Hello and welcome to SpoilerTV's Weekly Round Table! Joining us this week is Anjali (AS), Milo (MJ), Meredith (MH), Joshua (JO), Lucas (LO), KimR (KR), Eve (EV), Val (VL). You just have to sit back enjoy the read and join the discussion in the comment section down below.
Please note, every opinion belongs to its respective author; it does not encompass our site's, or other authors', beliefs.
NYCC is coming up! Have you ever been to any convention? If so, which one(s)? And what show panels/casts enticed you? What was the experience like? If not, would you like to go to one? Maybe for a specific show?
AS: I’ve only ever been to SDCC once in my lifetime—back in 2012! I was able to get into the panel for Falling Skies (TNT) in Ballroom 20 and it was an absolutely wonderful experience - I remember waiting in line, but it wasn’t ridiculously crazy like the Hall H ones of course and it wasn’t overnight or anything; getting the chance to see Noah Wyle whom I’ve been a fan of since The Librarians (TNT) movies was pretty awesome! I’ve also been to the “Heroes and Villains” convention which had originated in San Jose, California but that got canceled a couple of years ago—I was able to attend a panel for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC) and Legends of Tomorrow (CW) both of which were my favorite shows. It’s the experience of getting to see the actor’s I’ve always watched onscreen up front and personal… live… in front of me which is exciting! I would love to attend NYCC too once, or maybe even Emerald City Comic Con. I would maybe want to try and catch either the cast of 9-1-1 (ABC) or The Rookie (ABC) at a convention!
MJ: I've not done tv show conventions but I've been active at film festivals, and they're super exciting - the chance to see new movies before they're released and get caught up in the hype, I've met so many friends through them especially London and Glasgow. One day I'll make it to a comic con, maybe this year? Doing music festival press for another site has really opened my eyes to the behind the scenes of how these large conventions are run, too—no matter the genre/medium.
MH: I've never attended a convention. I had tickets to ATX to see the Scrubs (ABC) reunion, but COVID hit. It looks like they will try it again this year rebilled as “Bill Lawrence and Friends.” I’m dreaming of Austin’s chips and queso and the chance to hear more about my favorite shows.
JO: I haven't attended any conventions before, but I would like to attend one someday. If I had the opportunity to attend a panel for a currently airing show it would probably be for the Severance tv series (Apple TV+) or the Invincible (Amazon Prime) series.
KR: I have never been to a convention, or attended NYCC, but I would definitely love to go to any convention to be honest, especially Scarefest, Hollywood Show, or 90's con. I would also love to attend a 90 day fiance convention, or any reality TV convention, such as BravoCon.
VL: I’ve never been to NYCC, but I’ve always wanted to go. This is going to sound extremely weird to say, but I’ve never felt like I’d be welcomed there because I don’t cosplay so I feel like I’d be out of my element. I’m sure there are other panels that would be fitting for me, but I always felt like I’d need to dress up to go. I do love seeing others’ passion to get their outfits just right though. Walking the streets of NYC during NYCC is a beautiful sight. If you’re not from here, it could come off a bit strange but those that get it get it. I’ll try to go next year.
ZF: I'm more than fortunate to get the opportunity to go to SDCC on behalf of SpoilerTV most years. I absolutely love it. I've been to NYCC once, and would love to go again, but it's across the country, so a little less convenient!
SDCC is something I count down to all year; I debate planning on going even if I don't have a pass—there's so much to do even if you're not attending the convention. It's chaotic, but honestly, I love the energy there. And, I've always been more about the panels and art booths more than meeting the actors/cast directly... First convention I ever went to was Heroes and Villains, and while I made some amazing memories with the people I went with, I don't think those types of cons are for me. (But if you ever want to meet a cast member, or buy some fanmade merch, those cons are MUCH more accessible, and I highly recommend giving it a go before trying for SDCC/NYCC/other big cons!)
To Val (and anyone else reading)—Don't feel out of place! I am not a cosplayer; I tried to cosplay my first year at SDCC. Now, I barely even wear fan merch (I've never been the type, and more comfortable in my normal clothes in the heat of the summer). There are so many different people there: NO ONE ever feels out of place! Everyone is just there to have fun. If you have an opportunity to go to a convention, I always say: DO IT!
TV shows have been doing more and more events, lately. A little over a decade ago, and things like SDCC weren’t commonplace for most TV shows. Now, we have individual show conventions, things such as the “The Queen’s Ball” (Bridgerton), premieres that invite fans, and a ton of other types of TV events and popups. There’s also tons of online events, such as integrations in games such as Fall Guys, Call of Duty, Fortnite, etc. Which ones struck you as memorable—whether you participated or just witnessed over social media?
MJ: I haven't been keeping up with a lot of the events for TV shows but I like when there's crossovers. For example—I hate to bring up Doctor Who (BBC) again but I think I've brought it up at pretty much every WRT, but there's so much going on with this show. For example, the multimedia "Time Lord Victorious" crossover that spanned Big Finish and the Doctor Who novelisations. The show has also given us plenty of crossovers too—like with Magic the Gathering and a tie-in deck; perfect for fans to explore other sides of the show.
JO: I love that we have more online events happening these days than we ever had before. Whilst I hardly participate in online events, Fortnite online events seem particularly memorable to me because of how fun they come across, online events connect fans from all over the world together and create these beautiful fan communities.
VL: I love fan experience events. Bridgerton (Netflix) did a really good job with promotions this past season. I wish I was able to attend and participate, but from everything I saw posted on social media it looked like it was a great time. It’s a cute way to get fans involved and it’s not only TV shows that have done this. I remember attending a fan experience event for the movie Red, White, and Royal Blue and it was such a fun time. This one was so memorable because of the gifts we received and the set up. There were cute socks, candy (custom designed M&Ms which were INSANE), bookmarks (fitting, since this movie was a novel adaptation), and movie posters (not signed because of the actors’ strike, but still a nice gesture). Not to mention, they had amazing themed photo ops for fans. I didn’t take any photos, but from what I saw on social media folks were really into it. I think being in a room with people who share your similar interest and are passionate about a particular project is a genius marketing idea. I hope more of these fan experiences pop up in the future.
ZF: I love fandom events! When we were little kids, it was always so exciting when your favourite TV show or movie had some promotional event with some fast food place—now, they've gotten bigger, better, and even more in-tune with their audiences. Going to early screenings is so fun, even premieres if I can, and, as mentioned above, conventions are great!
I'm also a huge fan of Doctor Who, so seeing all the Exhibits and theatre events popping up around the world is such a joy. The TARDIS was even at Disneyland!
In the past week, what notable TV moment has happened? Any new releases to recommend? A scene that blew you away? Anything you’re looking forward to next week?
AS: Two things stood out to me in last week’s television shows that I saw - first up though I have to talk about 9-1-1 (ABC) episode 3, which was the closing episode of the 3-part premiere of season 8! The nail biting flight landing sequence which was done absolutely wonderfully with Bathena being at the forefront of it was just breathtaking! From the quotes between Bobby and Athena to just getting to see them reuniting when Bobby showed up at her side when she stayed back to administer CPR to the pilot and said “I’ve got you” it just was marvelous—Peter Krause and Angela Bassett are such great co-stars and have amazing chemistry, they are the #1 couple on the show!
Another scene that blew me away was getting to see Stana Katic in Murder in A Small Town (FOX) playing a negative role with such chilling perfection. As a big time fan of Castle (ABC) from back in the day and seeing her as Det. Kate Beckett, I have only ever seen her playing protagonist’s and I was completely blown away by how unsettling and subtle she was in her mannerisms as the antagonist of the week; there was something just so casually psychopathic of her character but in a very calm way, until you start to see her losing control and trying to make things work in her favor. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I’ve yet to catch up with the new season premiere of Tracker (CBS) and I’m looking forward to seeing Elsbeth (CBS) and Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage (CBS) premiering later this week—network tv is back with a bang!
MJ: I've been very bad at keeping up with new TV this week—but The Penguin (HBO) episode 4 was sensational! Give Cristin Milioti all the Emmys, her multilayered performance of Sofia Falcone is one of the best character creations of 2024. In terms of new shows—I'm starting Sweatpea (Sky Atlantic) this evening as well—a charming comedy with a dark side feels perfect this Halloween.
MH: This week marked the return of Shrinking (Apple TV+), which was brilliant to have after Bad Monkey (Apple TV+) ended last week. I love the worlds Bill Lawrence’s shows create—an ensemble cast portraying flawed characters trying to do the right thing and usually relying on inappropriate humor and pop culture references. The first episode of this season had Jason Segel’s character, Jimmy, confronted by the drunk driver who killed his wife in a car accident. Complicating the matter, the driver is portrayed by Shrinking co-creator Brett Goldstein without his characteristic Roy Kent beard. The exchange between the two was heartbreaking. Jimmy trying to figure out how to share the news with his daughter, Alice, makes for a perfect inappropriate humor scene in the second episode.
JO: I have to say Cristin Milioti's performance as Sophia Falcone in episode four of The Penguin (HBO) was truly incredible. Her final scene in the episode in the yellow dress really highlights her complete transformation as a character, as we witness her truly become her father's daughter. Cristin Milioti needs to be nominated for an Emmy award for her phenomenal performance. I highly recommend The Penguin series for both comic book fans and non comic book tv fanatics, it's a brilliant show on it’s own.
I'm looking forward to episode five of The Penguin (HBO), episode four of Superman and Lois (CW) and more episodes of Matlock (CBS) after a lovely performance by Kathy Bates in the pilot episode.
LO: This past week, two shows had scenes that blew me away and left me eager for what's next. First, I had a blast with 9-1-1 (ABC) in the past week! The plane landing on the 110 freeway scene was wonderful, but there are so many other good moments: Buck shaking red lights to clear the freeway while the plane flies over him is wonderful, also the scene in LAX with the rest of the 118 watching the plane fly over them is so beautifully shot. Finally, the Bathena moments: Bobby waiting on the top of the fire truck as the plane approaches, Athena's dialogue with Bobby while landing the plane, and their reunion at last—this episode made the reason why they are the show's main couple clear to me once more. I think this was the perfect finale for this initial arc and a better execution than the cruise ship disaster last season, as this episode managed to be both tense and fun while also being a strong Bathena centric that is clever enough to make all the other main characters part of the story in interesting and engaging ways. I love it!
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu), on the other hand, offered one of my favorite (and most unexpected) Meryl Streep moments on 4.07. I'm still clueless about who the murderers are this season; the whodunnit aspect has never been better, so looking forward to watch 7.09 next week so maybe I can have at least a clue or a theory. Finally, I'm looking forward to the 9-1-1 Halloween episode, just because this season has been so good and themed episodes are the most fun!
KR: In the past week, American Horror Stories (FX) season 4 began dropping episodes on Hulu, and I am beyond excited to dig into another epic season of this Horror series. There are so many shocking events and stories that occur within each episode, so I am very excited for more thrills and chills this season will bring.
EV: I started watching La Maison (AppleTV+).
La Maison is about 2 rivaling fashion houses in Paris, France. Let’s say a Succession with lots of merdes and putains. In the first half hour I wasn’t convinced, I thought about quitting.
Then that last half hour of the first episode drew me in. It’s a bit over the top soapish but I started getting intrigued by the character of Perle Foster.
Perle (Amira Casar), Vincent’s former muse who is still in his shadow, teams up with visionary next-generation designer Paloma Castel (Zita Hanrot) to save, evolve and renew the century-old Maison LEDU.
It’s this development that I want to see being explored in the upcoming episodes.
I think I have a new (temporary) TV obsession on my hands.
VL: This Fall TV show lineup has been amazing. Jesse Lee Soffer joined FBI: International (CBS) this week and boy have I missed seeing that man in action. Admittedly, I’ve never watched the show before he joined (I’m so sorry!), but his performance in this episode was top notch. I can’t wait to see the rest of the season (and I promise I will watch the earlier seasons too because this is a great cast!).
ZF: Found (NBC) and Abbott Elementary (ABC) have really been the highlights of my week lately!
That wraps up another round table! Feel free to drop your thoughts in the comments below. See you next week!
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