Hyperfixation: A Queer Fandom Podcast

Also coming to you from Ohio, the Hyperfixation gang talks about the deeply weird second episode of The Vampire Lestat. Lestat's family sucks, Gabriella is very strange, the band is freaked out, Lestat is totally over this break up, and Louis is just worried because he cares.Episodes We Mentioned:The Vampire Lestat: DetroitInterview with the Vampire (season one and the book)The Vampire Lestat (the book)The end of Interview with the Vampire season twoThe start of Interview with the Vampire season two

Interview with the Vampire is back with the first episode of The Vampire Lestat! Lestat is telling his own story through two framing devices, lots of drugs, music, sex, and a hopefully intentional misgendering.Episodes We Mentioned:Interview with the Vampire (season one and the book)The Vampire Lestat (the book)The end of Interview with the Vampire season twoCarmilla: The Web Series

Returning to our roots, we discussed The Mandalorian and Grogu, the big blockbuster continuation of the TV show. This movie made some odd choices, Zeb is here but not included enough, and a lot of the charm of the original is lost.Episodes We Mentioned:Our first The Mandalorian episodeOur first Andor episodeOur first Rebels episodeOur first Aftermath episodeOur first Book of Boba Fett episodeOur first Republic Commando episodeOur first Spartacus episode

The gang joins two old gays and their six oddball children in The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. There is found family, fantasy racism, x-men parallels, fantasy bureaucracy, and campy themes. Episodes We Mentioned: X-Men: Marauders (2019) Our first Interview with the Vampire episode The Priory of the Orange Tree Our first Andor episode Camp Damascus

Hyperfixation returns to our Briikasak roots to talk about our predictions and fears for The Mandalorian and Grogu. Cal is worried it is going to be an Aftermath plot wearing a Mandalorian skin. Who knows if we need to know anything about what has happened in Star Wars lore in the last few years. Or it could just be a one off bounty hunter episode.Episodes We Mentioned: Chapter 24: The Return Chapter 19: The Convert Our first Book of Boba Fett episode Our first The Mandalorian episode Our first Aftermath series episode Our first (of very few) Rebels episode Our first Andor episode

Hyperfixation returns to Xena, where there are centaurs, lots of gay touching, naked hot tubbing, and debates about morality and philosophy. Gabrielle has confused feelings about motherhood and Xena gets turned into a rabbit. It's a lot. Episodes We Mentioned:Spartacus: House of Ashur Song of Achilles Our First Roots of Chaos Episode The Mandalorian: Chapter Nine: The Marshal

Hyperfixation watches the Spartacus what-if reboot, which is less good and less gay. It fits very well into Cal's theory of the decline of the Prestige TV Era and the lack of queer representation. We are burying our gays and not letting our lesbians meet. Episodes We Mentioned:Spartacus (2010-2013) and the Prestige TV Era Our First Xena Episode Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle Our First Mandalorian Episode Our First Book of Boba Fett Episode Our First Andor Episode Those Fatal Flowers Brokeback Mountain Our First Interview with the Vampire Episode

Cal wrote an essay about the Starz Spartacus show and its place within queer representation within the Prestige TV era. Brought to you by the same people who made Xena, Spartacus has a lot of anti-imperial and anti-slavery messages and a lot of sex and violence. Cal's Source MaterialEpisodes We Mentioned: Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess (Our First Episode) Interview with the Vampire Castlavania: Nocturne Rogue One Prospect

Marika makes the gang return to Xena to talk about two very gay episodes in which Gabrielle gets girlfriends of the week. This season is saying, or maybe isn't, a lot about religion, morality, and war. Episodes We Mention:Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 4 Part 1 Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 1 (Our first Xena episode) Dragon Age: Inquisition Interview with the Vampire: Season 2 Ep. 1-4 Andor: The Prison Arc The Vampire Lestat (the book)

The gang finishes out Fallout Season 2. We all love Lucy. We have varying opinions on Maximus. The Ghoul spends some time on the pole. Thaddeus is funny but also gross. Bret knows a lot about these games, but mostly we are just operating on vibes.Episodes We Mentioned:Fallout: Season 2 Part 1 Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Ep. 5-6 The Mandalorian: Chapter Sixteen: The Rescue Camp Damascus Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle Dragon Age: Inquisition

Hyperfixation returns to the Fallout show, a fun video-game adaption that isn't that gay but we still like it. Bret absolutely loves it, Cal has come around an Maximus, and Marika likes all these guest stars. Episode We Mentioned:Fallout: The Amazon Series (Season 1) The Last of Us Ep. 1-4 (The first episode of us covering the first season) Fallout: Pre-Nike History For All Mankind Yellowjackets Season 1

Continuing our Chuck Tingle moment, we talk about his second book Bury Your Gays. It is also horror but very fun. We go off in a lot a tangents about 2015 queer fandoms, tumblr, and oddly the end of Stranger Things. Episodes We Mentioned:Camp Damascus Our first Xena: Warrior Princess episode  Sunrise on the Reaping Our first The Mandalorian episode Patience and Sarah Our first The Interview with the Vampire episode Our first Yellowjackets episode Our first Roots of Chaos series episode  

Hyperfixation reads Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle and you should too to understand this episode. We jump around a lot talking about this book's author, queer rep, autism rep, and it's take on common queer tropes. Episodes We Mentioned:Those Fatal Flowers The Priory of the Orange Tree Patience and Sarah Song of Achilles

A Greco-Roman immortal man-hating lesbian crash lands into colonial America and gets into a Lavender Marriage in Those Fatal Flowers by Shannon Ives. Bret and Cal have a lot to say about the mythology elements while Marika is focused on gay feelings and time travel. Episodes We Mentioned:Queerness Through Xena: Warrior Princess Season 1 Epic: The Musical The Priory of the Orange Tree Kaos Yellowjackets Season 1 A Day of Fallen Night Among the Burning Flowers Song of Achilles Patience and Sarah

As part of our Lavender Marriage theme, Marika finally gets Hyperfixation to talk about For All Mankind, an excellent alt-history, sci-fi space Apple+ show. A gay astronaut fake marries a gay engineer while carrying on a relationship with a gay bartender. Episodes We Mentioned:House of GuinnessThe Priory of the Orange TreeA Day of Fallen NightDragon Age: InquisitionPatience and SarahThe New Mutants

We are starting a themed stretch around lavender marriages starting with Netflix's House of Guinness. Arthur Guinness is not the greatness queer representation but he had an interesting lavender marriage with Olivia. Possibly more interesting in real life than in the show. Cal has a lot to say.Episodes We Mention:Castlevania: The Netflix SeriesRepublic Commando: True Colors Part 1Imperial Commandos: 501stKaos

We return to the Roots of Chaos series with the newest book Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon. It's the shortest, most accessible, but also the least gay book — through the bar is very, very high for this series. Episodes We Mentioned:The Priory of the Orange Tree A Day of Fallen Night Dragon Age: Inquisition Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 1 The Vampire Lestat Sunrise on the Reaping The Hansry Ship in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

Because Cal needed to, we discuss the romance in the Kingdom Come Deliverance games between Hans and Henry. It might not be historically accurate but it holds an important place in queer video game history and received a lot of weird backlash.Episodes We Mentioned: Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Baldur’s Gate 3 Republic Commando: Hard Contact The Priory of the Orange Tree Interview with the Vampire Brokeback Mountain Dragon Age: Inquisition

Hyperfixiation starts the fourth season of Xena: Warrior Princess. Gabrielle is dead, Xena makes some wild choices, and so much plot and CGI spinning ghosts are introduced in Adventures in the Sin Trade. Then we return to regular Xena for A Family Affair, one of Marika's favorite episode. Our Other Xena Episodes: Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 3 Part 4 (of 4) Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 3 Part 3 (of 4) Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 3 Part 2 (of 4) Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 3 Part 1 (of 4) Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 2 Part 2 Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 2 Part 1 Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 1

Hyperfixation revisits the Interview with the Vampire franchise with Cal making Bret and Marika read a book. Lestat has a boyfriend and a weird relationship with his mom. The book recons, sets up the universe, and numerous vampires show up to monologue about their backstories.Episodes We Mention:Interview with the Vampire Interview with the Vampire: Season 2 Ep. 1-4 Interview with the Vampire: Season 2 Ep. 5-6 Interview with the Vampire: Season 2 Ep. 7-8 Sunrise on the Reaping The Priory of the Orange Tree A Day of Fallen Night Carmilla: The Novella Mulan Castlevania: Nocturne Season 1 Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2

Marika makes the Hyperfixation gang wrap up our discussion of Xena's third season with the gayest episode possible and the two part finale, which also manages to be pretty gay. Xena and Gabrielle are confessing their love to each other in a barn, being totally OK with dying for each other, and being too gay for a 90s genre show. Our Other Xena Episodes:Queerness through Xena: Warrior Princess Season 3 Part 3 (of 4)Queerness through Xena: Warrior Princess Season 3 Part 2 (of 4)Queerness through Xena: Warrior Princess Season 3 Part 1 (of 4)Queerness through Xena: Warrior Princess Season 2 Part 2Queerness through Xena: Warrior Princess Season 2 Part 1Queerness through Xena: Warrior Princess Season 1

Thank you for attending Cal's Ted Talk about Dragon Age 2 and revolutionary media. We discuss the way Dragon Age 2 handles Anders choices throughout the game and compare it to Andor and that show’s view on rebellion and rebellious acts.Our Other Dragon Age Episodes:Dragon Age: The Masked Empire Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights Dragon Age: Redemption and Absolution Dragon Age: Inquisition

Coming to you from District 12 (probably), the Hyperfixation gang talks about Sunrise on the Reaping, the fifth Hunger Games book. Haymitch is much more chatty than Katniss was, the movie casting is great, and this book has a lot to say about rebellion and fascism. 

Literally years in the making, the Hyperfixation gang finishes the Aftermath series. Sinjir and Jas don't spend that much time together as the Empire ends while Han and Leia take up too much time. Norra acts like a doofy child, Sloane makes odd choices, and Mon Mothma fits very well into her Andor canon.Episode We Mentioned:Aftermath: Life Debt Part 3Aftermath: Life Debt Part 2Aftermath: Life Debt Part 1Aftermath: Part 2Aftermath: Part 1The Priory of the Orange TreeA Day of Fallen NightKotor and Queerness in Knights of the Old Republic

The Hyperfixation gang returns to Xena for Maternal Instincts and The Bitter Suite, the peak but not the end of The Rift. A lot of serious stuff happens in Maternal Instincts and The Bitter Suite is very 1990s musical episodes.Episode We Mentioned:Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 3 Part 1 (of 4) Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 3 Part 2 (of 4) Andor: Season 2 The Finale Arc Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Ep. 5-6 Interview with the Vampire Song of Achilles Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 2 Part 2 Andor: Season 2 Arc 2 Brokeback Mountain

The Hyperfixation gang actually watches and talks about Brokeback Mountain, a movie we grown up hearing jokes about but never saw. Cal explains the historical context for the film, its Oscar snub, and the need for all types of queer representation.Episodes We Mentioned:Queerness through Xena Warrior Princess: Season 2 Part 1Patience and SarahThe MatrixSong of AchillesAndor: Season 2 Arc 2

We talk about the fantastic end to Andor. Cassian and Melshi are roommates, the hairdresser on Yavin is terrible, Kleya and Vel might be gay, and nobody knows where Saw is.Our Other Andor Episodes:Andor: The Premiere Arc Andor: The Aldhani Arc Andor: The Prison Arc Andor: Finale Predictions Andor: The Season One Finale Andor: Season 2 Arc 1 Andor: Season 2 Arc 2 Andor: Season 2 The Ghorman Arc Rogue One

Fascists decide to fascist as Ghorman erupts into chaos, Cassian makes numerous hard choices, Mon flees Coruscant, Syril goes full incel, and the Hyperfixation gang decides to keep Liz around. Episode We Mentioned:Andor: Season 2 Arc 1Andor: Season 2 Arc 2Rogue One (Recorded before Andor)Andor: Season 1 FinaleAndor: The Prison ArcAndor: The Aldhani ArcAndor: The Premiere ArcThe Mandalorian Chapter Sixteen: The RescueAshoka: Season 1

After a brief pause and replacing Cal's spouse for Marika's, we are talking about the second arc of season two of Andor. This is a strange arc that started weird but stuck the landing very well despite what it did to Vel and Cinta. Minors spoilers for the rest of season two of Andor. Episodes We Mentioned:Andor: Season 2 Arc 1Republic Commando: Triple Zero Part 1Chapter Nineteen: The ConventRogue OneChapter Sixteen: The RescueAndor: The Prison ArcAndor: The Finale ArcAndor: The Aldhani ArcChapter Eleven: The HeiressCastlevania: The Netflix Series

Hyperfixation returns to Star Wars to talk about the first arc of season two of Andor. Cassian gets trapped by some disorganized rebels, which is saying something. Mon and our Ferrix crew are going through a lot. And we focus too much on our queer women and their  limited screen time.Episodes We Mentioned:Andor: The Premiere ArcAndor: The Aldhani ArcAndor: The Prison Arc (the original)Andor: Finale PredictionsAndor: The Season One FinaleRogue OneCastlevania: Nocturne Season 1Yellowjackets Season 1Aftermath: Part 1

In anticipation for season two of Andor, we are re-releasing our episode about the Prison Arc of season one of Andor from back when we were Briikasak: A Mandalorian Podcast. There isn't much queerness for how our podcast is now but Marika was still too focused on the lesbians.Our Andor Episodes:Andor: The Premiere ArcAndor: The Aldhani ArcAndor: The Prison Arc (the original)Andor: Finale PredictionsAndor: The Season One FinaleRogue One

The gang expresses our views about musicals as we talk about Epic: The Musical, an online, musical adaption of The Odyssey. Cal and Marika make lots of connections to modern era musicals as Bret has extensive knowledge of The Odyssey and Greek Mythology. Episodes We Mentioned:The Song of AchillesCarmilla: The Web SeriesKaosPatience and SarahQueerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 1NimonaDragon Age: Redemption and AbsolutionImperial Commandos: 501stRepublic Commando: Order 66: Part 1

In possibly Hyperfixation's most lesbian episode, Marika makes the gang talk about Patience and Sarah by Isabel Miller. It's a historical fiction novel from 1967 about two lesbians, loosely based on real women, in 1816 who fall in love and attempt to navigate that. There is a lot of early American history, religion, and feminist overtones. TW: Domestic violence, sexual assaultEpisodes We Mentioned:The Spectrum of Queer Representation in MoviesCastlevania: The Netflix SeriesMulanInterview with the VampireSong of Achilles 

A theme emerges eventually but for most of the episode enjoy Cal smashing two seemingly unrelated queer movies together, Alfred Hitchcock's Rope from 1948 and The Birdcage from 1996 starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. Rope is fun and strange. We all have strange and conflicted childhood memories about The Birdcage, but we know Val sucks. Episodes We Mentioned:Interview with the VampireSong of AchillesA Strange and Stubborn EnduranceQueerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 1Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Ep. 1-4Din(cinnatus) vs. Cincinnatus (We are a Cincinnati based podcast)

Hyperfixation continues our book club moment with Cal's favorite book Song of Achilles from 2011. These Ancient Greek gay boys are horny and fighting in the Trojan War. Cal and Bret know a lot about The Iliad and Marika was a lesbian about the Troy movie from 2004.Episode We Mentioned: The Priory of the Orange TreeQueerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 1KaosA Day of Fallen NightCastlevania: Nocturne Season 1Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2A Strange and Stubborn an EnduranceBaldur's Gate 3Interview with the VampireCastlevania: The Netflix Series

The gang talks about the new season of Castlevania: Nocturne. Our hero team is mostly split, but the animation is amazing, Maria gets multiple dads, our straights get together, and we talk a lot about Olrox and Mizrak despite their incredibly limited screen time.Episode We Mentioned: Castlevania: Nocturne Season 1Castlevania: The Netflix SeriesThe Priory of the Orange TreeInterview with the VampireMutant May: Marauders (2019), to get any of Marika's X-men references

Marika finally makes the gang talk about The Priory of the Orange Tree, the first Roots of Chaos series book by Samantha Shannon but the second one the gang's read. The excellent world building continues. There's an old sad gay man, queer women Marika are obsessed with, and another ace/aro character. TW: depression, alcoholism, miscarriages, and mentions of suicideEpisodes We Mention:A Day of Fallen NightCastlevania Nocturne: Season 1Dragon Age: InquisitionInterview with the VampireFallout: The Amazon Series

Cal makes the Hyperfixation gang talk about A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows from 2022, a fantasy romance with the most trigger warnings. Marika and Bret find the audiobook bad, there is a rather violent rape rather early on, but eventually the books gets to good queer world building and fun fanfic troupes. Trigger Warning: Rape, sexual assault, and suicidal ideationsEpisodes We Mention:X-Men: Marauders (2019)A Day of Fallen of NightInterview with the VampireDragon Age: The Masked EmpireInterview with the Vampire Season 2 Ep. 1-4Castlevania: Nocturne Season 1

After mentioning The Priory of the Orange Tree about 100 times, Marika makes the gang talk about A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon, the other Roots of Chaos series book. We are here, we are queer, we are raising kids, and we are fighting wyrms. There are numerous sapphics, an ace/aro character, and some background gay bois. Episodes We Mention:Fallout: The Amazon SeriesDragon Age: The Masked EmpireDragon Age: InquisitionBaldur's Gate 3: The StorytellingQueerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 2 Part 2Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 3 (Part 2 of 4)

The gang talks about Dragon Age: The Masked Empire, the tie-in book for Inquisition that also includes a lot of the lore that appears in Veilguard. This series is good at morally grey characters and interesting lesbians. Celene might be the average mainstream American Democrat at the moment and it makes all of us sad.MAJOR spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard (because Bret wouldn't shut up).Episodes We Mention:Dragon Age: Tevinter NightsDragon Age: InquisitionDragon Age: Redemption and AbsolutionMutant May: Marauders (2019)Andor: The Season One Finale Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 2 Part 2Baldur's Gate 3: The Storytelling

The Hyperfixation gang returns to Xena for some terrible ancient Chinese mysticism, but also a lot of very textual queerness in the two-parter "The Debt." Marika loves these episodes and Lao Ma despite all these problems. Cal is uncomfortable with the Asian mysticism and Bret had finally decided to stop caring about history because it's Xena. Episodes We Mention:Dragon Age: Redemption and AbsolutionDragon Age: InquisitionQueerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 3 Part 1 (of 4)Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 1 (Our first Xena episode)Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights

The wine appears, Cal's outline wanes, the family devolves, and chaos reigns! We talk about Kaos, the star-filled, pretty queer, already cancelled Netflix show that you probably haven't watched. It's good, but it would have been much better with other seasons. Episodes We Mentioned: The Sandman: The Netflix Series (Recorded before any allegations came to light)Queerness in Xena Warrior Princess: Season OneDragon Age: InquisitionCarmilla: The Web SeriesCastlevania: The Netflix SeriesInterview with the VampireChapter Ten: The Passenger

The gang chats about Castlevania: Nocturne Season 1, a more diverse and slightly queerer entry into the Castlevania Netflix franchise. The animation is great. Everyone has childhood trauma. And we feel old about everyone being teenagers. Episodes We Mention:Dragon Age: Tevinter NightsDragon Age: InquisitionDragon Age: Redemption and AbsolutionCastlevania: The Netflix SeriesCarmilla: The Web SeriesCarmilla: The NovellaInterview with the VampireYellowjackets Season 1

Continuing with Cal and Bret's excitement for Dragon Age: The Veilguard's release, we read most of the 2020 book Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights. Dorian and Mae make a cameo, we have fun with the Antivan Crows and a terrible time on The Wigmaker Job, and talk a lot about Soulless. Minor spoilers for Veilguard.Episodes We Mentioned:Dragon Age: InquisitionBaldur's Gate 3: The StorytellingDragon Age: Redemption and AbsolutionQueerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 1Iceman (2018)

In anticipation of Dragon Age: The Veilguard coming out, we talk about two Dragon Age shows. The 2011 web series Dragon Age: Redemption, starring Felicia Day and Doug Jones (what?!), is so cringe Bret and Marika almost died. The 2022 Netflix series Dragon Age: Absolution is so great and queer that we love it and want the characters to appear in Veilguard.TW: Child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violenceEpisodes We Mentioned:Carmilla: The Web SeriesDragon Age: InquisitionCastlevania: The Netflix SeriesQueerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 1

Welcome to The Rift, Xena's first and most dramatic story arc. We only talk about Been There, Done That, The Deliverer, and Gabrielle's Hope but a lot of stuff happens. Our married couple has to go through a lot of dramatic elements and plots involving child murder and we are only five episodes in.TW: Sexual abuse and rape.Episode We Mention: Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 2 Part 1Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 2 Part 2Queerness in Xena: Warrior Princess Season 1Interview with the Vampire (Our first episode, but we have talked about the entire TV series)

The Hyperfixation gang talks about the second season of Yellowjackets. Topics include if there is actually anything supernatural going on or if it isjust group psychosis, cannibalism, Frodo, adult Tai and Van reuniting, and Shauna and Jeff being a straight couple we actually like. TW: suicide, alcoholismEpisode We Motioned:The Sandman: The Netflix Series (recorded before any allegation were known)Interview with the Vampire (We've talked about the whole TV series, this is the first episode)Carmilla: The NovellaCarmilla: The Web SeriesCastlevania: The Netflix Series

After mentioning it maybe 100 times, we are finally talking about Yellowjackets. We cover the first season with Jackie and Shauna's homoeotic relationship, the numerous 1990s queers, possible supernatural elements, and excellent high school girl representation. Full spoiler for season one.Episodes We Mentioned: Book of Boba Fett: The Streets of Mos EspaProspectDragon Age: InquisitionThe MatrixInterview with the Vampire Season 2 Ep. 1-4

We all saw Deadpool and Wolverine and Cal needed to talk about it. There is a collection of cameos, queerbaiting, not a lot of plot, and odd jokes and body issues. But despite all that, Marika is glad Dafne Keen is back as Laura.Episodes We Mentioned: AndorInterview with the VampireRepublic Commando: Hard Contact Part 1The MatrixOur X-Men Episodes:Marauders (2019)Kate Pryde and Murder WivesIceman (2018)X-Men Blue Origins #1New Mutants: Dead SoulsNew Mutants: The Vita Ayala Run Part 1New Mutants: The Vita Ayala Run Part 2The New Mutants Movie

Hyperfixation concludes their talk about Interview with the Vampire season two. Fuck you, Armand! Claudia has some badass moments, Louis realizes the last 70 years have been a lie, and Daniel should not have stayed in the apartment with Armand. Episodes We Mentioned:Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Ep. 5-6Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Ep. 1-4Interview with the VampireDragon Age: InquisitionCastlevania: The Netflix SeriesQueerness through Xena: Warrior Princess Season 2 Part 1