S2E4 "Garden of Bones": ToB Breakdown Rewatch

Julian Meush February 12, 2019

Robb wins another surprise victory but Sansa pays the price, Tyrion offers Joffrey a belated nameday gift, Littlefinger arrives at Renly’s camp with the Lannister’s terms, Daenerys travels to Qarth, Arya is brought to Harrenhal and quickly adds new names to her list, Talisa chastises the King in the North, Catelyn is reunited with Ned, Tywin chooses a new cupbearer, the Baratheon brothers meet one final time, and Xaro Xoan Daxos invokes Sumai… whatever that is.

S1E5 "The Wolf and the Lion": ToB Breakdown Rewatch

Julian Meush March 14, 2018

Tyrion finds himself on the Eastern Road, Ser Barristan stands vigil for the fallen knight Ser Hugh, after losing to Ser Loras a furious Gregor Clegane goes berserk, forcing the Hound to intervene, Bran attends his world history class, Arya stumbles across ancient Dragon skulls in the dungeon, Yoren warns Ned of Tyrion's abduction, Robert issues an assassination order, Ned abandons his role as Hand, Jaime confronts Ned and Jory outside Littlefinger's brothel, and the first observable blow is struck.

S1E4 " Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things": ToB Breakdown Rewatch

Julian Meush March 7, 2018

Tyrion visits Bran with a gift, Drogo's Khalasar arrives in Vaes Dothrak, Ned follows Jon Arryn's trail, the Hand's tourney begins, Jon protects a new recruit at the Wall, Ser Hugh rides against the Mountain, Viserys vents his frustration, Sansa hears the story of the Mountain and the Hound, and Catelyn confronts Tyrion at the Inn at the Crossroads.

S1E3 "Lord Snow": ToB Breakdown Rewatch

Julian Meush February 28, 2018

Ned meets the Lords of the Small Council, Bran wakes up with no memory of his "accident", Catelyn and Rodrik try to sneak into the capital, Daenerys learns that she is with child, Jon embarrasses the other recruits, Arya refuses to forgive Sansa for the tragedy on the Kingsroad, Jorah rides for Qohor, Tyrion meets with the Commanders of the Night's Watch, and Arya meets her Dancing Master.

S1E2 "The Kingsroad": ToB Breakdown Rewatch

Julian Meush February 21, 2018

Julian and Dan are back to break down Episode 2: "The Kingsroad" in which: the Royal procession prepares to leave Winterfell, Dany tries to cope with the Dothraki lifestyle, Tyrion decides to visit the Wall, Jon Snow bids farewell to the Starks, Robert and Ned butt heads over the Targaryen threat, and Sansa finally meets her prince, only to see his true colours on the Kingsroad.

S7E2 "Stormborn": ToB Breakdown

Julian Meush July 25, 2017

Game of Thrones really picked up the pace as they set up some exciting character meetings and toss a wrench into the works for Danny. Julian and Daniel dissect the latest episode in which all the major parties prepare for war. Daenerys assembles her commanders, Arya meets an old friend, the Lannister's rally their remaining allies, Jorah receives a prognosis, Jon and Littlefinger visit the Winterfell crypts, Arya meets another old friend, the Greyjoy's sail for Dorne, Cersei faces the Black Dread, and the King in the North prepares to meet the Mother of Dragons.

S7E1 "Dragonstone": ToB Breakdown

Julian Meush July 18, 2017

It's been a long wait but Game of Thrones has finally returned. With that comes the return of the Tower of Babble Breakdowns with Julian and Daniel here to break down every detail. Let's jump right in. This week Arya continues her revenge mission (and chats with a pop star), Cersei and Jaime take stock of their situation, Jon and Sansa prepare for war, Dany reaches Dragonstone, The Hound has a moment of clarity and Sam... washes chamber pots?

S6E1 "The Red Woman": ToB Breakdown

Julian Meush April 25, 2016

It's Game of Thrones season once again, and this year's premiere episode happily lines up with the Tower of Babble's third birthday! Julian and Daniel sit down to quickly get up to date and lay out some expectations before jumping into one of Game of Thrones' best season openers yet.

This episode picks up almost immediately where last season ended and catches us up with Jon's remaining brothers at Castle Black, the aftermath of the battle for Winterfell and Sansa and Theon/Reek's escape, Jaime returning to King's Landing, as well as turmoil in both Dorne and Meereen, Daenerys' long walk to Vaes Dothrak, and a little Red Woman magic to give the episode its name.

Happy Anniversary ToB fans! Thanks for listening!

July 30, 2026

Bonus Episode - ToB Film Club - The Warriors (1979)

Another cult classic, 'The Warriors' brings a distinctly unique sense of style and grittiness that feels right at home on the grimy streets of 1970's New York City. The gang-centered heightened reality of the film feels almost Shakespearian in nature, as if you're watching an mythological journey fraught with peril of all kinds - violence, temptation, and the law. This movie was selected as a double-feature of sorts with Nolan's recently released 'The Odyssey' and the comparisons between these stories feels apt. At the end of the day it's just people trying to get home and doing their best to overcome the challenges the world throws at them. The stakes are clear, and while the nature of good guys vs bad guys is more than a bit muddied here (Ajax... dude, wtf?) the thrilling chases, bombastic action sequences and the long awaited final confrontation are all working at a high level (despite some pretty flat performances and lackluster dialogue). While there are certain elements of the movie that DO NOT age well (looking at you gender politics), the core of the film remains strong and executed well. Plus, as an added bonus, the soundtrack for this movie absolutely slaps! This is a fun ride and it's easy to see why it's endured over these many years.

July 23, 2026

Episode 207 - Avengers: Doomsday Trailer + News Roundup

We're into the full swing of blockbuster season. With 'Obsession' breaking box office records, 'The Odyssey' now filling IMAX theatres, and 'Spider-Man' right around the corner, movies feel very "back" right now. Plus, with Comic-Con next week Marvel released their first full-length 'Avengers: Doomsday' trailer. Julian and Matt try to decide if the hype is there, which feels crazy when considering it's an Avengers movie after all, but that might speak more to the situation Marvel currently finds themselves in. Meanwhile, DC doesn't want to be left behind, releasing a new trailer for 'Clayface' , which is shaping up to be a sneaky hit in the body-horror space (despite still not Batman). This all leads to Matt's idea that comic book movies should be treated like jury duty. Plus, a news rundown covering the passing of Sam Neil, Netflix updates (they're bad), some box office updates, and more!

June 25, 2026

Episode 206 - Shrek 5 or Austin Powers 4?

Time marches on and we all feel old. This week, 'Toy Story 5' hit theaters, and while reviews have been positive, it's crazy to think we're onto the fifth installment in that franchise. In a similar vein, we recently learned that Mike Myers is interested in returning to 'Austin Powers', on the heels of his appearance in the trailer for another fiver, 'Shrek 5' (which already has people in it's own tizzy). Matt and Julian debate the merits of either prospect, and then turn the page to stare into the abyss that is AI invading Hollywood. Plus a grab-bag of entertainment stories covering odd popcorn bowls, a Knicks documentary, a scrapped Palpatine show and much more! Finally, to wrap things up, a brief discussion on 'House of the Dragon' season 3 premiere, 'Obsession', 'The Furious', and 'Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring' (both in and out of concert).

May 27, 2026

SSSW - The Mandalorian and Grogu

It's hard to believe it's been so long since the last Star Wars movie hit theatres. After years of announcements, failed projects, and even a change in leadership at Lucasfilm, the first movie in nearly a decade is a follow-up to the first ever live action Star Wars show. Maybe that's fitting for a new era, under new management. The film itself is a fast paced, action-packed, adventure that hails back to the old serials that George Lucas loved. While it is certainly a fun time at the movies, with exciting set-pieces, characters inclusions from across the lore, all of which set on planets with diverse biomes (i.e. some of the things Star Wars does best). Unfortunately, the movie lacks compelling stakes, character depth (where's Din's arc?), much of any plot to speak of, or even a sense of real "importance" - and while that may be a bit intangible, it prompts the question: why was THIS movie the first to bring Star Wars back to feature films in almost a decade? Julian and Rachel try to answer that question and dive deep into all the nerdy details.