604: Investigating R.J. Decker

Did we need a Friday The 13th prequel? Probably not — and Dan Rogge returns to analyze why we may not need this particular prequel. Is the ratio of squishy kills to meditations on grief incorrect? Did it need fewer episodes and more murderous bears? Is it for fans of the franchise, or very much not for them? We went Around The Dial with a “Squid Jaws” update, the 9-1-1s, Matchbox: The Movie: The Car, and The Good Wife before Dave programmed a Canon pitch for Look Around You‘s episode on computers. Scott Bakula (bluh) won, Mary CAROLE McDonnell lost, and we gave theme songs a spin in Game Time. Take a break from woodland-charcuterie prep and have a listen. GUESTS 👤 Dan Blau Rogge TOPICS Lead Topic: ⛺️ Crystal Lake Around The Dial: 🦑 Below Around The Dial: 👩‍🚒 9-1-1 Around The Dial: 🎸 9-1-1: Nashville Around The Dial: 🚙 Matchbox: The Movie Around The Dial: 👩🏻 The Good Wife The Canon: ⌨️ Look Around You S02.E05: Computers Winner & Loser: 🎭 Scott Bakula Winner & Loser: 🚓 Mary Carole McDonnell Game Time: 📻 TV On The Radio SUPPORT THE SHOW 🔥 Join the EHG Club for bonus episodes, no ads, community Discord and more! 🎧 Subscribe to EHG on Apple Podcasts for bonus episodes and no ads! 🛍️ Shop our merch store! NOTES 🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site 💛 "How To Watch E!'s The Golden Life" (from, among others, Dan Rogge) at E News 🔥 EHG 636 and its Good Wife Canon pitch 🚽 The "Diarrhea Dan" gameplay walkthrough on YouTube 🎨 "Paint Chip People" 📚 Mystery sale at Exhibit B. Books! 📷 Photo: Peacock

The Kings are back on network TV with Cupertino, which basically transplants the signature qualities of the Good Wife-verse to Silicon Valley — and Margaret H. Willison is back to talk about whether that’s a good choice, the cameos we’re looking forward to, and how the show can loop other storylines into a tech-forward plot brief. We went Around The Dial with Below, Love Is Blind‘s Boston season, GBBO‘s audience episode, and Kill. Bury. Print., and Margaret hoped we’d crown an episode of the original King show, The Good Wife, for the Canon. Nicolas Cage won, Kelly Clarkson lost, and we tried to guess which hosts had the most (acting experience) in Game Time. Build yourself a hallway to the EHG conference room and join us! GUESTS 👤 Margaret H. Willison TOPICS Lead Topic: 💻 Cupertino Around The Dial: 🦑 Below Around The Dial: 🧑‍🦯 Love Is Blind Around The Dial: 😉 Southern Charm Around The Dial: 🪦 Kill. Bury. Print. Around The Dial: 🥮 The Great British Bake Off The Canon: 🎸 The Good Wife S05.E11: Goliath & David Winner & Loser: 🦅 Nicolas Cage Winner & Loser: 🐤 Kelly Clarkson Game Time: 🎙️ The Host With The Most SUPPORT THE SHOW 🔥 Join the EHG Club for bonus episodes, no ads, community Discord and more! 🎧 Subscribe to EHG on Apple Podcasts for bonus episodes and no ads! 🛍️ Shop our merch store! NOTES 🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site 📰 Sign up for Margaret H. Willison's newsletter 👩🏻‍💻 Check Tara's author page at GQ for her review of The Social Reckoning 🪶 Jackson McHenry's "Jack Lowden: Why Are You Darcy?" piece for Vulture 🔪 Sarah's review of Kill. Bury. Print at Best Evidence 🫆 The Crime Seen podcast 📷 Elizabeth Fisher / CBS

The newest co-production from HBO and Sky finds a tech billionaire and a “Hollywood actress” battling over the end of their marriage, abetted by teams of high-priced lawyers; with Sarah out for the day, both Richard Lawson and Katey Rich return to discuss the fictional dissolution. Around The Dial takes us through The Great British Bake Off S17, Taskmaster S22, Kill Jackie, and Mile End Kicks. Katey pitches the S04 finale of The Traitors (US) for induction into The Canon. Then, after we name the week’s Winner and Loser, we close up with a Non-Regulation Game Time for which we really have to thank the Academy. No need for you to put down a retainer — just join us! GUESTS 👤 Richard Lawson 👤 Katey Rich TOPICS Lead Topic: 💔 War Around The Dial: 🎂 The Great British Bake Off Around The Dial: 💌 Taskmaster Around The Dial: 💀 Kill Jackie Around The Dial: 🦵 Mile End Kicks The Canon: 🗡️ The Traitors S04.E11: Leap Of Faith Winner & Loser: 🦜 Lanterns Winner & Loser: 🤖 Kelly Clarkson Game Time: 🏆 Winner Winner TV Dinner SUPPORT THE SHOW 🔥 Join the EHG Club for bonus episodes, no ads, community Discord and more! 🎧 Subscribe to EHG on Apple Podcasts for bonus episodes and no ads! 🛍️ Shop our merch store! NOTES 🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site 🦋 Richard Lawson on Bluesky 🦋 Katey Rich on Bluesky 💔 Richard’s review of War (2026) at Premiere Party 🎊 The Premiere Party newsletter 🎞️ The Critical Darlings podcast on Apple 🍿 The Ankler 🎧 The Prestige Junkie podcast 🥊 The Fighting In The War Room podcast 📷 Justin Downing / Sky / HBO CLUB-ONLY NOTES 🔥 EHG Club Perk Links & How-To 💬 Get On Our Community Discord

We were counting on The Hollywood Reporter’s chief television critic Dan Fienberg to help us diagnose the issues with the thirteenth season of American Horror Story, and luckily he came through in a discussion that covered excessive fan service, when the “ew” and the “…huh” don’t balance each other, and the sin of wasting John Waters. We went Around The Dial with the new A Different World, My Brilliant Career, and American Hostage before Seth served up a Canon pitch for Hannibal‘s second-season finale. Mary Poppins won, Brandi Glanville lost, and we didn’t wait ’til the middle of the night to step on a Lego-based Game Time. Grab a handful of swabs and have a listen! GUESTS 👤 Daniel Fienberg TOPICS Announcement: 🔥 Club Stickers! Lead Topic: 🇺🇸 American Horror Story Around The Dial: 🌎 A Different World Around The Dial: 🧟‍♀️ Women In Horror TV Around The Dial: 👔 My Brilliant Career Around The Dial: 😓 American Hostage The Canon: 🍱 Hannibal S02.E13: Mizumono Winner & Loser: ☂️ Mary Poppins Winner & Loser: 💥 Brandi Glanville Game Time: 🧱 Lego My Game Time SUPPORT THE SHOW 🔥 Join the EHG Club for bonus episodes, no ads, community Discord and more! 🎧 Subscribe to EHG on Apple Podcasts for bonus episodes and no ads! 🛍️ Shop our merch store! NOTES 🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site 📊 EHG Club Sticker Poll 📰 Subscribe to Dan's THR newsletter, Now See This 🦋 Dan Fienberg on Bluesky 🤩 And at The Hollywood Reporter... 🔫 ...including his review of American Hostage 🇺🇸 Sarah's review of American Hostage for Best Evidence 🔥 Extra Hot Great Club 🏦 Ask Sarah about the Mutual Aid Vault 🪓 Angie Han's Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story review at The Hollywood Reporter 🌴 Again With Again With This 📷 Photo: Eric Liebowitz / FX CLUB-ONLY NOTES 🔥 EHG Club Perk Links & How-To 💬 Get On Our Community Discord

We’re thrilled Santiago Melli-Huber could return to discuss the inter-agency copaganda — and, to be fair, the realistic sibling interactions — of Line Of Fire, a puzzle-box-ish network procedural full of cop tropes, unrealistic travel times, and actors we had trouble reconciling with relatively likable characters. We went Around The Dial with Best Of The Best, Dropout content, and Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story before Sarah bellied up to the Canon with a pitch for Drunk History. The Savant won, Taylor Frankie Paul lost, and Game Time was so on-brand with its acting-through-the-generations concept that it took nearly a generation to complete. Pocket an origami swan and join us for an all-new Extra Hot Great! GUESTS 👤 Santiago Melli-Huber TOPICS Lead Topic: 🔫 Line Of Fire Around The Dial: 🕺 Best Of The Best Around The Dial: 👵🏻 Matlock (2024) Around The Dial: 🍚 Game Changer Around The Dial: 🪓 Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story The Canon: 🥴 Drunk History S05.E07: Drunk Mystery Winner & Loser: 🪦 The Savant Winner & Loser: 🤦‍♀️ Taylor Frankie Paul Game Time: 🍼 Return Of The TV Nepo Babies SUPPORT THE SHOW 🔥 Join the EHG Club for bonus episodes, no ads, community Discord and more! 🎧 Subscribe to EHG on Apple Podcasts for bonus episodes and no ads! 🛍️ Shop our merch store! NOTES 🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site 📱 Ridiculous large iPhone text 🦋 Follow Santiago Melli-Huber on Bluesky 🎙️ Mari Cohn and Dolly Parton Tribute Night at The Edge 💄 The Listen To Sassy Club 🪓 Sarah's Monster: Lizzie review at Best Evidence 🏦 Make a withdrawal from (or deposit in!) the EHG Mutual Aid Vault 📷 Photo: Spencer Pazer / NBC