Guys Of A Certain Age

The Supervillains are back!  And no, we’re not talking about The Guys, though all three of them are in the studio today.  It’s time for a catch-up episode on the Regrettable Supervillains segment, aka Jay’s Regrettable Segment. 

He mustered up a couple of doozies in this episode.  Let us begin.  First up is The Dictator, aka Hitler disguised as the devil.  The Guys aren’t sure he’s redeemable, but his arch-enemy Mr. Justice has a quirky backstory.  Then comes Dr. Dracula, who neither sees patients, teaches students, or hails from Transylvania.  What’s up with this guy?  Not much, as it turns out.  It doesn’t take much for Captain Battle and sidekick Hale to overcome him and his Nazi spies dressed like bats.  How a superhero lost an eye might make for a better story. 

Before they get to Villain news, though, it’s time for Geeks of the Week.  More sad news from Art?  Afraid so, and this time it’s Roger Sweet: without him there would be no He-Man movie this year.  And there is great anticipation that none of the guys will be able to see any of 2026’s movies in a local Infinity Vision theater - who’s ready to sponsor a work trip to Vegas?  Robbie teases the teaser from the new season of Ted Lasso, and also announces (to GOCA listeners, anyway) that there’s about to be one less Cook in the kitchen at Apple.  Jay was going to apply for the job, until found out they make computers, not pies. 

Pluribus.  It’s not just a Latin word on American money.  It’s also a surprise hit show on AppleTV.  The award nominations and wins are still coming.  

It’s not a zombie series, exactly.  It’s not an alien series, exactly.  It’s not exactly Tough Jobs - it’s more “everybody can do every job” with a splash of Undercover Boss.  It’s got tragedy and comedy, but it’s not The Bear, exactly.  It has complicated and interesting characters, and only 3 of them out of around 7 billion are cranky.  It has beautiful southwestern US backdrops, plus a precarious walk through the Darien Gap.  But is it worth 6.75 hours of one’s life?  The Guys give it 5 out of 6 thumbs up.  Listen to see which one of them is the outlier.  

In the Geeks of the Week segment, Jay is behind (again) but he’s pretty sure this bit of Superman news was disguised to him by hypnosis.  According to Robbie, the Blair Witch Project is still wandering in the woods.  Art (the resident obituary collector) laments the passing of Gerry Conway, a giant in the comics world.  All three Guys are back this week, Art has a new retirement uniform, and all is well with the world…except the parts that aren’t.  

Wondering what the Hail the Guys are up to this episode? With Jay out, Robbie and Art share their thoughts on the extremely popular movie (and book) Project Hail Mary.   What did the Guys think of Ryan Gosling’s latest film? Did the filmmakers do enough to have it live up to the book?  

Geeks for the week include a Star Wars veteran being brought into help with the Mandalorian and Grogu movie.  

Robbie shares his views from the most recent NAB in Las Vegas. Spoiler alert: it was disappointing.  And the Guys ramble a bit about a state of their favorite sci-fi franchises, before deciding this may be a future episode. 

Be sure to listen to this episode which Rocky gives an enthusiastic 2 thumbs down! IYKYK. 

Jay missed the Apple products episode a few weeks back and asked to revisit it.  

Imagine his surprise when he arrived to find out it wasn’t about pie or caramel covered orbs.  But after a short recovery period, he chimes in on his favorite Apple products through the years before Art and Robbie take listeners through the history of missteps related to the fruit company that remains.  (RIP, Blackberry).  

In Geeks of the Week, Art revisits the Avengers: Doomsday trailer with a list of scenes, and mourns the loss of a major Saturday morning kids’ show creator.  Jay encourages opera lovers to embrace their inner Bat-singer.  And Robbie laments the delayed at-home release of Project Hail Mary.  Jay missed it at the local theater so he’s lamenting, too.  Pop in your AirPods and listen!

This podcast is paradise: a cool underground lair, things going on outside that The Guys know nothing about,  potentially run by a nefarious AI entity known as “Mrs. Reed”.  

Much like the Paradise series on Hulu, which is the subject of today’s episode.  Jay wasn’t quite finished watching season 2, but that didn’t stop him from expressing opinions on how it may or may not end.  He was also that day old when he learned what a caldera is.  Jay’s ignorance notwithstanding (despite firsthand knowledge of the true Graceland), all three Guys agreed that this is a series - and a season 2 - worth watching.  Just leave your expectations based on last season at the door.  

Speaking of watching, CinemaCon gave theater owners a sneak peek at some of the highlights yet to come in 2026, from the first full Avengers: Doomsday trailer to a long segment of a movie with an even longer name: Mandalorian and Grogu.  And coming soon, will Adria Arjona play Maxima in the next Superman movie, or is it a sneaky way of casting Wonder Woman?  Stay tuned until summer 2027 and find out!  

If there were a Webby Award for best adaptation of a lunch conversation into a podcast, Guys of a Certain Age would surely win.  Right?  The Guys will have to lobby for that one.  

Meanwhile, in the studio, Robbie and Jay take an episode to talk about adaptations of books into streaming series and movies. The conversation begins with Murderbot (doesn’t it always?), which Jay listened to as an audiobook.  (Listen to the end to hear Robbie’s opinion on whether or not he can say he “read” the book.)  Another book, Project Hail Mary, is in theaters as this episode hits the podwaves, and is getting good reviews as an adaptation.  Jay gets through an epic fantasy book in audio form, but joins the crowd in panning the video version.  The big question regardless of success is, what should one do first?  Read the book or watch the show?  Jay and Robbie have answers.  

And they have Geeks of the Week. Jay brings a lack-of-depth analysis on the two Supergirl trailers so far, and Robbie has news of Mr. Mortensen not being Viggo-rous enough to reprise one of his most famous roles.  There’s no book (yet) for this podcast, and no video version, so be sure to listen!

In this episode of Guys of a Certain Age Robbie and Art discuss the successful launch of the Artemis II as the return to the moon begins.

Robbie mentions a Mississippi State grad who played a role in making the mission happen. A mission that may be harder to accomplish is finding a new streaming home for Dr. Who. Could HBO be where the Tardis ends up?

In the second half the Guys take a look back at 50 years of Apple. What were their first devices, their favorites, and which Apple product has had the biggest impact? Put in your AirPods and give this one a listen!

If you’re truly a Luddite, you’re probably not listening to this podcast anyway.  But if you love your tech, but still like to hold a paper book in your hand, or you’re a wiz with GPS, but have a glove compartment full of maps you actually know how to use, this episode might just be for you.  

This week, Art and Jay talk about their favorite analog tools, sprinkled with a dose of when they like to use tech vs when wireless living is preferred.  From journals to ink pens, maps to books, and even a legal pad, all their top tips on what to use when the battery runs out - and even when it doesn’t - are covered here.  In Geeks of the Week, Art talks a potential sequel for a long pass and the end of class for a streaming series, plus a musical obit.  Jay updates the public on fancy popcorn buckets and reports on the new trailer for the boy who lives through the movies and now gets a long-term TV deal to boot.  

Get out your Flair pen and your Leuchtturm1917 journal and take some notes!

The Guys have covered summer grilling, but what to do in between meals?  Go to the movie theater, of course.  

Robbie and Jay take a journey through 2026 and talk upcoming movies of interest: expectations, scheduling, fake trailers, and more.  From Masters of the Universe through Dunes-Dooms-Day, 2026 could be a big year for movies on The Guys’ radar…or not.  There is hope that Masters and Supergirl will be fun, Spider-Man will be a brand new day indeed, Dune will be worth the length, and Doomsday will continue to bring cred back to the MCU.  And who is this Clayface dude?  

Meanwhile, in Arizona, Val Kilmer comes back to the screen via AI, and there is chatter of a return of the Firefly in animated form.  Art is out somewhere actively trying to retire from his day job so he can pursue his dream of being the first ever guitar-playing pod-cartoonist, but in his absence, Robbie and Jay carry on the obits segment with breaking news of the loss of the toughest man in show business: Chuck Norris.  Listen with calendar in hand!

G’day Sers and Ladies!  

This episode of Guys of a Certain Kingdom is brought to you by a famous donut chain and the incredible, edible (and apparently “unlikely”) chicken product - Dunk'n Egg.  These are the stars of the podcast today, followed in lesser brightness by minor stars Robbie and Jay, who are making do while Art continues to celebrate retirement from his day job.  A Knight of the 7 Kingdoms is the topic, and it comes highly recommended by The Guys for its characters, stand-aloneness, brevity, and leave-you-wanting more factor.  Even Westeros novices like Jay who just like an underdog in a jousting match will enjoy this one.

WIth food always on the brain, and a vision for using a hundred-plus cookbooks that he already owns, Jay talks about the CookShelf app that is sure to revolutionize his recipe searches and rationalize al the space those cookbooks take up in his kitchen.  Robbie keeps the Westeros theme going with the announcement of a GoT movie with origin story vibes, and an update on who’s buying who in the visual media world.

Don your best armor and listen, lest the dogs be sent after you.