Sorkin' In It 5.1: Pilot (Friday Night Lights S1E1)

The LTS lineup drafts baseball movies for your enjoyment. At least one choice from every panelist must fall within our old-timey timeline, but newer films about bats and balls make it in, too. And don’t worry, bad baseball movies do not strike out here. Shelly Brisbin with Philip Michaels, Micheline Maynard, Randy Dotinga and David J. Loehr.

After covering all of Sorkin’s films, we moved to TV with The Newsroom, Studio 60, and Sports Night. Now, there’s only one show left to cover, with perhaps Sorkin’s finest and enduring work yet: Friday Night Lights. We start with the pilot, meeting a whole bunch of characters, and Lex is deeply curious about whether Brian will like the show or regret signing up for yet another season. Find out the answer and enjoy a new theme song. It’s Season 5 of Sorkin’ In It. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

These movie producers really did a job on “Blade Runner.” They don’t advertise for narrations in the newspaper, every good writer knows that. But when you’re trying to sell a narratively dense piece of visual art to 1982 audiences who just want to see a Harrison Ford movie, that’s the sort of compromise you make. All we could do is sit there and watch it play. Jason Snell with Monty Ashley, Steve Lutz, Kelly Guimont and Dan Moren.

It was murder! On Mars! The discovery of a dead body last week leads to an inflammatory perp walk, a mysterious and unlogged cargo transfer, and an exciting car chase (but with hoppers). Also, there’s at least one more pasta night with the Baldwins. And maybe there’s life on Titan? Dan Moren and Jason Snell.

It’s time to Mind Meld again, where five contestants across six rounds have second thoughts about being wrong in order to be at one with each other for points. Except for the seventh round, where they have to be right. Tony Sindelar and Kathy Campbell with Annette Wierstra, Dan Moren, Glenn Fleishman, Shelly Brisbin and Lex Friedman.

The party fights another hard battle, locates another organ, and gets some answers from an unexpected source. Tony Sindelar with Bryan Guffey, Erika Ensign, Jason Snell, Mikah Sargent and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

Daredevil is back and he’s got a sinking feeling something fishy is going down in the East River. The second season of Marvel’s Daredevil: Born Again returns as we find WIlson Fisk (AKA Kingpin) as Mayor of New York City and, as you might expect, he’s up to no good. But how’s the show itself? We let you know. Dan Moren, John Moltz and Guy English.

Hit the books and polish up your comm badges, because it’s time to go to school—“Starfleet Academy,” that is. We check in on the first season of Star Trek’s latest (and last, for now?) TV series, and find that despite the YA focus, it’s still just really good “Star Trek” that’s worth your attention. Jason Snell with Dan Moren, Erika Ensign, Moisés Chiullán and Tony Sindelar.

Get on your Mars bike and get ready to do some cool jumps! “For All Mankind” is back, and the NASA Vending Machine is restocked! But season 5 brings Domino’s and Starbucks to Mars, so who knows what else might be in store on the red planet? This episode helps us get reaquainted with the show, recaps what’s been going on in the decade since last season, and starts to put all the pieces in place for whatever story is about to be laid out before us. Dan Moren and Jason Snell.

Happy Opening Day! It’s Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig, in our first baseball episode. And yes, it’s all LTS inside baseball this week. We complain about the lack of actual baseball in this movie, suggest other movies with more baseball and go on a complete tangent halfway through, that no one would let me edit out. But first, listener mail! Shelly Brisbin with Micheline Maynard, David J. Loehr and Randy Dotinga.