The Incomparable Mothership

Hosted by Jason Snell

The Incomparable Mothership is the flagship of the Incomparable podcast network. It’s all about geeky media we love, including movies, books, TV, and more, featuring a rotating panel of guests and hosted by Jason Snell and friends.

Latest Episode: March 15, 2024

707 Crime is Not Cozy

Nobody is more surprised than Antony Johnston to find he’s now a cozy crime author. Dan Moren sniffs out the secrets of his “Dog Sitter Detective” series.

Previous Episodes

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    March 8, 2024 “Back to the Future Part III”
    706 Riff on Biff

    We conclude our movie-by-movie review of the “Back to the Future” series with the western-themed third installment, which features less time travel shenanigans and more old-west shenanigans.

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    February 29, 2024 “Back to the Future Part II”
    705 A Legacy of Biffs

    It’s time again. Time! To go forward in time, then backward—or is it sideways?—in time, then further back in time, and then maybe even further back in time. It’s time for the bland future of 2015, the apocalyptic alt-present of 1985, and a familiar 1955. But most of all, it’s time for a Crisis on Infinite Biffs. It’s “Back to the Future Part II.”

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    February 23, 2024 “Back to the Future”
    704 Kramer Before Kramer

    Great Scott! No time to be a slacker, McFly, because we’ve gotta go back in time to 1985 so we can go back to 1955 so we can perfectly time a lightning strike. That’s right, it’s time to talk about “Back to the Future.”

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    February 16, 2024 “Oppenheimer”
    703 Communists? In Berkeley?

    Jason’s favorite movie of 2023 was the gray flipside to “Barbie,” Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” And while none of us would exactly call ourselves Nolan fans, this one manages to grapple with a deep subject with great care. It’s got some spectacular scenes that will blow your mind—and a whole lot more scene of men in suits and hats standing around talking.

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    February 9, 2024 “Ghosts”
    702 One Is Silly and One Is Wacky

    Two nations, two sitcoms, one premise: What if one of us could see ghosts? Infusing genre complications into the world of TV situation comedies, “Ghosts” has become a hit in both the UK and the U.S.! We recommend both, compare the different versions, and try to explain why the whole idea works so well.

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    February 2, 2024 “The Abyss” (Special Edition)
    701 KEEP PANTYHOSE ON

    KNEW THIS WAS ONE WAY TICKET
    BUT YOU KNOW I HAD TO COME

    At long last, it’s the episode Jason has waited 13 years to schedule. Up from the depths of the ocean comes a long-awaited 4K transfer! It’s time for all of you to join us in watching one of the great (and underrated) adventure films of all time, and perhaps James Cameron’s best film: “The Abyss.”

    We watched the Special Edition of the film, and discuss the ways in which it’s superior to the original cut, and the ways it isn’t.

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    January 26, 2024 “The Boy and the Heron”
    700 A Dark Totoro

    We reconvene Miyazaki Club to discuss the master animator’s latest final movie, “The Boy and the Heron.” We went in wondering, will this be lyrical and nostalgic magical realism, or will it be a barrage of super-weird fantastical imagery? The voluminous bird poop and the suit of frogs point the way.

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    January 19, 2024 “Godzilla Minus One”
    699 Merchant Ivory Godzilla

    In 2023’s “Godzilla Minus One,” the classic monster doesn’t just represent nuclear disaster, but crushing guilt on personal and societal levels. What if someone built a deeply emotional human drama that was also a movie where Godzilla destroys a whole lot of stuff? We’ve got the answer!

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    January 12, 2024 “Foundation” TV series
    698 Incarnation of the System

    Crack open your psychohistory textbooks and ready a new batch of imperial clones, because it’s time to discuss the Apple TV+ series “Foundation,” extremely loosely based on the classic works of Isaac Asimov. Before the spoiler horn, we talk about why this is a show worth catching up on—and also debate the merits of psychohistory. Then we discuss the first two seasons, which we really enjoyed.

  • The Incomparable Mothership cover art
    December 29, 2023 Best of 2023
    697 Three Things and a Blurt

    Happy new year! Some of our most prolific panelists pick some of their favorite media of the year gone by, and a few listeners send in some favorite clips from The Incomparable in this past year. Onward to 2024!

See All Episodes…