The Incomparable

115 Kick Your Butt, Buttercup

Our Agents were so excited about Mr. & Mrs. Smith, that they just jumped right back in with the 2024 series. This is not a chronological episode but entirely based on what the Agents are excited about. This is another intense relationship in an intense fantastical situation and literal booms exploding. We dig deep into love and communication while making wild speculations about what could come next for John and Jane if we get a season 2.

114 Full of Wild Notions

For today’s mission, our Agents take on The Buccaneers, an Apple TV series that is scandal-laden and somewhat historical. The modern sensibility and soundtrack laid over the historical invasion of rich American debutants into cash-strapped British upper-class society make for an energetic vibe. If you missed it, our Agents recommend catching up before joining us for a good gossip about the collection of characters. In lieu of research, these Agents have chosen to go for wild historical speculations.

Warning! The Director permitted Agent Kirsten to swear and she took advantage so this episode is NSFW.

113 A Metaphorical Solution

Our Agents are back with another Romance in Action mission with Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Part 1). We are starting with the 2005 movie that shows Great Truths Hidden Under the Fantastical. On the surface, this is a movie about two married spies flirting by trying to kill each other. Underneath the fantasy, this movie is about the safety of expressing your feelings and true self to your partner. Grab your hidden stash of weapons, it’s about to get dangerous-metaphorically. Don’t blow up your house, Agents.

This mission includes a bit of a discussion about the Mr. & Mrs. Smith TV show, but we hold on to those thoughts until Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Part 2) comes to a mission near you soon.

112 And Boy, Will They

We are back with a classic Romance in Action from 1986: The Big Easy. We have Dennis Quaid practicing the art of seduction with Ellen Barkin amid a murder investigation. With a seedy 80s vibe, they follow a trail of clues that lead them deeper into a corrupt mess in New Orleans. The investigation keeps pulling them apart making us wonder: Will they or won’t they?

111 A Lack of Malevolence

Our Director Annette Wierstra interviews playwright and writer Reina Hardy in advance of the release of her Hallmark movie Paging Mr. Darcy. They discuss Jane Austen, conferences, Regency dancing, and casting Austen heroes. They also dive into how one gets into writing a Hallmark movie, the logistics of writing a screenplay, and the experience of having your script come to life.

110 It’s Time (Loop) to Free Your Squee

I’m freeing my squee about this new podcast on the Incomparable. Drs. Stacy Watnick and Heather Berberet asked me to join them on Free The Squee for their holiday episode about Round and Round, the time loop Hanukkah movie. We loved it. And we are sure you will too.

To get more Free the Squee, subscribe on your favourite podcatcher, or find them on the Incomparable website: https://www.theincomparable.com/fts/

109 Flaws in the Ikea Rug

It’s time for our annual holiday movie marathon. Don your Christmas PJs, gather your festive snacks, and get out the Holiday Bingo Cards. Our Agents watched three Christmas movies of varying quality and enjoyed every minute of it. We watched:

• A Biltmore Christmas
• Christmas in Notting Hill
• Where Are You, Christmas?

We also discuss other movies we have watched this holiday season:

• Must Love Christmas
• Checkin’ it Twice
• Fit for Christmas
• Ex-mas
• Mystery at Mistletoe Lane
• Merry Mystery Christmas

Join us to find out who made “the stupidest peanut butter cookies I’ve ever seen” and a surprising amount of sports talk.

*Note that we are ending Season 4 here and we will be back for Season 5 in time for Valentine’s Day. *

108 No Love Story Just Murder

It’s time for the holidays! And what better way to celebrate than with the Christmas action movie Long Kiss Goodnight with Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson? You might think this movie is the antithesis of a Hallmark holiday movie, but it is the struggle between the two sides of amnesiac Samantha/Charlie. Will she stick with the idyllic small-town family life she created or return to the life of an international spy?

107 Competency Porn Star

For this mission, our Agents discuss Ocean’s 8 as part of our Romance in Action series. How much do we love this all-women heist movie cast? A lot. A lot a lot. Join us as we discuss a fantastic cast of characters, couture fashion, and safe spaces. And of course, we dive right into the romantic tension that underlays this entire film. Bring on the sequel, please.

106 Hit Me With a Fish

We are back with another Romance in Action with a mission in praise of fluff. Ghosted matches up Chris Evans and Ana de Armas again in a spy/not a spy action adventure. We don’t recommend it as a stalkering road map for finding love IRL, but it is full of chases, OTT villains, and a plot that takes us across the globe. If you want a fun escape with pretty people in nice clothes chasing MacGuffins, this movie is about as deep as you need it to be.