 episodes) co-host Caroline in a completely planned chat! They discuss the plot points of the upcoming Season 7 opener, "Dragonstone," and tease the season ahead. Or something.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode posts.

UBS #35 Prince Mud Jul 03, 2017

Kylie and Julia talk about Kylie's imaginary boyfriend: Quentyn Martell. Is his arc totally unnecessary? Would YOU kiss a Drinkwater? We answer it all.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode notes.
0:00 - Introduction and overview of Quentyn's arc;
20:20 - Quentyn's relationships;
39:00 -Thematic significance?
56:20 - Open asks

UBS #34 The Sansa Stark Happy Hour Jun 06, 2017

Kylie and Julia soak in their last six weeks of freedom by discussing George R.R. Martin's very consistently written Sansa Stark. They do *not* poke SanSan the Magic Dragon at ALL.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro & overview of her AGOT plotline;
23:40 - ACOK/ASOS and some Tyrion ranting;
45:00 - A Feast for Crows;
48:30 - Sansa's identity and womanhood;
1:02:45 -Some thoughts on SanSan;
1:14:00 TWOW spoilers & thoughts on the future

UBS #33 Revenge of the Inbox May 14, 2017

Kylie and Julia purge themselves of a terrible adaption and instead open their emails and inboxes to book-only questions. What could go wrong?
For full episode description & notes, visit TheFandomentals.com.
Episode Breakdown:

3:45 - Cersei's rule and patriarchy;
11:15 - Sansa and Lady;
15:35 - Dany and Stannis foils?
21:41 - Jaime situated as a Lannister;
26:35 - Who killed Aenys and Poly Oberyn/Ellaria?
33:20 - What does Sansa want?
34:40 - Stoneheart? Machine gun?
35:45 - Cat in Dorne
37:45 - About that incest...
42:45 - Ladies in court & Kylie sings;
49:30 - The Seven in Dorne;
54:20 Martin's earlier works?
57:30 Perfect ASOIAF adaptation?
1:00:45 Dwarf's Penny Theory;
1:02:00 #dorne #brexit;
1:03:30 Brienne's future role?
1:05:00 Comey joke & Qarth;
1:08:00 Jaime and Brienne and Cersei;
1:11:35 Deria & Meria;
1:14:45 Arieaegon & rapid fire Dorne

UBS #32 Riverblanding Apr 24, 2017

For some, that one taste is enough to break them. Others go on for years, until they lose count of all the battles they have fought in. For Kylie and Julia, this was the episode that did them in. D&D's attempt at the riverlands.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full show notes.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 - Introduction;
7:21 - Fandom nicknames & Recap #1;
24:00 - Recap #2 "The Broken Man";
52:00 - "No One";
1:20:15 - "The Winds of Winter" (fuck you) & ~~analysis~~

UBS #31: Jonny Cardboard/Sandra Snark S6 Retrospective Part 2 Apr 03, 2017

Julia and Kylie conclude their 5 hour marathon to figure out what Game Of Thrones‘s Season 6 plotline for Jonny Cardboard and Sandra Snark meant. The answer may surprise you!
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode posts.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Introduction & review of nicknames;
8:50 - "The Door";
28:45 - Jonny and Sandra's walking tour;
46:10 - Bastard Bowl pre-game show;
1:04:00 - Bastard Bowl!
1:26:30 - Jonny gets a crown;
1:51:15 - Analysis summary;
2:13:15 - Checklist or Asspull?

UBS #30: Jonny Cardboard/Sandra Snark S6 Retrospective Part 1 Mar 27, 2017

Julia and Kylie sit down for 5 hours to try and figure out what even was Game of Thrones's Season 6 plotline in Winterhell. Never fear though; they arbitrarily chop it in half, for your listening pleasure.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for the full episode post.
This episode’s saltarello performance is...not a saltarello. But it should still be dramatically satisfying.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro & GoT news;
11:40 - The Red Woman;
48:45 - Home;
1:06:00 - Oathbreaker;
1:13:45 - On Sansa's rape/revenge arc;
1:24:00 - the rest of Oathbreaker;
1:29:00 - Book of the Stranger

UBS #29: Patriarchy Brain Mar 13, 2017

Julia and Kylie finally take a break from adaptation shaming to gush about A Song of Ice and Fire, this time with the help of their guest Gretchen! What is it that makes George R.R. Martin's close-PoV structure so compelling? To them, it's the way that the he is able to utilize the toxically patriarchal setting to explore character biases for incredibly feminist take-aways.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for the full episode post.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro & explanation of "patriarchy brain";
17:03 - Cat;
30:40 - Arys;
39:30 - Vic/Aeron & Barry;
50:47 - Cersei;
1:03:00 - Tyrion, Sam, & Ned;
1:19:49 - Brienne & Arya;
1:30:00 - Sansa;
1:41:40 - Asha & Arianne

UBS #28: Arya Todd Season 6 Retrospective Feb 21, 2017

Julia and Kylie interact positively by sharing stabby tales with each other and watching Arya become the next cake boss.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for full episode details.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Introduction & fandom nicknames;
11:15 - Recap part 1 (stick hitting);
30:00 - Recap part 2 (Meta Players Club);
44:40 - Recap part 3 (parkour & cakes);
1:02:20 - Analysis (what actually is this?);
1:27:18 - Checklist or Asspull?

UBS #27: Bran Season 6 Podcast Jan 22, 2017

Kylie and Julia continue their slog through GoT Season 6 with the plotline that even D&D considered too boring to bother with properly. But at least there were some striking, Emmy-worthy performances along the way!
For full episode posts, please visit TheFandomentals.com.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Introduction & random anecdotes;
11:33 - Fandom nicknames & recap part 1;
23:00 - Recap part 2, "Oathbreaker";
33:37 - "The Door";
50:00 - "Blood of my Blood" and "The Winds of Winter";
1:02:25 - Analysis Part 1, Bran;
1:13:20 - Hold-the-door-gate;
1:20:00 - Meera & world-building;
1:30:05 - Checklist or asspull?

UBS #26: Porne Season 6 Podcast Dec 26, 2016

Kylie and Julia discuss the most important plotline in Game of Thrones Season 6: the one that took up an entire two scenes!
Please visit theFandomentals.com for episode posts/notes.
Episode Breakdown: 0:00 - Intro & what is "Porne"? 7:40 - Kylie and Julia's romantic backstory; 10:30 - Season 7 filming spoilers discussion; 14:50 - Other fandom nicknames & Dorne-Dorne; 26:22 - Recap! Scene #1; 40:09 - Trystane's ship; 46:30 - Princess Faullaria and the Dowager Sasstress; 54:06 - On "Fire and Blood" 59:50 - Are they good guys? 1:14:44 - Checklist or Asspull?

UBS #25: Ironboor Retrospective Dec 04, 2016

Julia and Kylie talk through the Game of Thrones Season 6 plotline featuring the ironborn in their hopes to make heads or tales of it. The results are as substantive as Yara's political platform.
Please visit TheFandomentals.com for episode posts/notes.
Episode breakdown:
0:00 - Introduction & fandom nicknames;
10:18 - Recap part 1, all things pre-moot;
30:00 - Recap part 2, saltmoot!
44:00 - Recap part 3, Volantis & Deadpan;
56:56 - Analysis part 1, Yara and Theon's arcs;
1:12:08 - Yara's sexuality;
1:20:48 - Euron????
1:28:10 - Checklist or Asspull?

UBS #24: Embarrass Your Favourite Canadian Nov 15, 2016

We're so sorry! Kylie and Julia cope with the world ending by hitting the record button, talking about Julia's fanfic, and hoping you don't riot because they promise the Ironboor podcast coming up is going to be fun.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 - Introduction & political thoughts;
7:25 - Julia's explanation for writing fic & "The Princess and the Septa";
16:30 - A Wedding in Sunspear overview (ish);
26:30 - Rundown of the Martells;
37:35 - Reach bros;
45:05 - Loree's clique;
58:00 - We talk about Alysanne somewhere here?;
1:08:55 - The Rowans (again?);
1:15:10 - Sonion Yronwood;
1:21:50 - Olenna/her friendship with Dany;
1:30:42 - Mild spoilers & more politics in the outro

UBS #23 Simplified Bay of Dragons Part 2: Analysis Oct 30, 2016

Julia and Kylie close out their planning for the Simplified Bay of Dragons retrospective with heavy analysis of Deadpan and Saint Tyrion's arcs, featuring "so she didn't burn down any damn patriarchy!" and other hits.
Please visit gotgifsandmusings.tumblr.com for podcast episode posts.
Breakdown:
0:00 - Introduction & Deadpan's arc;
32:27 - Tyrion's arc;
53:23 - Deadpan's return to Meereen discussion;
1:10:45 - Checklist or Asspull?

UBS #22 Simplified Bay of Dragons Part 1 (Recap) Oct 17, 2016

Kylie and Julia move to their next retrospective: Simplified Bay of Dragons. Here, they spend a full episode recapping the events, even though it's the biggest nothing plot possible. UBS is about the journey, not the destination, clearly.
Please visit gotgifsandmusings.tumblr.com for episode posts.
0:00 - Introduction & Fandom names;
7:52 - Deadpan's pledges a sorority;
29:45 - Dothraki Regional Conference;
43:40 - Saint Tyrion drinks and knows things;
1:02:00 - Saint Tyrion is Abe Lincoln;
1:24:10 - And then the slavers attack.

UBS #21 Horn Faire Retrospective Sep 25, 2016

Julia and Kylie continue their Game of Thrones Season 6 retrospectives with Sam Tarly's plotline, full of sassy women and puffy sleeves. What even is worldbuilding?
Please visit gotgifsandmusings.tumblr.com for episode posts.
Episode breakdown:

0:00 - Intro & Sam and Gilly's first scene;
11:51 - So much green in the galaxy;
15:00 - Arrival at the faire;
22:15 - Dress & Dinner;
31:21 - Sword & Citadel;
40:23 - Analysis time! Sam's arc and Gilly's...thing;
45:42 - Girl Power!
52:27 - Randyll Wildling Hater Tarly;
55:26 - Geography lesson;
1:02:44 - Decision prime and checklist/asspull

UBS #20 Cheryl's Landing Part 2: Analysis Sep 11, 2016

To plan their retrospective, Kylie and Julia finish up their discussion of the S6 King's Landing plotline and all of its...meaning.
Please visit gotgifsandmusings.tumblr.com for podcast episode notes.
0:00 - Introduction & GoT S7 news;
14:36 - "highlights/lowlights";
19:35 - Character analysis: Tyrells;
30:10 - High Sparrow & his plan;
39:39 - Pycelle/Qyburn;
44:39 - Tommen/Madison;
50:20 - Carol/Cheryl;
1:00:18 - Asspull or checklist?

UBS #19 Cheryl's Landing Part 1: The Recap Sep 05, 2016

Kylie and Julia sit down to discuss the King's Landing plotline of Season 6 in advance of writing their retrospective, and only make it through their **high level recap** after 90 minutes. Though to be fair there is analysis as they go.
Please visit gotgifsandmusings.tumblr.com for podcast episode notes and related links.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 - Introduction & fandom names
9:15 - 6x01 "The Red Woman";
14:52 - 6x02 "Home";
24:00 - 6x03 "Oathbreaker";
31:55 - 6x04 "Book of the Stranger";
42:40 - 6x06 "Blood of My Blood";
52:00 - 6x07 "The Broken Man";
1:01:21 - 6x08 "No One";
1:09:44 - 6x10 "Winds of Winter (ugh)"

UBS #18 Bran & Northern Mysticism Jul 26, 2016

Julia and Kylie are back and totally didn't record this episode over a month ago! They discuss a spookier element of ASOIAF: Northern Mysticism, which includes Bran/Bloodraven, the Others, and the Children of the Forest. Also get some, Old Nan.
For related episode links, please visit the gotgifsandmusings tumblr page.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 - Intro & our thoughts on Bran;
8:00 - The Children of the Forest;
20:18 - The Others;
32:55 - Show spoiler & Battle for Dawn prophecies;
42:50 - Night's King;
48:40 - Other theories, Stargate Atlantis, Babylon 5, & BSG;
1:00:56 - Bloodraven, Bran's dream, and crows;
1:16:33 - Bran's ADWD chapters;
1:32:50 - End of Bran's last chapter (visions & discussion);
1:44:22 - Bran's other appearances in ADWD & conclusion

UBS #17 The Inbox Strikes Back Jun 12, 2016

Kylie and Julia try to tackle their inboxes and hilarity ensues. They also break their streak of the past 6 episodes and allow themselves to talk about the show as well as the books. What is happening in the world?
For related episode links, please visit the gotgifsandmusings tumblr page.
Episode Breakdown:
3:54 - Significance of Lady's death;
10:51 - Why hasn't Sansa thought about Jeyne?;
13:31 - Lady Stoneheart & Darkstar/Obara's fates;
21:45 - Was Mercy effective?;
27:40 - "Hold the Door" & would this be a problem if Martin did it;
32:46 - Olenna vs. Sybell;
37:12 - Incredible shrinking baby & Varys scene with sorcerer in a box;
40:15 - Favorite chapters?;
45:44 - More on Jaime/Brienne as a "romance";
49:12 - House Tyrell in the show;
54:20 - 2 Arianne Asks;
1:03:50 - GoT & identity (s6 spoiler in answer) + Show!ToJ ask;
1:09:36 - 2 Maggy the Frog asks and Arys's chapter;
1:14:34 - GoT's anti-book fandom & critics;
1:25:49 - Consent in Westeros;
1:30:48 - Weisseroff's Razor & are Cat's kids Ned's?;
1:36:30 - Olly's death & GoT's "endgame";
1:46:09 - Arianne II question & Dornish naming conventions;
1:54:22 - Who would you rather adapt ASOIAF: Benioff or Weiss?

UBS#16 Keeping up with the Tyrells May 30, 2016

Kylie and Julia sit down to talk about the most opaque Great House in Westeros: the Tyrells. What is Martin going for with them, and why is the fandom so ding dang obsessed?
For related episode links, please visit the gotgifsandmusings tumblr page.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 - Tortured intro;
5:48 - Rundown of the Tyrell history and players;
24:45 - What they've done in ASOIAF so far & why;
43:15 - On the Tyrell opacity & authorial intent;
51:15 - In-verse public persona;
1:03:17 - Fandom dialogue and perceptions;
1:15:22 - Tyrells, the future, and Westerosi society

UBS #15: Jaime & Brienne take the riverlands May 14, 2016

Kylie and Julia recap and discuss Jaime and Brienne's riverlands plot-lines and intersecting themes in FeastDance...for two and a half hours. Someone take their microphones away from them.
For related episode links, please visit the gotgifsandmusings tumblr page.
Episode Breakdown:
5:35 - Brienne I; Jaime I;
14:00 - Brienne II; Brienne III;
25:48 - Jaime II; Brienne IV;
36:20 - Brienne V; Jaime III;
49:03 - Jaime IV; Brienne VI;
1:01:15 - Jaime V; Brienne VII;
1:10:56 - Jaime VI; Brienne VIII;
1:22:28 - Jaime VI; Jaime I (ADWD);
1:33:29 - Analysis time! Honor;
1:42:47 - Is this a romance?
1:53:18 - Manhood/womanhood;
2:13:45 - Confronting the past & fathers;
2:23:48 - Lannister parallels & conclusion

UBS #14: In Defense of Feast Dance May 01, 2016

Julia and Kylie sit down for two hours to gush about "A Feast for Crows" and "A Dance with Dragons," the two more divisive novels in the A Song of Ice and Fire fandom. Which frankly, confuses them, because these books' literary value is off the charts. They break it down, first with overviews of the plot-lines, and then discuss the thematic significance surrounding them.
For related episode links, please visit the gotgifsandmusings tumblr page.
Episode Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro & gap-scrap explanation;
Plot-line Breakdowns:

12:36- Prologues & Epilogue
16:24 - Mel & JonCon
20:11 - Sansa & Bran
24:40 - Barry the Scary & Quentyn & Davos
28:10 - Arya & Sam
32:19 - Dorne & Theon
37:39 - Jaime & Brienne & The Ironborn
41:01 - Dany & Tyrion
48:39 - Cersei & Jon;

55:00 - Theme time! #1, “The carrion crow”
1:05:17 - #2, Identity
1:20:01 - #3, Womanhood/manhood
1:35:45 - #4, Leadership & concessions
1:48:04 - #5 Intersection of personal & political, and futility/failure
1:58:44 - Conclusion

UBS#13 Ironbore Apr 19, 2016

Julia and Kylie push themselves to discuss one aspect of ASOIAF that they are less compelled by: the Ironborn chapter (Theon excluded). Can they find an appreciation? Or literary significance? Or any reason at all for how people manage to take Euron seriously?
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 - The usual tortured intro
5:35 - Chapter discussions! The Prophet
12:15 - The Kraken's Daughter
20:36 - The Iron Captain
32:32 - The Drowned Man
43:02 - The Reaver
56:40 - The Wayward Bride
1:05:05 - The King's Prize & The Sacrifice
1:10:08 - The Iron Suitor
1:16:31 - Victarion
1:23:15 - Anlysis time: Asha's [lack of] character arc
1:30:52 - Two related asks on Dorne vs. Ironborn & what "works" for us
1:38:42 - Vic & Aeron's arcs
1:42:55 - Euron's fandom reception (just...why)
1:48:47 - A few more asks

UBS #12: Theories Galore! (Part 2) Mar 27, 2016

Julia and Kylie are back with more A Song of Ice and Fire theories that they totally love. Listen as the sodium reaches lethal levels! Oh, and they both suggest their own crackpots and get embarrassed about them.
Episode breakdown:
0:00 - Instruction & Missandei is a Faceless Man
5:14 - Doran, Interrupted (the Superman Villain);
11:15 - Kylie's crackpot on Darkstar;
13:09 - Bloodraven warged Mormont's raven;
14:10 - Oberyn poisoned Tywin;
16:05 - Jeyne's hips don't lie (though neither does Martin);
17:55 - Dying girl on a grey horse;
20:40 - Euron hired a FM;
22:30 - Shiera + Bloodraven = Mel;
23:40 - Faceless Men are responsible for the doom;
25:45 - Theon Durden;
29:55 - HR = HS, H+A = M+J, More on Ashara dancing;
36:15 - Grand Tyrell Conspiracy & YMBQ & valonqar;
47:15 Tywin knew about the PW;
48:35 - Southron ambitions;
51:38 - Mance wrote the Pink Letter;
54:50 - Preston Jacobs & Lemon trees;
1:02:05 - Giant in the snow;
1:08:42 - Theories that are not theories (like Gravedigging Hound, KOTLT, etc.) & Julia's crackpot;
1:24:30 - Outro and plan for UBS moving into S6

UBS #11: Theories Galore! (Part 1) Mar 20, 2016

Julia and Kylie only talk about A Song of Ice and Fire! Hooray! In this episode, they tackle some of the biggest fandom theories, as well as some crackpots. Neither one likes to speculate, so listen as they get progressively salty at the fact that some of these theories even exist!
Episode breakdown:
0:00 - Intro to theories, heresy, and the "song of ice and fire"/Lightbringer
17:26 - R+L=J/Lyanna and Ashara birth all the babie
28:28 - A very mature and necessary segment
30:20 - The Grand Northern Conspiracy
39:55 - "fAegon"/Blackfyre flooze
58:49 - Tyrion the Targ
1:03:03 - D+D=T (??)/Tyrion's secret daughterino
1:07:19 - Purple Wedding (who wuz teh target???)
1:17:03 - Who is Coldhands?
1:20:09 - Jojenpaste
1:23:14 - Bolt-on/Roose is Loose!
1:26:42 - Dany theories (who is the Harpy? Qaith's stuff, HOTU, MMD)

UBS #10: Arya Retrospective & Season 5 wrap-up Mar 02, 2016

Julia and Kylie wrap up their Season 5 retrospective series with this podcast, covering the Game of Thrones Braavosi plotline. In the second half of the episode, they also wrap-up Season 5 based on lessons learned through these retrospectives.
Episode breakdown:
0:00 - Introduction & review of fandom names
6:51 - Recap of Arya's S5 plotline
33:48 - Highlights & Lowlights
39:15 - Analysis Pt 1: REVENGE & Arya's identity
51:09 - Analysis Pt 2: the MYSTERY of the show arc, and explanation of her book arc
1:08:47 - Analysis Pt 3: Discussion of "Mercy" (tWoW spoilers) & final thoughts on Arya's GoT plotline
1:22:50 - S5 wrap-up discussion: their theme of the season, and the true theme (sexism)
1:40:30 - Wrap-up Pt 2: the "checklist effect," overall writing, and experience of watching

UBS #9: Bryan Cogman & the Sansa Marriage Strike Feb 20, 2016

Julia and Kylie react to the new interview given by Bryan Cogman (or commentary track, whatever), where he continues to defend the shitty, shitty Season 5 Winterfell plotline involving Sansa Stark.
We don't have an episode breakdown for this one, but it is heavily related to the content of our second episode, "Winterhell." So check that out too!

UBS #8: Dornish Headcanon Hour (or 2) Feb 07, 2016

Julia and Kylie talk about their opinions and headcanons for their favorite region of Westeros. It's all canon-compliant, so it's basically educational.
Episode breakdown (kinda):
0:00 Intro & what is a headcanon?
7:45 Dornish Debates glossary terms
37:35 A few more Dorne "general" HCs
46:30 More Arianne specific stuff
57:56 Other Martells/Martell general things
1:32:56 Yronwoods and Daynes and some semblance of a conclusion

UBS #7: Deadpan's Bestest Nameday Gift Retrospective Jan 30, 2016

The dissection of Game of Thrones's Season 5 Meereense plotline, dubbed "Deadpan's Bestest Nameday Gift," because St. Tyrion is the Mary Sue that keeps on giving.
Episode breakdown:
0:00 - Introduction & review of fandom names
7:00 - Recap of the S5 plotline
49:15 - Highlights & Lowlights/Hizdahr zo Sansa's resistance narrative
1:04:37 - Analysis Pt 1: there is no protagonist & Daenerys's adaptation
1:17:13 - Analysis Pt 2: Tyrion's adaptation
1:26:40 - Analysis Pt 3: Barry the Scary & everything is meaningless

UBS #6: The Cersei Lannister Show Jan 17, 2016

Kylie and Julia discuss and analyze Cersei Lannister, one of Martin's more misunderstood characters.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 -High level summary of Cersei pre-AFFC
14:33 - Discussion of AFFC: plot, the prophecy, and her approach to governance
34:08 - Martin's writing of Cersei & her internalized misogyny
51:55 - "Cersei and all the foils" (Marg, Sansa, Cat, Arianne, Tyrion, Jaime)
1:19:20 - Her marriage, Robert apology, and Cersei as a mother
1:29:51 - Some Cersei asks

UBS #5: Jon's fOlly Jan 09, 2016

The dissection of Game of Thrones's Season 5 Wall plotline, dubbed "Jon's fOlly," for the best accidental protagonist ever
Episode breakdown:
0:00 - Introduction and fandom names
7:05 - Recap of the TV plot line
41:30 - Highlights and lowlites
47:37 - Analysis of main adaptational issues
55:10 - The REAL Hardhome
59:30 - Jon's leadership decisions excluded
1:13:30 - Changes to Sam (and Gilly)
1:23:07 - Stannis, Davos, Mel, Mance, and Tormund's adaptations
1:37:18 - Olly's character & conclusion

UBS #4: Inbox Madness! Dec 28, 2015

Episode #4, where Julia and Kylie answer their A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones asks.
Asks include the following, and more:
-Do you think D&D do justice to Stannis's character?
-What are your thoughts on Alys Karstark from a feminist perspective?
-Is there anything in the books that the show improved upon?
-Discuss the "Rule of Adaptation"
-Maggy the Frog's thematic fit in Cersei's arc
-What do you think of Martin's portrayal of Essos in terms of race
-Thoughts on Jaime and Brienne's relationship
-Who do you think would be best suited for the Iron Throne?
-What are your expectations for The Winds of Winter?

UBS #3: Carol's Landing Retrospective Dec 20, 2015

The dissection of Game of Thrones's Season 5 King's Landing plotline, dubbed "Carol's Landing," for our fave. super mom.
Episode breakdown:
0:00 - Introduction and fandom names
7:33 - Recap of the TV plot line
42:04 - Highlights and lowlites
51:40 - Analysis and comparison to books
1:17:50 - Making sense of Batfinger
1:30:15 - Horrific implications time!

UBS #2: GoT Season 5 Winterhell Retrospective Dec 14, 2015

The second episode of our UBS, covering Game of Thrones's Season 5 Winterfell plotline, dubbed "Winterhell" for obvious, obvious reasons.
0:00 - Intro & fandom name explanation
7:49 - Recap of Winterhell plotline
39:00 - Highlights/lowlights & analysis of adaptational choices
55:02 - Summary of Northern plotline from A Dance with Dragons
1:06:30 - Further analysis & horrific implications time!

GoT Season 5 Dorne Retrospective Dec 07, 2015

First podcast discussing Game of Thrones and its total butchery of the A Song of Ice and Fire Dorne plotline in Season 5!
Please visit gotgifsandmusings.tumblr.com for episode posts & notes.
0:00 - Introduction & review of fandom names;
4:15 - Recap of the show's Dornish plotline (what happened);
19:35 - Highlights and lowlights;
29:20 - Brief comment on the significance of this plotline;
33:50 - Discussion of the book's Dornish plotline, themes, and characters;
1:02:10 - Analysis of the show's adaptational choices;

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