Robot or Not? 341: Life on the Moon (and Mars?)

Listener Jack seeks a true definition of what it means when we say “humans will live on the Moon (or Mars).” Does a brief visit count? Do you need to grow your own potatoes? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

The battle with the Mummy Lord begins! Will the adventurers prevail? Or will the eyes have it? Tony Sindelar with Bryan Guffey, Erika Ensign, Jason Snell, Mikah Sargent and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

With the second season of Daredevil underway things start to fall into place. The efforts to remove the Northern Star from the harbour collide with our gang’s efforts to spring the people the Anti-Vigilante Task Force has taken into custody. Meanwhile, Dex is going around Dexing people. Did these episodes have the flurish of a Jack Duquense or the ungainly handling of an armoured car? Dan Moren, John Moltz and Guy English.

Steven and Erika re-review the other recently returned episode and pine for more. Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky.

Erika and Steven revisit an episode we first reviewed in 2016! Why? Because it’s no longer merely a reconstruction! Two episodes of “The Daleks’ Master Plan” were recently recovered, thanks to the good work of Film Is Fabulous. We’ve made good on our promise to return and re-cover recovered episodes, and “The Nightmare Begins” is the first of the two. Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky.

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.