Screen Babble podcast: The Last of Us, Hunters, The Rig, and Spector - episode 8

Screen Babble is your essential guide to everything on television, from the mainstream to the marginal. NationalWorld’s podcast producer Kelly Crichton, news and trends expert Steven Ross, and critic Alex Moreland discuss what is – and what isn’t – worth watching.

As ever, we begin by discussing what we’ve been watching recently. On the recommendation of a friend, Steven’s been checking out People Just Do Nothing on BBC iPlayer, and he’s also seen Citizen Kane and Rashomon on the big screen at his local cinema. (You may remember this differently.) Alex has been watching The Sex Lives of College Girls, while Kelly finished Stonehouse, worked through some more of The White Lotus, and started true crime documentary Spector. The Rig is also up for debate, as Alex and Kelly have both been watching it – but do they agree about Amazon’s supernatural thriller?

Next, Alex previews The Last of Us, a long-anticipated horror drama with Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) and Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones). How well does it work for someone who’s not familiar with the source material? Which lead actor is already a contender for best performance of the year? And could a parasitic fungus really bring about the apocalypse?

Finally, Steven looks back on the first season of alt-history drama Hunters ahead of the second (and final) season arriving on Amazon Prime Video this weekend. Is the heavily stylised Tarantino-esque violence tasteless or cathartic? Were the critics right to dismiss it at the time, or did Steven miss out by listening to them? Does the finale let it down – and is it worth tuning in again when Logan Lerman and Al Pacino return?

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for Steven’s Weekend Watch Mini-Babble, previewing all the best TV to watch over the next few days – including Maternal, The Beaker Girls, and eternal favourite Love Island.

Listen to Screen Babble #8 right here, right now…

Screen Babble: how to follow the show

• Screen Babble is available to download on all podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify
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• Do you have a TV question you’d like the Screen Babble team to answer on a future episode, or a recommendation of your own? Send it to [email protected] or [email protected]