The Surrogates with Sean Muir

We're back with another episode of Trade School! This time, we're talking about The Surrogates! Our host this week is Sean Muir! Support us on Patreon! https://patreon.com/CertainPOVMedia Edited by Case Aiken Scored by Bret Eagleston Certain Point Of View is a podcast network brining you all sorts of nerdy goodness! From Star Wars role playing, to Disney day dreaming, to video game love, we've got the show for you! Learn more on our website: https://www.certainpov.com Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/wcHHer4 FOLLOW US: ▶ Instagram: @certainpovmedia Outline Introduction to Certain Point of View's Trade School and Host Introduction (00:00 - 00:30) Sean Muir presents himself as Movie Midness and introduces the Trade School podcast segment where contributors discuss beloved comic book trade paperbacks. He thanks Case Aiken and CPOV Network for the opportunity. Overview of 'The Surrogates' Comic Series and its Movie Adaptation (00:30 - 04:45) Sean describes 'The Surrogates,' a graphic novel anthology by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele, originally a comic series starting in 2005 and later compiled. He shares his personal connection tracing from the 2009 movie adaptation starring Bruce Willis back to the comic origins. ️ Themes and Narrative Conflict in 'The Surrogates' (04:46 - 07:00) Explanation of societal impact and abuse of surrogate technology, particularly by youths and bad faith actors. The story is set in Central Georgia Metropolis, a fictional metropolitan area. Religious and Political Dimension: Debate Between the Prophet and the Mayor (07:02 - 11:04) Highlight of a key intellectual debate featuring the Prophet, leader of the anti-surrogate religious faction, and the mayor of the city. The dialogue reveals tensions about human rights, autonomy, use of lethal force, and demands for separate land under their own laws. ️ Escalation in Main Story: Lethal Threat to Both Surrogates and Humans (11:06 - 13:17) Description of plot development where the human resistance learns to kill surrogates and, consequentially, kill the humans operating them, marking a darker turn in the narrative. The conflict escalates as the resistance becomes more lethal. Critical Reception and Literary Comparisons (13:18 - 15:28) Sean shares reviews from Entertainment Weekly and i09 highlighting the graphic novel as a grim commentary on consumer culture. It is recommended as an intelligent, compelling, and adult work posing difficult questions with no easy answers. Recommendation on Reading Order and Movie Companion (15:29 - 17:39) Sean recommends purchasing and reading the two anthologies separately: the prequel 'Flesh and Bone' and the main 'The Surrogates' graphic novel. He suggests that the 2009 movie is a decent companion piece, though thematically the graphic novels are denser. Closing Thanks and Encouragement to Read 'The Surrogates' (17:40 - 18:35) Sean thanks the CPOV team, especially Case Aiken, and wishes listeners an enjoyable reading experience. The episode closes with a brief outro from the hosts Casey and Sam promoting another podcast focused on films.