Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast

When you spend the bulk of your life reading, writing, and building lesson plans, sometimes your brain needs a break. Join two of your favorite political theory professors - John McMahon and Danielle Hanley - as they switch gears from the world’s so-called Great Books to break down some of your favorite TV shows. The twist? Only one of your hosts has seen the show before. Up first? The Americans.

Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast is a tv podcast hosted by Danielle Hanley & John McMahon, with 124 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Danielle Hanley & John McMahon hosts Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast, a tv show with 124 episodes published.

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  Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast

  124. The Americans 6x7, "Harvest"

  Aug 27, 20262h 12m

  This week, Danielle is physically in Greece but John and Danielle mentally travel to Chicago with Philip to analyze The Americans 6x7, “Harvest.” They take up the theme of haunting to organize the discussion - from how Stan is haunted by the past six years of his life next to the Jennings (s/o to William), to how Philip is haunted by his past life as a spy, to how Elizabeth is haunted by past and present alike. Danielle speculates about the timeline for Stan finding out the truth in the Dossier, and the hauntings continue in Glas for Henry and Aderholt. Dirtbag Philip happily haunts the mission before some solid fit/wig checks in Borrowed Nostalgia. Tragedy SZN rages on with a true banger this week as Danielle provides a deep dive into Euripides’ Bacchae ahead of her trip to see a live production of the show at Epidaurus. John caps off the episode with some pivotal feminist theory recs for Elizabeth and Erica. -- Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

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  Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast

  123. The Americans 6x6, "Rififi"

  Aug 13, 20261h 48m

  Back on their own, Danielle and John dig into The Americans 6x6, “Rififi.” They consider Aderholt’s speech about the Soviets before moving onto Henry and Stan’s relationship as a way into thinking about what remains within the family, and what information travels beyond it. They also unpack Philip’s outburst during slot car racing, the backyard conversation between Henry and Elizabeth, as well as the bizarre phone call between them later on. Danielle speculates about Renee and the potential return of Mail Spy Robot in the Dossier before your hosts touch on Elizabeth and Jackson’s producer-Amy-coded meet-cute at Rififi and Erica’s Forced Art agenda, among other things, in Glas. In Borrowed Nostalgia, they convert Henry’s potential summer wage into contemporary numbers and laugh about the 80s decor that ensconces the Chicago hotel. Tragedy SZN continues with the age-old banger, Antigone. And this time, Henry slips in his own TheoryShip for Elizabeth among those offered by your hosts. Enjoy! -- Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

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  Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast

  122. The Americans 6x5, "The Great Patriotic War", with Jordan Cass

  Jul 30, 20262h 58m

  Jordan Cass returns to help Danielle and John to discuss The Americans 6x5, “The Great Patriotic War.” Together, they focus on the theme of trust to dig into the relationship between Philip and Elizabeth, the relationship between Paige and Elizabeth, as well as how trust both structures and flows from Philip’s choices within the episode. In the Dossier, Jordan poses some questions about artwork and of course they check in on Danielle’s evaluation of Renee. In Glas, the trio returns to the theme of trust, chatting about the role of institutional trust and whether Paige is the definition of a spy nepo baby. They also let John cook for a bit on the visual language and editing in the last 15 minutes of the show. Jordan treats everyone to a discussion of 80s hockey lore in Borrowed Nostalgia, among some quips about calculators, jeeps, and the ‘fits. In TRAGEDY SZN, Danielle goes back to her roots (literally), guiding the trio through a brief discussion of Euripides’ Medea. Stick around for a little bonus NQGB After Dark. Durational cinema (podcasting). -- Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

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  Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast

  121. The Americans 6x4, "Mr. and Mrs. Teacup"

  Jul 16, 20261h 44m

  Your hosts try to find their way through the backrooms as they unpack all things The Americans 6x4, “Mr. and Mrs. Teacup.” Framing their discussion through the concept of losing one’s way, John and Danielle analyze the main moves of the episode, beginning OF COURSE with the ultimate lost boy, Philip, before working through the Jennings family dynamic and then Elizabeth and Paige separately. They chat about what it means for Philip that KIMMY BACK! plus the failing business and line dancing, before evaluating whether Paige has already lost her way a bit and what it means that we are 4 for 4 episodes in Season 6 where Elizabeth has done a murder to ‘save’ the mission. In the Dossier, Danielle makes a bold Paige prediction, and John poses some not-so-leading (you decide!) questions. In Glas, they consider the game of telephone for info to get from Oleg to Arkadi, and Philip’s cowboy boots. Your hosts laugh about line dancing, D.A.R.E, and wigs in Borrowed Nostalgia. It’s definitely still TRAGEDY SZN in the Cave - Danielle offers up Euripides’ Iphigenia at Aulis this week (a new one for John) before a quick game in TheoryShips. Enjoy! -- Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

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  Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast

  120. The Americans 6x3, "Urban Transport Planning", with Michaela Rife

  Jul 2, 20262h 1m

  This week, John and Danielle are joined by their friend and returning guest Michaela Rife! Together, these three dig into Season 6 Episode 3, “Urban Transport Planning,” using the frame of nostalgia to structure their discussion. They start with their takes on the Soviet cooking club as a key entry point into the topic and then consider Philip’s return to spying later on to flesh out their discussion. They tackle how Stan is fighting counterintelligence nostalgia and the construction of the final scene before moving onto the segments, where Michaela interrogates Danielle on her takes to everyone’s enjoyment! In Glas, Michaela treats everyone to an analysis of art in the season thus far, and it turns out an actual art historian is more useful than your trusty hosts. Together they all consider whether Paige is a nepo baby before some music drops and an EST revamp in Borrowed Nostalgia. They welcome Michaela to TRAGEDY SZN in the Cave with a quick trip into Euripides’ Electra, and Michaela gives us a lot to think about with her reference to Svetlana Boym in TheoryShip. -- Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

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