Fans of music and philanthropy of all genres were heartbroken to learn of the passing of Dolly Parton this week.  It’s been a while since someone so universally beloved has left the world, and The Guys wonder aloud who else might fall in this same category?  

Elvis? Michael Jackson?  Does anyone make the cut?  Stories of her life are all over the interwebs, and The Guys have memories of their own.  Do you need a quiet place to contemplate things such as this?  

ay tells of a new shire-like home you can rent, and you don’t have to go to New Zealand to enjoy it.  Art has more X-men casting news and this time it’s the big boss.  Ridley and Rob-lie are talking about yet another extension of the Alien universe in the works.  It’s not really an obituary episode, it’s a celebration of an incredible life: listen to this episode from 9 to 5 and The Guys will always love you.  

He’s back!  And he’s regrettable.  Jay has returned to the studio and this time Robbie didn’t forget his segment.  In fact, it’s a Jay’s Regrettable Segment Roundup, with three - that’s right, the magic number - three Regrettable Supervillains to relay and rate this week.  

And be warned: the redeemable badge is particularly hard to come by this go-round.  They start with Dr. Voodoo vs Wonder Man (and it’s not the one you think), Fang up against The Snowman (he’s no Olaf, but he’ll do), and Hawk swooping down unsuccessfully on The Barker, a story of magic and mayhem at your local circus.  If you’ve ever heard of any of these, you must have read the book, too.  And it’s unlikely you’ll ever hear of them again.  

Casting news is two-thirds of the Geeks of the Week segment, with Art’s update from X-Men casting reveals at D23, and Jay (almost) getting his chance to talk about Dr. Who showing up in unlikely places.  Robbie is just sad that he’ll no longer get music CD’s from Columbia House.  And all The Guys will be sad if you don’t listen to this episode.  Don’t be a regrettable…just be a Super Listener.  

In this episode, the Guys finally deliver a primer on Artificial Intelligence. As creatives, both Robbie and Art have concerns about the use of generative AI to create content, but recognize that it can be an incredible tool for data analysis. Robbie shares ways he is using Claude in business applications, computer file management, and even home appliance repair. 

Geeks of the Week include a look at the status of various DCU projects and the possibility of Dr. Who being auctioned off to the highest bidder.    It doesn't take much intelligence, artificial or otherwise, to realize this is an episode not to be missed.

It’s a Brand New Podcast!  Not really. Same 3 old Guys living out their superhero dreams vicariously through watching highly paid actors actually wear the costume and fly through the air.  

This week it was Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and The Guys all agreed this is one of their faves.  Plenty of action, new powers, old friends new again, and a villain that may or may not be a villain in the end.  (By the way, SPOILERS ABOUND!)  

Speaking of Avengers and such, if one was to try to watch all the Marvel content from Iron Man on, and do it before Doomsday comes out in December, one should get started - Jay does math on this episode.  In the same universe, Art has X-Men casting news with lots of new faces.  Robbie is full of…news…from his new Pocket recorder, to a Kenner Kickstarter, and on to a cancellation that leaves The Guys wondering.  

Attach your distraction inhibitor and listen!

Another San Diego Comic-Con, another year The Guys watch from afar.  (It’s not too early to sponsor a 2027 trip, wealthy listener!)  But they’re still interested in the news, and this event does bring the news.  

Here are some of the “news”: new Black Panther, new Ghost Rider, new cosplays, new Doomsday announcements, new trailers, new stars roaming the hallways in costume, and a new first-time whopper of a guest.  Plenty of things for The Guys to ramble on about after they lament a bit because rambling is all they could afford to do.  (Did we mention that we are open to travel sponsors?)  

On the homefront, Robbie advocates for his buddy Claude, Art looks forward to the next iteration of Blade Runner, and Jay reads a book in a new genre the kids call LitRPG, and the one he picked is coming to Peacock.  It’s a wild episode despite the distance from the San Diego Zoo.   

Who knew The Guys were handymen? Mechanics.  Consultants, if you will.  

And this week they are here to fix Dr. Who.  Of course, it’s mostly Robbie with his hands on the dials, but Art and Jay do have opinions.  Is it back to basics?  Pleasing the core fans?  More tech and modern effects, or less?  They all agreed that characters and story make the difference.  And they are willing to move to England and be co-show-runners if the BBC will cover the tab.  

Since that’s somewhat unlikely, there is a backup plan: travel just a couple of hours and check out the new Lego store in our capital city, the first in the state.  And they can watch trailers along the way: Doomsday, Spider-Man, and even the scary Jessica Chastain movie.  

Listen to this episode (and the 390+ that came before it) and perhaps you, too, can fix Guys of a Certain Age.  

The pessimist would call this an obituary-focused episode.  The Guys (optimists to the hilt as far as you know) call it a celebration of geek lives.  

From actors remembered from when The Guys were but wee lads: Louise Lasser and Randolph Mantooth, to the oldest astronaut ever to go into space (it’s not who you think).  From the sponsor of Soul Train to Bright Eyes (not Caesar’s mom - the one beseeched to turn around.  And of course, one of the patriarchs of the Jurassic Park series, who likely has a pretty high Geek Index.  It was a rough week or two in some ways, but it generated some great memories.  

Jay is hoping Robbie’s next entrepreneurial adventure will be to buy Wayne Manor - yes, it’s for sale - as the next GOCA headquarters.  It would be a great place to watch The Batman 2 in February 2028: thanks, Matt Reeves, for giving him a little more time to get the finances in order.  Art has news of George Lucas’s controversial AI statements, and it appears that the role of Kylo Magneto has been cast.  Break out the tissues and the VCRs for this audio walk down memory lane.  It’s a total eclipse of the Art.  

This week The Guys revisited a tradition of going to a movie none of their wives wanted to see.  Permission to watch Supergirl was granted and acted upon.  

No Oscar nominations are expected (though the CGI dog is pretty good), but The Guys give it 3 thumbs up.  Milly Alcock and Jason Momoa seem to fit their roles, and David Corenswet seems very Superman-ish in his appearances.  Despite Jay’s confusion (why is this movie taking place mostly in space with what seemed like cameo appearances from Star Wars aliens?), the story moves along and makes sense.  Lots of planets, multi-colored suns, but no multi-verses.  In other news, sadly, the leader from an iconic band passes from the planet.  

On the other side of the planet, for those who love electric cars AND Batman, Mihandra is ready to take your rupees.  “Heroes” is back on Netflix, so maybe Jay will get past the first few episodes this time around.  Save The Guys!  Save the World!

The fix is in this week, as Robbie and Art take a look at the changes they would make to the Star Trek franchise, which is currently no longer developing new material. Could they go where no Guy has gone before and be onto a possible gold mine idea? Or will Paramount respond with ways to fix our podcast?

Other highlights include a new home for the OG Harry Potter-no, he's not leaving Hogwarts. Remembering a pop music mastermind. Looking back at the long-running Farmweek agriculture news shows, and a wild trip down memory lane going through the playlist of Freedom Rocks!   You'll have to download this episode wherever you get your podcasts. Unlike Freedom Rocks, it's not available on 8-track. 

Only the best streaming series make it to five seasons or more, and For All Mankind (hello, it’s another Apple TV show) does it again, with a sixth and final season coming as soon as the production crew gets back from Mars.  

When that happens, it will certainly be watched not just by The Guys but by Mrs. Reed as well, who lived in Houston when none of these people were doing any of these things.  As their discussion of “actual” outer space comes to a close, it turns to another alternate universe where Skeletor and He-Man battle for the Sword of Power.  Sometimes The Guys can stay focused on one topic…this is not one of those times.  

But they do recommend the Masters of the Universe movie, even without a personal history of the 1980’s toy-inspired cartoon and comic. Speaking of comics, the Muppets get their moment in the Marvel universe, per Jay’s report.  Art has sad TV news: he won’t be able to retire in The Boroughs.  Robbie covers the movies with a Social Sequel from Sorkin Soon Showing. By the power of greying and thinning skulls, The Guys have the power!

As it turns out, The Guys are capable of being frightened.  Not just by their wives, not just by Mrs. Reed, but by moving images they see on screens.  That is precisely the reason Jay stays away from horror flicks as a rule, but he made an exception when Art and Robbie said Widow’s Bay was both scary AND funny.  

And they were right!  Recently added to the number of high-quality shows on Apple TV, Widow’s Bay has a nice mix: of fresh faces and veteran actors, of laugh-out-loud moments and jump-off-the-couch scenes, of awkward characters and deep thoughts.  Not to mention, the episodes are fairly short but still get the job done.  For those that really loved it, there are sufficient questions left unanswered and the promise of a second season.  

Until then, enjoy these Geeks of the Week: source material for Supergirl’s cape is revealed, a Lucas is lost, and the International Man of Mystery makes a fourth money grab.  Don’t leave the island and by all means, don’t unsubscribe from the podcast.