Advertise on podcast: Welcome To The Party Pal: The Mind-Bending Film & Television Podcast You Didn't Know You Needed!

Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the best TV shows of the 21st century in an episode based on The New York Times list of The 100 Best TV Shows of the 21 Century. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O’ Connell evaluate the quality of the list and also offer their picks for the ten best TV shows of the last 25 years, a decade and a half brimming with brilliant television. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal dissects the third season of the Tires, the workplace television series created by Shane Gillis, Steve Gerben, and John McKeever The story focuses on Will, who manages the West Chester, Pennsylvania location of his family's struggling auto-repair chain, "Valley Forge Automotive Center." As Will endeavors to revitalize the business, he's met with persistent harassment from his obnoxious cousin and employee, Shane. Join in on an episode that looks to expand the Mare of Easttown/Task-verse, checks in on the latests happenings of the jam band Goose, gets excited over a slew of exciting Fall shows forthcoming, and, of course, talks some Season Three of Tires.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal dissects the third season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon which covers the events of the book Fire & Blood, a prequel novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin. The third season follows in the aftermath of the second season's final episodes, in which the war known as the "Dance of Dragons" between Rhaenyra Targaryen and her half-brother Aegon II Targaryen continues, causing House Targaryen to become further divided. Join is as hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O'Connell attempt to sack Tumbleton, reckon with Queen Rhaenyra's virulent decisions, profess their undying love for Lord Rodrick and the Winter Wolves in general, and so much more... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal dissects Terminator 2 : Judgement Day, the 1991 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and Robert Patrick, it is the sequel to The Terminator (1984) and is the second installment in the Terminator franchise. In the film, the malevolent artificial intelligence Skynet sends a Terminator — a highly advanced killing machine — back in time to 1995 to kill the future leader of the human resistance, John Connor, when he is a child. The resistance sends back a less advanced, reprogrammed Terminator to protect Connor and ensure the future of humanity. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and Douglas Grant celebrate T2's 35th Anniversary by expounding on what made the film so ahead of its time and also so emphatically relevant today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal dissects The Odyssey, the 2026 epic action fantasy film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who produced it with his wife Emma Thomas. An adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic poem the Odyssey, it stars an ensemble cast including Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron. In the film, Odysseus (Damon), the Greek king of Ithaca, undergoes a long and perilous journey home after the Trojan War and encounters mythical beings as he attempts to reunite with his wife Penelope (Hathaway). Join in as hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O'Connell confront a cyclops, dangerous creature-enchantresses, perilous ocean whirlpools, backstabbing suitors, and more in an episode that praises Nolan's breathtaking achievement of a film. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal dissects the most recent episode of The Bear, a surprise drop, entitled "Gary." The episode was written by and starring cast members Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Jon Bernthal and directed by series creator Christopher Storer. The episode is a flashback to early 2019, when Richie's pregnant wife Tiff is close to her due date and Richie and Mikey get a job from Jimmy and thus embark on an emotionally charged road trip from Chicago to Gary, Indiana. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal celebrates the second season of The Pitt, the procedural medical drama television series created by R. Scott Gemmill, and executive produced by John Wells and Noah Wyle. Each season of the series follows emergency department staff as they attempt to overcome the hardships of a single 15-hour work shift at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, all while having to navigate staff shortages, underfunding, and their own personal crises. Each episode, set in real time, covers approximately one hour of the work shift. In this episode hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O'Connell discuss the second season's most affecting moments, it's most grueling predicaments, how The Pitt holds a mirror up to the current problems in America, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Welcome To The party Pal celebrates the second season of Hulu's Paradise, the post-apocalyptic political thriller television series created by Dan Fogelman and starring Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, and James Marsden. The second season expands beyond the bunker that was the focal point of season one as Xavier Collins searches for his wife Terri, and we meet a new survivor named Annie in the ruins of Graceland. In this episode hosts Michael Shields and River Jordan discuss how Paradise has evolved in its second season while pondering the endless possibilities in the show moving forward with the arrival of a new game-changing technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Welcome To The Party Pal hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O'Connell examine A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the television series created by Ira Parker and George R. R. Martin. A prequel to Game of Thrones, it is the third television series in Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire franchise and is an adaptation of the Tales of Dunk and Egg series of novellas, beginning with The Hedge Knight. It stars Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall, the titular hedge knight, and Dexter Sol Ansell as his squire Aegon "Egg" Targaryen. Join in on an episode in which the loss of Baelor Targaryen is deeply lamented, the idea of a Trial by 7 contested, and where Michael And Ryan express their undying love for Lyonel Baratheon.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Welcome To The Party Pal hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O'Connell celebrate Hamnet, the 2025 period drama film directed by Chloé Zhao, who co-wrote the screenplay with Maggie O'Farrell, based on the 2020 novel by O'Farrell. The film dramatises the family life of William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway as they cope with the death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet. It stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal as Anne and William, alongside Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, and Noah Jupe in supporting roles. In this episode Michael and Ryan discuss the riveting acting in Hamnet, Max Richter's infectious score, how art has the power to heal and awe, and so much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To celebrated the 50th Anniversary of director Martin Scorsese's classic, Taxi Driver, Welcome To The Party Pal expounds upon the perpetual greatness of the neo-noir psychological drama written by Paul Schrader. Set in a decaying New York City following the Vietnam War, it stars Robert De Niro as taxi driver Travis Bickle, whose mental state deteriorates as he works nights in the city. The film also features Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, and Albert Brooks. In this episode hosts Michael Shields and Douglas Grant discuss the themes found in Taxi Driver which still resonate today, the haunting score composed by Bernard Herrmann, the brilliant screenplay crafted by Schrader, the stunning acting in the film, its enduring legacy, and so much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal dissects Secret Mall Apartment, the documentary film directed by filmmaker Jeremy Workman that recounts the story of a group of young Rhode Islanders who built a secret apartment inside the Providence Place shopping mall in Providence in 2003, living there for four years until getting caught and charged with trespassing in 2007. At the center of the film is Michael Townsend, the artist whose work sparked the story — and this episode features an interview with Michael that delves into his motivations, his enduring and inspiring work with Tape Art, the blended line between art and everyday living that defines Michael’s life, and so much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal dissects the black comedy action thriller film written, co-produced, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another. It is loosely based and inspired by the 1990 novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti (in her film debut). Join in as hosts Michael Shields and River Jordan visit a heated showdown in Batkin Cross, traverse the hilly terrain of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and enjoy a few small beers all while giving just due praise to PTA's most recent masterpiece. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Welcome To The Party Pal hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O’ Connell share their choices for the best television shows of 2025. Join in on a journey that whisks listeners to Paris during the 2024 Summer Olympics, quarries in Delaware County, galaxies far far away, a frantic ER in Pennsylvania, the 1880 Republican National Convention, and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal dissects Eddington, the neo-Western thriller written and directed by Ari Aster, and starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes, Micheal Ward, Austin Butler, and Emma Stone. Set in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico, the film examines the political and social turmoil caused by the contested mayoral election fought between Sheriff Joe Cross and Mayor Ted Garcia. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and Douglas Grant brave a heated, rural New Mexican town in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic to break down one of the most compelling films of 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.