Once again it is time for the annual Tobie Awards! Known for their prestige and import, the Tobies are a look back the year’s best in film and television. As is tradition, this years ceremony is hosed by Julian Meush, Daniel D’Souza, and Jeremy Kozier. The ToB Crew walk through each of their picks, laying out their justifications for their top 3 choices. 2019 was chalk full of amazing films and television programs, regardless of their appearance on anyone’s list, and is of course deserving of praise in their own right, but only the select few are lucky enough to take home a Tobie. Let the listing begin!
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SSSW - The Mandalorian S1E7 "The Reckoning"
After a series of self-contained episodes exploring the life of a Bounty Hunter on the run, Chapter 7 begins to bring the story full circle by having the Mandalorian finally confront his pursuers.
Greef Karga extends an olive branch to Mando, hoping to rid Nevarro of the remaining imperial presence, while promising to absolve Mando of all transgressions against the guild. Anticipating the obvious double-cross, The Mandalorian recruits a crew of allies met in previous chapters in order to save the Child and put an end to the mercenary-of-the-week motif. Alongside the redoubtable Rebel Drop-Trooper Cara Dune, and the laconic Ugnaught Kuiil, The Mandalorian allows a repurposed IG-11 to join the crew, albeit reluctantly. After meeting with Greef, surviving a space-dragon attack, and witnessing some impressive force abilities from the Child, the rag-tag group sets out to face the Client and his sinister group of imperial loyalists.
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ToB Interlude - Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker - Reaction
The final installment of the Skywalker saga is here, and it marks the end of not only the sequel trilogy, but Star Wars as we know it. Hot off the heels of a first viewing, the full ToB crew sat down to decompress and analyze in a spoiler-free initial reaction episode.
Endings are tough, and this is no exception; while the performances are consistently fantastic, with so many characters and plot lines left unresolved the film was faced with a Herculean task in wrapping up one of the most beloved series of all time. Moving at a break-neck speed the film seems to jump from concept to concept with reckless abandon and, while always visually stunning, this tempo tends to prevent any impactful emotional resonance (again, having only seen it once). In this conversation, we try to avoid specifics and speak to the movie as a self-contained story, while also commenting on the saga at large. With the various rumours, press-releases, leaks, etc. coming from the set, the conversation naturally veers towards the Director’s seat and the impact of what feels like diametrically opposed visions for the project leading to a sort of dissonance between episodes IIX and IX specifically.
That being said its always fun to talk Star Wars and this episode is no different. The series is something we’re all passionate about and although the Skywalker saga has reached it’s conclusion, the door is wide open for new and innovative exploration within the galaxy far, far away.
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Watchmen S1E9 "See How They Fly": ToB Breakdown
Nothing ever ends. A theme that has played out through the Watchmen saga from the beginning. The sentiment feeling particularly poignant today, as we digest the final instalment of HBO’s Watchmen and are left wondering if this is, in fact, the end. There is no question that this is the end of a great season of television. One that dove deep into social issues while at the same time crafting a nearly flawlessly written story around jaw dropping film making. A season of television capped with a finale that stuck the landing on nearly all it’s plot lines like an Olympic acrobat at the end of their routine. A show so complex that trying to unpack it all can twist the brain and make you feel like a genius one moment and an idiot the next. It’s almost all too good to be true. Which leaves the only remaining caveat; will there be a season 2? There’s a real possibility that HBO’s Watchmen will only be remembered as a one-off television sequel to a best selling graphic novel. A series that was so unlikely to even exist, never mind be as amazing as it turned out to be, that it too could only be described as a thermodynamic miracle.
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SSSW - The Mandalorian S1E6 "The Prisoner"
The Mandalorian took a turn after episode 3 (err… chapter 3?), it went from the serialized storytelling that we’ve become accustomed to in modern television, and became much more “monster of the week” for lack of a better term. This is a change that some fans have appreciated, enjoying the shows willingness to subvert the expectations that it had setup at the beginning and take us on fun new adventures every week. Others, who hoped for a tight, concise, 8 episode story feel that the show has lost it's through-line and therefore feels directionless. All opinions are valid, however, I think most fans of this show will agree that Chapter 6 “The Prisoner”, regardless of it’s lack of connective tissue to the larger narrative, is nothing less than absolutely entertaining. This week’s installment is a mashup of part heist film, horror film and adventure film, and filled with great performances and juicy character moments. This week, The Mandalorian shows us that it’s capable of make exciting choices that go well beyond fan-service (but still willing of giving us some).
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Watchmen S1E8 "A God Walks into Abar": ToB Breakdown
With the season drawing to a close we finally get our first look at Dr. Manhattan, and get to spend some time in what we perceive as his past. Much like the Watchmaker chapter from the original comic, the episode attempts to translate Manhattan’s perception of time by exposing the audience to interconnected and overlapping periods in his life. A conversation over beers with Angela provides a through-line as the episode jumps between various events; including a young Jon Osterman having his first voyeuristic experience, Veidt explaining his first plan to neutralize Dr. Manhattan, Jon adopting Cal’s existence, and Veidt’s retirement to Europa.
Back in 2019 Angela is forced to sacrifice her husband’s demure, family man persona, in order to warn Manhattan of the impending attack. While Jon reconnects with Angela, he is having his first/last conversation with her grandfather in 2009, and the pitfalls of “time travel” are displayed. With the 7th Kavalry descending on them time is running out for the indestructible man; once again, the most powerful being in existence is the prisoner of providence, and once again he is too late. Always has been, always will be. Too late.
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SSSW - The Mandalorian S1E5 "The Gunslinger"
After suffering damage during a dogfight with a rival bounty hunter, The Mandalorian is forced to dock at the notorious backwater planet of tatooine. While grounded, Mando heads to the Mos Eisley Cantina expecting to find a nefarious den of scum and villainy, only to find a post-Empire, less-villainous, droid-operated dive bar. Luckily, Toro Calican; a prospective bounty hunter is onsite and recruits The Mandalorian for a high-risk, high-reward mission to capture a rival mercenary. Under The Mandalorian’s guidance, the rookie bounty hunter come close to success, but the avaricious nature of the profession wins out and Toro seizes an opportunity to make a name for himself.
Also, more baby Yoda memes are generated. Cool.
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Episode 145 - DC Check-In
The ToB Crew is back with another regular episode of the ToB Podcast. A lot has happened, especially at Warner Brothers, so the guys decide to do a recap of all things DC. Variety is reporting that DC brass don’t know how to make Superman relevant to modern audiences, all while Henry Cavil drops some Superman nuggets, Michael B Jordan is pitching Superman ideas, and Ben Affleck is stoking the flames of #ReleaseTheSynderCut with a tweet. Needless to say there’s a lot to talk about. The guys also touch on the new “Sonic the Hedgehog” trailer, Mark Wahlberg’s casting in the “Uncharted” movie and much more!
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Watchmen S1E7 "An Almost Religious Awe": ToB Breakdown
Dan and Jeremy are back to breakdown the latest episode of HBO’s Watchmen series; the most appropriately titled episode to date, this week left us all in feeling shock and “An Almost Religious Awe”.
Angela relives some of her own memories as she comes down from the Nostalgia trip; Petey stumbles into the aftermath of Looking Glass’ last stand; Lady Trieu takes advantage of an elephant that never forgets; Laurie overplays her hand; Veidt faces day 365 of his trial; Bian’s true lineage is revealed; Joe Keene explains his master (race) plan; and, with the Doomsday Clock close to midnight, the bell tolls for Cal and Angela’s secret.
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SSSW - The Mandalorian S1E4 "Sanctuary"
When Mando and Baby Yoda flew off into space at the end of Chapter 3, many people expected the show to take a turn and start driving toward a logical goal or destination. Unfortunately for those people, that wasn’t the in Chapter 4 “Sanctuary”. In many ways a filler episode, Mando makes a stop in a backwater world only to meet a former Rebel Shock Trooper, and a wholesome village before all havoc breaks loose. Filled with some cliched story beats and questionable direction and performances, it’s easily the worst installment of The Mandalorian so far. That doesn’t mean it didn’t still have it’s redeeming elements however, with Baby Yoda steeling the spotlight once again, as well as an exciting set-piece finale, it’s clear the show hasn’t completely lost it’s touch, and there’s still plenty to look forward to. Join Julian, Daniel, and Jeremy as they unpack the full episode and dive into the details.
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