We’re peering into the present through the cracked lens of the future this week with Susan, Kelly, and Geek Guy Chris. From AI chatbots with too much personality to dystopias where “reality” is a broadcasted spectacle, it’s a soup of sci-fi predictions that hit way too close to home.

Whether it’s Mission Impossible’s rogue AI, the gentle (and totally not creepy) vibes of Her, or the calculating logic of Colossus: The Forbin Project, we’re diving into how film and TV imagined our now—and nailed it a little too well.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Cold Open: No outline, no problem

03:00 – Lilo & Stitch live-action and Ohana culture

06:00 – Recommendations: Duster and Murderbot

12:00 – Future Present: Predictions that came true (or too close)

22:00 – Wealth gaps, dystopia staples, and why Idiocracy is a documentary

33:00 – AI companions and their… emotional side

44:00 – So. Many. Sci-fi. Films.

57:00 – Prepping for the ATX Festival

Is it all depressing? Kinda. But is it a blast? Absolutely.

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Original music by Garrett Thompson

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We’re bringing Nollywood to your earbuds this week as Susan and Cort take a cinematic trip across the continent to celebrate Africa Day! We curated a rich watchlist featuring African films—from rom-coms and thrillers to revenge flicks and supernatural twists. Plus, we catch up on entertainment news, discuss Final Destination: Bloodlines, and unpack the juicy drama unfolding on Beyond the Gates. (Spoiler: wigs and secrets are flying.)

In This Episode:

[00:01:00] – Final Destination: Bloodlines review + niece trauma

[00:03:00] – Remembering George Wendt

[00:06:00] – Elmo gets fired, but Sesame Street survives… on Netflix

[00:08:00] – Honoring Malcolm X and his legacy on what would’ve been his 100th birthday

[00:10:00] – Murderbot on Apple TV? We’re in.

[00:13:00] – ATX TV Fest: The agony of scheduling

[00:20:00] – Beyond the Gates breakdown: secrets, shady wigs, and soap realness

[00:39:00] – 🎥 Africa Day Watchlist: from Ghanaian weddings to Nigerian thrillers

[00:57:00] – Book rec: My Sister, the Serial Killer

[00:58:00] – Catching up with The Last of Us and what’s next

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Original music by Garrett Thompson

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We’re back from the wilds of real life and diving straight into the post-apocalyptic drama of The Last of Us! In this episode, the Geek Girl Soup crew gets emotional, philosophical, and maybe a little fungal as we dissect Season 2 up through Episode 5 (“Feel Her Love”). SPOILERS!!!

From Joel’s gut-punch of an exit to the rise of the WLF and those chilling airborne cordyceps, we’ve got thoughts—and plenty of them. We talk revenge quests, moral ambiguity, Jeffrey Wright’s glorious entrance, and what it means to survive in a world where every decision echoes like a gunshot in a subway tunnel.

We also catch up on what we’ve been watching (👋 Conan O’Brien, 👀 Forever), mourn a few cancellations (RIP Found), and celebrate some good news (Beyond the Gates lives on!).

Timestamps:

0:00 – Welcome back and catching up

5:00 – Entertainment news and random recs

28:55 – Cort’s Corner: Beyond the Gates drama

38:00 – The Last of Us deep dive (through S2E5)

1:04:00 – Spores, Scars, and Survivors

1:10:00 – Next week: Movies to celebrate Africa Liberation Day

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Original music by Garrett Thompson

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May The Sweeps Be With You

While Kelly is away on assignment this week, Susan and Cort dish on recent entertainment news and the start of May Sweeps.

Weeks after premiering, Sinners continúes to do its big thing at the box office.

Susan traveled to Las Vegas and met podcaster Chris of The VHS Strikes Back & Chris and Dave's Reality TV Cast.

Also, it’s the moment that Cort has been waiting for since Beyond The Gates first premiered in February. Family betrayals, mysterious paternity, and a full-scale anniversary party ambush: now that’s how you set up an epic climax.

Original music by Garrett Thompson

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Geek On!

🪐 [00:00] Intro

📰 [02:00] News, Nerds, and Nods

- Shout-out to Ryan Coogler for his badass women cinematographers.

- A “Siri moment” with *The Andromeda Strain* = pure retro AI comedy gold.

- *The Pitt* fandom wants a spin-off already?! Hold your scalpels, people!

- Minecraft movie: Not just for tweens... or is it? Chaos in the theaters and kids throwing popcorn like it’s confetti.

- Coogler + Michael B. Jordan = box office gold again with *Sinners*. $61M and rising, baby!

🎬 [12:00] Film & TV Recommendations

- Cort gushes about *Sinners* and drags her horror-fearing sister along.

- Susan gives love to *The Wedding Banquet* remake in theaters now.

- Kelly goes Dutch with *iHostage* on Netflix (it’s not what you think).

- Plus: *Daredevil: Born Again*, *Havoc* (Netflix), and *The Shrouds*.

📺 [32:00] Beyond the Gates: Soapland Drama

- The soap tea is *scalding*.

- Twins? Maybe. Stolen embryos? Possibly. Leslie’s wigs? Always.

- DNA swaps, shady casinos, and a bottle-hugging ex-wife… we’re hooked.

📚 [33:00] Main Dish: The History of Sitcoms

- Susan discovers CNN’s *History of the Sitcom* (Max), and it’s a nostalgia avalanche.

- Evolution from *I Love Lucy* to *Ted Lasso*.

- Norman Lear = sitcom MVP?

- Can we love *The Cosby Show* but hate Cosby? Yup.

- Who’s the Boss, Growing Pains, Golden Girls, Murphy Brown, and other sitcoms that *raised us*.

- Streaming’s impact, and why *Abbott Elementary* is the chosen one.

👀 [01:13:00] What’s Next?

Next week: *Mr. Robot* rewatch! Get ready for psychological twists, cryptic tech hacks, and hoodie realness. 🖥️

💌 **Got sitcom faves or juicy recs?**

Send your love, hate, or laugh tracks to **geekgirlsoup@gmail.com** or @geekgirlsoup on socials. We’ll read 'em—dramatic soap voice optional.

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Original music by Garrett Thompson

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It’s a two-host ride with Susan and Cort this week while Kelly is on assignment. With no adult supervision, things get a little chaotic (in the best way). From cultural commentary and media clapbacks to in-depth TV talk and soap obsession, we’ve got it all. Come for the rants, stay for the joy—and a healthy dose of fun bullshit. Here’s what’s cookin’:

News & Commentary

[00:00:00] – We get real about American international travel vibes, selfish individualism vs. the collective “we”, and the importance of joy in dark times. Plus, Cort drops wisdom about emotional survival online.

Recommendations

[00:05:00] – Mike White’s spicy White Lotus quotes, Coffee Mate conspiracy, and Reality Gays explain edging (we’ll let them handle that one). Plus, a shoutout to the genius White POTUS SNL sketch.

Main Topic: Soaps & Storylines

[00:28:00] – Soap Corner takes center stage as Cort and Susan go deep into Beyond the Gates. We’re talking unhinged villains, legacy casting, wild wig reveals, and shady secrets. Danny’s redemption, Ted’s downfall, and May Sweeps predictions? It’s all here. Plus, a side of General Hospital nostalgia and a dash of Midnight Mass appreciation.

Coming Next Week

[01:02:00] – Maybe we’ll (finally) get into Midnight Mass when Kelly’s back. Expect more resurrection, repentance, and maybe a haunted White Lotus pitch?

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Original music by Garrett Thompson

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Geek on!

This week, we’re taking a mind-bending dive into three under-the-radar sci-fi gems: The Endless, Radius, and Upgrade. Indie, eerie, and occasionally WTF, these movies gave us plenty to chew on—from AI run amok to time loop cults to accidental mass murder by proximity. Seriously, there’s a lot going on here.

We also say a heartfelt goodbye to Val Kilmer, dissect the upcoming Beatles biopics, rage at the absurd “rebranding” of the Underground Railroad, and gave some hot (and not) streaming picks including The Pitt, Karma, MobLand, The Bondsman, and Pulse. (Spoiler: Skip Pulse.)

💡 Oh, and library love alert: It’s National Library Week! Go hug a book or download one on Libby.

⚖️ Beyond the Gates check-in: Shady lawsuits, HR in hell, and Joey the mobster trying to play real estate agent. (We’re on to you, Joey.)

🍿 Major Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Intro & Indie Movie Mashup: The Endless, Radius, Upgrade

00:01:30 – Remembering Val Kilmer 💔

00:05:00 – Beatles Biopic Madness: 4 Films, 1 Band

00:09:00 – WTF, National Parks Service?! Harriet Tubman, enslavement, & the Underground Railroad Erasure [UPDATE: As of 4/7/2025, the original website had been restored! For y'all reading this in the future, no idea what it's like now!]

00:11:00 – National Library Week PSA

00:13:00 – Recommends & Anti-Recommends: Karma, Pulse, Y2K, Mob Land

00:22:00 – What’s Coming Soon: The Amateur, G20, Hacks, Black Mirror, John Ham’s Burglar Drama

00:24:00 – Beyond the Gates Soap Watch 🔥

00:31:00 – Full SPOILER Chat on The Endless, Radius, Upgrade

🧠 Our pick(s) of the week? Radius—a unique twist on the serial killer narrative with a killer twist (pun very intended) and Upgrade’s stylish AI showdown. We enjoyed The Endless’s trippy loops, but we suggest you start with Radius and Upgrade!

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Original music by Garrett Thompson

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This week on Geek Girl Soup, Susan, Kelly, and Cort dive deep into the Apple TV+ two-part documentary Number One on the Call Sheet. The series honors Black excellence in Hollywood, focusing on the journeys of Black leading men and women who’ve redefined what it means to be at the top. From Eddie Murphy’s early meteoric rise to Angela Bassett’s powerhouse presence, this episode is all about spotlighting the trailblazers who’ve shaped the culture.

We reflect on:

• How representation on screen (and behind it) has changed over the decades
• The painful beauty of Black women’s stories in Hollywood
• What it really means to be number one on the call sheet
• Standout moments from the documentary, including tributes to Chadwick Boseman and the legendary Halle Berry Oscar moment

A few standout quotes:

• “A gun might stop a life, but a gun can’t stop the stories.” – Alfre Woodard
• “I felt safe for the first time on set when all the hair and makeup people were Black.” – Tiffany Haddish

Plus, we touch on Denzel’s modern-day Othello, the tragic legacy of Richard Chamberlain, and our usual buffet of current watches and recommendations!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 — Intro + Initial thoughts on Number One on the Call Sheet

00:03:00 — Tangents: Hollywood Black, No Other Land, and real-world headlines

00:07:00 — Broadway buzz: Denzel as Othello, ticket prices, and the theater-to-screen pipeline

00:11:00 — RIP Richard Chamberlain and remembering The Thorn Birds

00:13:00 — What We’re Watching: Ghosts UK, The Residence The Underdoggs

00:23:00 — Cort’s Corner: Beyond the Gates

00:28:00 — The youth are NOT alright: Cringe Gen Z dialogue

00:31:00 — Full deep dive: Number One on the Call Sheet

• Celebrating Black joy, struggle, and trailblazing talent
• The importance of proper hair and makeup for Black actors
• The power of storytelling and legacy

01:08:00 — The Halle Berry Oscar legacy and the pain of tokenism

01:14:00 — Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman, and global Black excellence

01:22:00 — Next week: “Hidden Gems” with Radius, Upgrade, and The Endless

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Original music by Garrett Thompson

Follow us:

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Geek on!