The Lorehounds

Join us for a massive Boxing Day celebration as David welcomes co-hosts, affiliates, and friends to share their Top 3 TV shows of 2025! This special episode features six segments with Jean & Marilyn, Mark & Nichole from Nevermind the Music, Aaron K & Richard from Radioactive Ramblers, Ian from Captains Pod, Anthony & Steve from Properly Howard, and Ron & JD from Dungeons and Durags.With nearly four hours of conversation covering the year's best television, this episode is designed for dipping in and out at your convenience. For the complete rankings breakdown and community voting data, visit our blog: The Lorehounds Top Ten TV Shows of 2025Stick around to the end for a very special announcement!Segment Time Stamps:(00:07:47) - Jean & Marilyn(01:03:26) - Mark & Nichole from Nevermind the Music(01:32:11) - Aaron K & Richard from Radioactive Ramblers(02:06:15) - Ian from the Captains Pod(02:46:51) - Anthony & Steve from Properly Howard(03:13:33) - Ron & JD from Dungeons and Durags - Special announcement at the end!Special Thanks:This episode wouldn't be possible without our incredible community. Special thanks to Gregsaw for community survey data analysis, DaveyMac for survey assistance, SubZero for maintaining the 2025 Show Tracker all year, NancyM for communications and show notes throughout the year, Doove71 for writing our year-end blog post, Brian8063 our editor-in-chief and Discord mod, and AaronK for podcast artwork and Discord emojis. And a special musical thanks to Mark from Nevermind the Music for the original compositions used as segment breaks.Contact UsQuestions or comments? Send emails to: lorehounds@thelorehounds.comLinks to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliateslinktr.ee/thelorehoundsAny opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.Our Sponsors:* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serveAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

David, John, and Elysia present their personal top 10 television shows for 2025 in this annual tradition released on Christmas Day. The hosts share their rankings, discuss standout moments from the year in television, and reveal the community's collective top 10 list compiled from subscriber surveys. Read the full rankings and analysis on our blog: The Lorehounds Top Ten TV Shows of 2025The episode also previews upcoming 2026 coverage including Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Wonder Man, and the DCU vs. MCU showdown, with a special announcement teased for the end.Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: lorehounds@thelorehounds.comOr, 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/thelorehoundsAny opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.Our Sponsors:* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serveAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

David and Nichole examine an episode bookended by Manusos's journey from Panama to the border, while Carol navigates the blurring lines of manipulation with Zosia and the joined community. The conversation explores the show's masterful use of pacing—allowing scenes to breathe and characters to simply exist together—including a shot-for-shot homage to David Lynch's Mulholland Drive in the diner scene. They dive deep into mirror neurons and empathy science, discussing how our brains require the physical presence of other people to activate crucial neural pathways, and how this connects to both Carol's 40-day isolation and the plurbs' electromagnetic communication. Rich feedback explores AI parallels, with the community drawing connections between different ways people interact with technology and how characters respond to the joined consciousness.Special Note: Episode 9 Coverage The season finale (Episode 9) airs early on Tuesday, December 23rd at 9 PM ET—two days ahead of the normal schedule. We'll record a reaction episode during the holidays, then return after the New Year with our full analytical season wrap-up.Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: pluribus@thelorehounds.comOr, 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/thelorehoundsAny opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.Our Sponsors:* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serveAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

David, John, and Elysia spread some Holiday Cheer and Fear in the start of their action-packed Christmas Elevenses coverage. They discuss David Harbour's entry into the Santa canon with Violent Night. Subscribe in the linktree below to hear their upcoming coverage of Die Hard.Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: lorehounds@thelorehounds.comOr, 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/thelorehoundsAny opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.Our Sponsors:* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serveAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The witches are back! Meaning, of course, Marilyn, Nichole, and Elysia – the trio returns, one year later, to talk about the second and final (?) Wicked musical adaptation: How does it compare to the first? To the second act of the musical? And the books it's based on? And, most importantly, what does it mean to be changed for the better...for good?They begin with a quick spoiler-free comparison with the first movie before their full spoiler breakdown. Stick around after the outro music for an even more spoiler-filled comparison with the Gregory Maguire book.Recommended: Catch up first on Wicked: Part I (2024) – incl. musical & book comparisonsContact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to lorehounds@thelorehounds.com.Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliateslinktr.ee/thelorehoundsAny opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.Our Sponsors:* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serveAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Elysia and John return to the Ann Rice Immortals Universe to discuss the spy-thriller spinoff that left us whelmed.Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: horror@thelorehounds.comLinks to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehoundsAny opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.Our Sponsors:* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serveAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Elysia, John, and Mark wade through the timey-wimey twists of a wintry season finale.Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: horror@thelorehounds.comLinks to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehoundsAny opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.Our Sponsors:* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serveAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

David and Nichole unpack an episode that mirrors Carol and Manusos through parallel solitary journeys of survival and loss. The conversation begins with thoughtful community feedback about microaggressions and the importance of names, then explores Carol's emotional progression during her 12-day montage of attempting normalcy in an empty world. They examine the profound loneliness of experiences without other people present, the layered symbolism in her choices—from the Georgia O'Keeffe painting to "I Will Survive" on the player piano—and how the episode's rich visual storytelling reveals the gap between togetherness and isolation at the show's core.Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: pluribus@thelorehounds.comOr, 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/thelorehoundsAny opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.Our Sponsors:* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serveAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Elysia, John, and Mark watch the Augury unfold in this shocking episode of horror.Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: horror@thelorehounds.comLinks to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehoundsAny opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.Our Sponsors:* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serveAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

David and Loremaster Bryan8063 are joined by Marilyn R. Pukkila for a comprehensive wrap-up of the PBS Ken Burns miniseries The American Revolution. Marilyn brings her background as a retired research librarian with an MA in medieval Welsh history, while Brian discusses his work in presidential oral history at UVA's Miller Center and previous experience at Monticello's Jefferson Library. The conversation explores the series as more civil war than revolutionary war, drawing on Colin Woodard's American Nations to understand distinct regional cultures that shaped the conflict. The discussion examines Burns' decade-long crafting process, the sobering parallels to contemporary America, and his explicit inclusion of voices from tribal nations, women, and Black Americans. Themes include the mythology versus reality of national founding, the challenges of oral history and reconstructive memory, the importance of uncertainty over absolutism, and how communities find common ground across differences through shared inquiry into history and myth.Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: lorehounds@thelorehounds.comLinks to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehoundsAny opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.Our Sponsors:* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serveAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy