PODCAST · society
Mismatched Texts
by Justice Hagan & Andrew Hoffmann
Hosted by two popular culture superfan-scholars, Mismatched Texts is a show that brings together novels, films, games, and narratives of all kinds into seemingly odd pairings and reveals the ways in which they address similar themes.
Episodes
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Short # 82 - ST Next Gen 2.12: The Royale
Wherein Andy and Justice gamble their sanity by revisiting one of the emptiest episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation's second season, "The Royale." In a nostalgic bid to get audience attention by revisiting 1960s gangster Las Vegas, the crew explores the fiction but not the facts of the...
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Short # 81 - Sony PlayStation & The Loss of Physical Media
Wherein Justice and Andy preemtively mourn the loss of physical media following Sony's annoucement that PlayStation games will no longer have discs in the next two years. Why are we being pushed exclusively into the digital age? Someone must be benefitting from this. Granted, Steam has been...
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Short # 80 - ST Next Gen 2.10: The Dauphin
Wherein Andy and Justice court disappointment in their rewatch of Star Trek: The Next Generation season two episode ten, "The Dauphin." This is among the most forgettable episodes of the series. Case in point: we forgot that we recorded this review and moved on to "Contagion." Why do the writers...
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Short # 79 - The Boys Series Wrap-up
Wherein Justice and Andy bludgeon their way through the uneven final season of the uneven series run of The Boys. What started off so promising simply took too long to produce and became a pastiche of itself. If the attitude or tone of the show didn't change, why did our reception of it? How did...
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Short # 78 - Starfleet Academy Pre-Post-Mortem
Wherein Andy and Justice flunk the class of 3196 and pick through the carcass of an unfinished yet canceled show, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. This show is terrible all around: plot, check - setting, check - tone, check - theme, check. Why did the studio greenlight a show they had no confidence...
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Episode 38 - Vox Machina & Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Wherein Justice and Andy amuse themselves with an investigation into the comedic impulses and necessities of televised or filmed representations of the popular tabletop rpg Dungeons & Dragons. Which mediums demand more humor to be successful and why? How low can humor go before it turns off an...
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Short # 77 - ST Next Gen 2.11: Contagion
Wherein Andy and Justice debride the eleventh episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation season two. The initial introduction to the Iconian race, the episode captures some of the same ominous energy of season one's "Conspiracy." This one continues in the tradition of "A Matter of Honor" and "The...
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Short # 76 - ST Next Gen 2.9: The Measure of a Man
Wherein Justice and Andy pass judgement on "The Measure of a Man," the ninth episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation season two. In this episode, Data is on trial for his rights and existence, with Picard acting as his defense and Riker as (forced) prosecution. This episode is an analog for…
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Short # 76 - ST Next Gen 2.8: A Matter of Honor
Wherein Andy and Justice exchange ideas about the events of the eighth episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation season two. An exchange program in Starfleet sounds like a positive thing, however, it takes a special kind of confused writing to muddle things up this badly. Why does Riker choose to...
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Short # 75 - Predator: Badlands Film Review
Wherein Justice and Andy hunt down the impact of Predator: Badlands, the newest entry in the Predator franchise from Dan Trachtenberg. As the first film in the franchise to feature the Predator as the protagonist, how does it shift the narrative direction for the franchise for the future? And as...
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Short # 74 - ST Next Gen 2.7: Unnatural Selection
Wherein Andy and Justice innoculate the wider Trek fandom against the notion that the seventh episode of the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation consulted with any medical professional in the screenplay's assessment of how to properly handle an unknown pathogen. Not only do we get…
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Short # 73 - ST Next Gen 2.6: The Schizoid Man
Wherein Justice and Andy hijack the discussion of Ira Graves and his violation of Data's body and mind. In this review of Star Trek: The Next Generation's sixth episode of the second season, we encounter the man described by Dr. Pulaski as "the greatest human mind in the universe." He does not…
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Short # 72 - ST Next Gen 2.5: Loud as a Whisper
Wherein Andy and Justice interpret the events of "Loud as a Whisper" in their review of the fifth episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation's second season. In an episode produced and aired during the debate around the Americans With Disabilities Act, Star Trek portrayes a protagonist with...
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Short # 71 - Superman Film Review
Wherein Justice and Andy swoop into the fray of the controversial new Superman film. It's the first of James Gunn's new DCU and takes a very different approach than the MCU's established pattern of success. How believable does a Superman movie have to be? Why is this movie so crowded? Will there...
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Short # 70 - ST Next Gen 2.4: The Outrageous Okona
Wherein Andy and Justice rake "The Outrageous Okona" over the coals in their review of this fourth episode of the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The main issue with this episode is not only that Okona himself is not outrageous, but that the episode does not fit narratively in...
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Short # 69 - ST Next Gen 2.3: Elementary, Dear Data
Wherein Justice and Andy investigate the events of the third episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation's second season, "Elementary, Dear Data." Who wouldn't love seeing Data as Sherlock Holmes? Well, Katherine Pulaski, for one. This episode continues to explore her technophobic bigotry, while at...
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Short # 68 - ST Next Gen 2.2: Where Silence Has Lease
Wherein Andy and Justice intentionally slip into the snare of the second episode of season two of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Where Silence Has Lease." As season two starts to find its footing, we still face some strange developmental choices for the characters and the space. Having...
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Short # 67 - ST Next Gen 2.1: The Child
Wherein Justice and Andy embark on their analysis of the first episode of season two of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "The Child" as the first entry in their full season two analysis. Season two is critical because it is a pivotal time in the establishment of Star Trek: The Next Generation as…
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Episode 37 - Highlander & The Book of Elsewhere
Wherein Andy and Justice ressurect the conversation of immortality by looking at the the 1986 film Highlander and the China Miéville and Keanu Reeves 2024 novel The Book of Elsewhere. What is the psychological nature of being an immortal? It seems to be something people wish for, and yet it is...
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Short # 66 - The Fantastic Four: First Steps Trailer
Wherein Justice and Andy launch themselves into the conversation about the recently released trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. What does the retro-futuristic setting imply for its space in the MCU? Has anybody ever thought the powers of Marvel's First Family were cool? We sure don't…
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Short # 65 - Star Trek: Section 31 Review
Wherein Andy and Justice bemoan the horrifying experience of subjecting themselves to the new film Star Trek: Section 31. This marks the 14th Star Trek film and, given its quality, possibly the last for the foreseeable future. Why does this film exist? How could Michelle Yeoh (an outstanding...
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Short # 64 - Review of Dune: Prophecy Episodes 4-6
Wherein Justice and Andy compute the outcome of the first season of Dune: Prophecy on HBO. In these final three episodes, we see even more of a departure from Frank Herbert's Dune lore while at the same time an almost slavish adherence to the original novel. If those things seem in conflict…
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Short # 63 - How the Grinch Embraced Marx
Wherein Andy and Justice slither through a reading of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, a 1957 Dr. Suess classic. Many Marxists see the Grinch as abandoning his Marxist principles, but that is not supported by the text. So what happens instead? What does the Grinch really embrace? Who are the Whos,...
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Short # 62 - Review of Dune: Prophecy Episodes 1-3
Wherein Justice and Andy map out the DNA of the new Dune: Prophecy series from HBO. At this halfway point of the series' release, we already see a departure from the style of Frank Herbert and notice some inconsistencies in the source material. While this is clearly meant to be tied to the larger...
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Episode 36 - Salem's Lot & Roadhouse
Wherein Andy and Justice examine the "stakes" of remaking old films and stories. Both Salem's Lot and Roadhouse have been remade this year and we're curious to know why. Given their relative success, what does this mean for all of the other shitty movies we wish we could forget? We look at the…
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Short # 61 - Happy 25th Birthday Fight Club
Wherein Justice and Andy punch their way into the celebration of Fight Club's 25th anniversary. Can you believe it's already that old? For us, where Fight Club is part of our history, this anniversary marks a reevaluation of the film and its personal and cultural impacts. What did we use to love...
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Short # 60 - Shatner on Kirk's Death
Wherein Andy and Justice exhume Captain Kirk because of William Shatner's recently proclaimed dissatisfaction with the legendary figure's death. We revisit that scene in Star Trek: Generations and discuss whether or not his opinion holds up. Would Kirk have appeared in NuTrek if he had not died?...
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Short # 59 - Alien: Romulus Review
Wherein Justice and Andy run screaming from the theater to produce this review of the newest entry in the Aliens franchise, Alien: Romulus. Fede Alvarez daringly returns to the original films' timeline and style, setting it between the first and second films. What do we see in this new entry that...
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Episode 35 - Deadpool & Wolverine & Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wherein Andy and Justice slice into the question of whether or not Deadpool & Wolverine and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes can or have revitalized their respective franchises. TLDL: No. But seriously, both movies are worthwhile and Deadpool & Wolverine borders on excellence. Fight us. While...
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Short # 58 - Star Trek: Discovery Post-Mortem
Wherein Justice and Andy burn down the final season and really the entire series Star Trek: Discovery. What once sounded promising turned into a catastrophe. From initially placing it just before the original series time and then spore-driving it nearly a millenium into the future where the...
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Short # 57 - Hades Games
Wherein Andy and Justice run the guantlet of Supergiant's Hades franchise of games. While this episode mostly looks at The Hugo Award winning first game, we also talk about Hades 2 which is currently in early access. What makes these games so compelling, even for newcomers to the rougelike genre?...
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Short # 56 - Fallout Show Review
Wherein Justice and Andy dust themselves off after a trip through the wasteland in the new Amazon Prime series Fallout. How does the franchise adapt itself to this new medium? What is familiar from the games and what is original to the show? Where do we see this series going? And who keeps hiring...
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Episode 34 - Hyperion & Rebel Moon
Wherein Andy and Justice welcome Tony Hoffmann, the man responsible for forcing us to watch Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon (2023) from beginning to end. Together we complain about Snyder's professional cannibalization of Star Wars, Dune, The Lord of the Rings, and so many more superior texts into the...
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Short # 55 - No More D&D for Larian Studios
Wherein Justice and Andy lament the news of Larian Studios decision to not pursue a sequel to Baldur's Gate 3. And futher, that they have decided to leave the Dungeons & Dragons setting entirely. Is this a good business decision for the studio? Why leave when you've perfected the formula for a…
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Short # 54 - Akira Toriyama (In Memoriam)
Wherein Andy and Justice memorialize Akira Toriyama, best known as the creator of the Dragonball franchise. One of his other masterworks is the video game Chrono Trigger, the SNES RPG from 1995. We also mention the recently deceased musical genius Neil Peart, drummer and lyricist from Rush and...
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Short # 53 - The Monster Draft
Wherein Justice and Andy draft a roster of monsters to pit against one another. The rules: Only two titans and the human-sized-ish monsters must have a semi-Earth origin. Crystal clear. We each pick five and debate their battles. Come and see who wins!
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Episode 33 - The Monsterverse & The Dark Universe
Wherein Andy and Justice bite into the drama surrounding the cancellation of the Dark Universe franchise and the monstrous success of the Monsterverse franchise. What makes Godzilla and King Kong compelling both individually and together? At the same time, what makes Dracula compelling by himself...
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Short # 52 - Spinoff, Reboot, or What?
Wherein Justice and Andy get turned around in their attempts to define what distinguishes a spinoff from a reboot and whether or not such things are worth the risk to the original work. As ubiquitous as spinoffs have been, how many can compare to the source material? And why do we think of…
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Short # 51 - The GTA 6 Trailer... Controversy?
Wherein Andy and Justice aim their sights on the right-wing talking point that the upcoming GTA 6 game from Rockstar has "gone woke." That was an excruciating sentence for the two of us to write because the very idea of it is ridiculous. What does the GTA franchise seek to accomplish beyond…
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Short # 50 - Very Short Treks
Wherein Justice and Andy endure the agony of the Very Short Treks series on YouTube. Why do these exist? What niche are they trying to fill? Clearly they shouldn't exist and aren't filling any niche. I mean, these are just an embarassment to the Star Trek franchise, and a slap in the face to all...
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Episode 32 - The Legend of Zelda & Baldur's Gate 3
Wherein Andy and Justice embark on a discussion of worldbuilding across the genres of written and nonwritten texts. What is the difference between a top-down and bottom-up approach to worldbuilding and what makes each world feel alive and complete? Is it the landscape? Is it the history? Is it…
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Short # 49 - Mission Impossible: Headed Toward Retirement?
Wherein Justice and Andy sneak into the scuttlebut about the end of the Mission Impossible franchise. Is it in fact coming to an end? The lead actor and the studio seem to have different plans in mind. What do you think about a secret agent who can almost collect social security? Does the agency...
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Short # 48 - The Star Trek Musical
Wherein Andy and Justice harmonize in opposition to the Strange New Worlds episode "Subspace Rhapsody." The first Star Trek episode in history to be framed as a musical, fans around the world were devastated by its departure from fifty-eight years of their expectations. Why was this done? Why…
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Short # 47 - Country Music Controversy
Wherein Justice and Andy stroll into the recent controversy in country music with the release of Jason Aldean's "Try That In a Small Town." Pulled from circulation on CMT, it has ignited a veritable molotov cocktail of protest. What is this song about, really? Do political messages deserve to be...
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Short # 46 - Why Is There an Avatar Franchise?
Wherein Andy and Justice call into question the wisdom and timeliness of continuing the seemingly unending Avatar franchise. Given that there was 14 years between the first and second film, we were hoping that it was finished. Why does there need to be more when the first film told a complete...
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Episode 31 - STNG "Forces of Nature" & The Core
Wherein Justice and Andy drill into the anthropocene by way of 2003's The Core and the 1993 episode "Forces of Nature" from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Given that we're confronted with the awesome problem of the climate crisis, we've decided to rewind the clock to look at two early versions…
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Short # 45 - What Happened to Wesley Crusher?
Wherein Andy and Justice navigate the uneven chracter arc of Star Trek: The Next Generation's Wesley Crusher. From a whining beneficiary of nepotism to a valuable member of the bridge crew to an interdimensional cosmic entity and winding up as Wil Wheaton playing himself, we chart the many...
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Short # 44 - There are No Zombies in The Walking Dead?
Wherein Justice and Andy shuffle into the disappointing realization that there is no history of or cultural references to zombies in the universe of The Walking Dead. And why have the creators of the franchise chosen to do this? For the least interesting reason possible. With centuries of zombie...
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Short # 43 - Mario the Exterminator
Wherein Andy and Justice stomp into the world of Nintendo's Mario. The success of the recent film got us thinking about Mario's character arc, such as it is. Why is he popularly understood to be a plumber when he has never plumbed anything in any game? Isn't he rather an exterminator of various...
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Episode 30 - Yellowstone & McLintock!
Wherein Justice and Andy mosey down the trail of the western genre in film and television. We look at Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone franchise alongside the 1963 John Wayne film McLintock! How has the westen genre evolved in the last sixty years and why have we seen a sudden resurgence of it in...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Hosted by two popular culture superfan-scholars, Mismatched Texts is a show that brings together novels, films, games, and narratives of all kinds into seemingly odd pairings and reveals the ways in which they address similar themes.
HOSTED BY
Justice Hagan & Andrew Hoffmann
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Mismatched Texts have?
Mismatched Texts currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Mismatched Texts about?
Hosted by two popular culture superfan-scholars, Mismatched Texts is a show that brings together novels, films, games, and narratives of all kinds into seemingly odd pairings and reveals the ways in which they address similar themes.
How often does Mismatched Texts release new episodes?
Mismatched Texts has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Mismatched Texts?
You can listen to Mismatched Texts on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Mismatched Texts?
Mismatched Texts is created and hosted by Justice Hagan & Andrew Hoffmann.
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