Guys Of A Certain Age

The second of the major Marvel television series to debut on Disney Plus is over, and The Guys are in mourning. Whatever will they watch now?  Are there more streaming services out there to keep them busy? (That’s another episode or three: check the archives, good listeners.)  It’s a good thing Loki is not far behind.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier is complete after a brief six-episode season, and it ended in dramatic fashion, as expected.  In this episode, The Guys talk suits with stars, Madripoor tzars, and dudes behind bars.   Rich with character development, complicated backstories, and up-to-the-minute ponderings of social issues, F/WS is definitely a series worth watching.  And with Falcon’s new role as you-know-who (spoiler alert), a new Captain America movie has been announced.  

Meanwhile, in the actual universe, it’s Apple season, and there aren’t a lot of new varieties to pick.  And Jay is looking for a sponsor so he can afford an Autoking Mark 5 helmet in lieu of a mask.  

It’s been a rough few days for Robbie and his crew at the studio, as they dealt with everybody’s tech nightmare: ransomware.  They survived (as you can see), but it inspired The Guys to remember other technology disasters from the past.  

No, they’re not talking about Y2K.  These disasters were real.  Art is even more dedicated than ever to doing good backups,  and Jay has a firm life rule: no sweet iced tea within a five foot radius of his laptop.  And be sure to keep your eye on the family iguana.  

In the Geek of the Week segment, a certain bat-actor is confirmed for an upcoming movie, though he could easily be unconfirmed and reconfirmed before this episode drops.  Marvel fans have a holiday special to look forward to, and Netflix now has their own superhero team.  

In the RIP segment, Art shares the loss of a famous robot, an Ewok, and a short hairy dude, who are actually all the same person.  Be sure to back up all your Guys of a Certain Age episodes before your next tech disaster hits!

These days, if you’re looking for something to eat, you don’t have to go far.  But sometimes you do have to go, and maybe not-so-surprisingly, some of the best ready-to-eat hot food may be found in places that are required for “going” (unless you are Elon Musk).  

That would be gas stations, by the way. Perhaps even truck stops.  They don’t just sell fuel for your vehicle, anymore.  In fact, some may be more famous for their high octane fuel for the body.  And we’re not just talking about Buc-ee’s, because we don’t have one in Mississippi, yet - though that is certainly a good option if where you’re going sends you by one of those.  In The Guys’ neck of the woods, it might be the fried chicken and jo-jo potatoes (aka tater logs, or potato wedges for you fancy-talking folk) in the station across the street from the Guys of a Certain Age World Headquarters and State-of-the-Art Broadcast Studio.  

In this episode, the chatter in your earbuds is liable to tickle your tastebuds, as they talk about their favorite gas station food, what to look for if you really want the good stuff, and how to make a Koolickle.  Regional specials and a little history are also included, free of charge!

Hooray!  The Robbie and Art Guys let the Jay Guy come back to the studio!  Why?  Because you can’t have a superhero team without a sidekick.  (Or is it a side to kick?)

Anyway,  on this exciting episode, teams are actually the topic.  One might say, The Guys are the Team Titans.  With the Avengers and Justice League off the proverbial table - because they get plenty of press already - this time the focus is on other supe groups that deserve the attention of an award-winning podcast.  Or this one.  Do you watch the Watchmen?  Are the Teen Titans all grown up now?  What are the Defenders defending?  And The Boys - well, that one is not for boys.

The Guys are pumped for what they hope is coming down the pipeline (once the pipeline gets caught up): the X-Men as a bigger part of the MCU, and the fourth Fantastic Four film actually being fantastic.  If not, we at least know the Incredibles are indeed incredible and Zemo can dance.  

What would happen if the Axis powers had won World War II? Or if the Confederacy had won the Civil War? Or if there were only 2 Guys of a Certain Age on this podcast? These things and more are discussed as Robbie and Art look at Alternate History science fiction; stories that imagine how things would have developed if some moment in time had gone differently. 

The Geeks of the Week segment features new movies that are being made and old projects that are being abandoned, at least in our timeline. 

After months of chatter and anticipation, the Snyder Cut of DC’s Justice League movie finally debuted on HBO Max in all its glory, angst, and extended scenes.  Really extended scenes.  Not to worry, though - this podcast episode is a little shorter than the movie. The Guys talk differences between the Whedon and Snyder versions, easter eggs, and the secret life of Lois Lane.  

Meanwhile, in the Geek of the Week segment, Jay covers a Marvel nod to Star Wars, Art reports news from DC’s casting office, and Robbie shares a new audio series about You-Know-Dr-Who.  All the bases are covered.  There may not be any Justice League sequels, but this podcast will go on.  And on.  And on.  

It’s not The Guys’ fault that the world’s screenshape is continually changing, thus requiring yet another discussion about cord-cutting.  This time, though, even Jay might be bringing out his scissors - not to cut up his DVD’s like a bad credit card, but to spend those monthly dineros on something else equally watchable.  

Meanwhile, Robbie seems to have finally come to the point of disconnecting his satellite (and the bill that comes with it).  Art, of course, left the world of cable TV many moons ago, with no regrets so far.  The big questions: Will Jay actually give up his Netflix DVD subscription, and will Netflix survive if he does?  Will Robbie succumb to a last minute sweet deal from his satellite TV provider?  And will Art lobby for the return of DC Universe?  

Are five streaming services too many or just right?  These and many more questions will be discussed but probably not answered.  Remember: The cord you cut could be your own.  

So. Many. Questions.  The Guys can’t wait for WandaVision to launch!  Wait, what?  It’s over?  Already? It’s true, and while they are happy it happened, like many, they are also sad to see it go.

WandaVision was a show unlike any other in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and as it honored television shows of a certain age, The Guys were right there reminiscing.  

And those questions?  Well, now there are more.  Check out this episode as they summarize, wander, and vision cast for the next MCU events to come.  And in the Geek of the Week segment, memories flow regarding a piece of technology that set the stage for modern playlists, only to be rewound using a number 2 pencil.  

This week it's Robbie and Art going Jay-less with an episode inspired by Marvel's Scarlet Witch. With Jay spending time with friends who are nicer to him, the other two Guys took the opportunity to delve into a scary topic, Which is our Winning Witch, in which we list our favorite enchantresses from TV and movies. Are ours the same as yours? (Probably. It's a much smaller group than we thought.) 

Things get started with a couple of geeks of the week, both featuring giants of the silver screen. Godzilla, Kong, AND George Lucas- need we say more? (Apparently, we did but you'll have to listen.)

This week The Guys are going to drive you crazy.  Oh, they already did that?  Well, it’s about to get more specific.  

In this episode, they move from talking ad nauseam about superheroes, Star Wars characters, Oscar contenders and the actors that represent them, and focus on how those actors get from place to place on screen.  That’s right, they’re talking trains, planes and automobiles - sans the trains and planes.  In fact, they’ll pontificate on the idea that some of the cars and trucks we see on the big and little screen are not just fast: they could very well be furious, actually functioning as characters in the film.  Herbie.  Christine.  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  Others are just as memorable for other reasons.  Batmobile (pick one).  Delorean (flux capacitor required).  Anything James Bond drove.  

Jay tells of a semi-local museum where some of these cars actually live … and breathe.  Lots of Superman talk in the Geeks of the Week segment from Robbie and Art, and Jay explains the Disney Trifecta.  Spoiler: it’s not the three of them.