Rick and Dave Control the Universe
by Rick Broida
Welcome to Rick and Dave Control the Universe: Insightful Thoughts from Learned Idiots. It's the upbeat, entertaining podcast about all the things we love: movies, TV, tech, food, books, and probably more than a little Star Trek. Join us each week for segments like: A Wizard Did It: Movies' most famous (or infamous) plot holes examined and explained Prized Possession: Items you'll have to pry out of our cold, dead hands Pie Hole: What we're eating, how we're cooking it, why you should try it Does it Hold Up? New looks at old movies and TV shows Discovery Zone: Cool things we've discovered and desperately want to tell the world about Want to express your love for RADCTU in money form? Visit our Patreon page and help keep the lights on.
Episodes
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S7 E5 - Grumpy Old Moon Man
Dave hates science and exploration, apparently. Also in this episode: Rick challenges Dave to reduce his screen-time for just one week. Can he do it? (Spoiler alert: No.) Also also in the episode: A pretty big surprise for fans of one of our earlier podcasts. And, finally, here's the link to…
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S7 E4 - Wall, Eeeeeee!
Rick wants to talk about his most prized possession. Hint: It's wall-related. Dave's is... shocker... Star Trek-related. Also on the docket: Apple's new AirTags and our reviews of four -- count 'em, four! -- movies that don't feature a superhero, a Vulcan, or a Will Smith. (One might have an…
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S7 E3 - TV Guide (But Not That One)
Rick has a pretty hot take on modern TVs, and it's so smart he almost convinces Dave he's right. Meanwhile, Dave reviews the cult fave "Dungeon Crawler Carl," and we dive into some crazy-cool new tech: exo-skeletons and digital art frames.
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S7 E2 - The Episode That Almost Wasn't
Dave deserves a raise. The poor guy spent hours editing this episode, only to wind up with a corrupted file. So he had to edit the whole thing again from scratch! Don't worry, Rick bought him a pack of gum as a reward. Thank goodness it all worked out, because you do NOT want to miss this one. A...
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S7 E1 - Is This Thing (Still) On?
We're back! Again! And we have new art that was clearly generated by AI, because Rick isn't that handsome and Dave isn't that young. Find out what we've been up to and stick around for our top TV, movie, and book picks of 2025.
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S6 E4 - Now where were we....
Promises were made. Things happened. Here's the whole story, plus an entire bonus episode of RADCTU to make up for it.
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S6 E3 - PIVOT!
We're back after a loooong summer break to talk about, among other things, our favorite Saturday morning shows from childhood. (Surely SOMEONE else out there remembers The Lost Saucer?) Also: RADCTU is about to become... something else! We're going back to our recapping roots to celebrate one of...
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S6 E2 - Is Marvel Over?
We saw Guardians Vol. 3 and we're not feeling... Marvel-ous about it. Wait, I feel like we made that joke before... Quick housekeeping note: One of us is traveling for a couple weeks so this will be it till June. Sorry about that! If you want to see a video version of the podcast, hop on over to...
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S6 E1 - Two Huge Surprises
The first: Picard S3 was not only really good, it also stuck the landing (though just barely). The second: Video!!! Our beloved and very much appreciated Patreon supporters can WATCH this episode. If you want to be one of those supporters, head to www.patreon.com/radctu
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S5 E6 - The Truth About AirTags (and Other Item Trackers)
Needless to say, if we controlled the universe, these things would work a lot better. Plus: TV ketchup! Er, catch-up: We dive in on 1899 (way late) and Star Trek Picard S3 (just getting started). Cool people support us at www.patreon.com/radctu. Won't you join them?
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S5 E5 - The Best Time Travel Movies
Journey back... and forward... and back as we name our favorite time-travel flicks. Wait, what about time-loop flicks? Do those count? You're probably on the edge of your seat...
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S5 E4 - Our 10 Favorite Movies of All Time
Plus: What happens when you cross Pirates of the Caribbean with a movie about skinny blue space aliens? Avatarrrrr! (That's our way of saying we also reviewed The Way of Water. Spoilers ahead, matey!)
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S5 E3 - A-I-A-I-Uh-Oh: The New Tech That Will Change Everything
It sounds like a South Park bit: "ChatGPT took our jobs!" But this new AI is shockingly competent and only going to get better. How screwed are we? Tune in, find out. Also: We watched Nope! Should you? Nostalgia alert: Willow is back! Yeah, THAT Willow, the one from 1988.
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S5 E2 - Why So Serious, Cassian Andor?
Andor is without question the best Star Wars TV series ever. But is it great television? We have thoughts, yes, yes, we do. Plus: Some long-overdue Geek Talk and the best, easiest dessert we've tried in a looong time. Want to show your support for the show? Throw your couch-cushion pennies at us…
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S5 E1 - Won't You Be My Neighbor?
In which we deep-dive the supposedly wholesome Mister Rogers' Neighborhood to expose the alarming subtext of the cardigan sweater... Oh, wait, that's a different episode. This one is about a totally different kind of neighbor. Also Twitter. And the shows we've been watching. And our latest Prized...
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S4 E7 - Summer Odds and Ends
RRR, Umbrella Academy, The Afterparty, an Andy Weir short story, and lots of other stuff that really form no cohesive theme to speak of. Also, bye for now! This ends S4... we'll be back soon with more nonsense!
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S4 E6 - The Most Underrated Shows Of All Time
Looking for stuff that fell between the cracks of the stuff you love? Well, you're in for a treat, becuase this week Dave wrote the description you're reading right now, and he's here to tell you that you're about to find an handful of the most underrated TV shows and movies between the...
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S4 E5 - Are Fancy Headphones Worth It?
Plus: Maverick Impossible... er, Top Gun Maverick, Barry S3 (yikes), and Star Trek Strange New Worlds mid-season report (double-yikes). Hey, controlling the universe doesn't come cheap. Help support the show by becoming a patron! https://www.patreon.com/RADCTU
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S4 E4 - The Best (and Worst) Series Finales Of All Time
So much to talk about, so little time. Solution? Just record a longer podcast. So buckle in, fans of nonsense, becuase this extra-long episode includes listener mail, everything we hate about Picard Season 2, our thoughts about Dr. Strange and Strange New Worlds... plus our list of the best and...
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S4 E3 - The Greatest Arcade Games of All Time
Hot take: They were great in the 80s, but few of these coin-op classics really hold up. Because, let's face it, munching dots on a grid is no match for, say, slaying dragons or storming the beach at Normandy.
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S4 E2 - The Best Superhero Movies, Period
In which Rick proves that superhero movies frequently defy the "sequels suck" rule, and Dave reveals questionable taste in superhero movies. Like what you're hearing? Help us control the universe by hitting up our Patreon page and dropping a few dollars.
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S4 E1 - What We Watched on Our Winter Vacation
Season 4, baby! We're here to talk about Ozark (Dave is late to the party), Boba Fett (Rick wants out of this party), the new Star Trek movie, the Firefly reboot, and much much more.
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S3 E7 - The Best of 2021: TV, Movies, and More
It's the last episode of the year and also of season three! Don't worry, we'll be back in the not-too-distant future (at which point Dave might be persuaded to share some legitimately wild news he's keeping close to the vest for now). Until then, enjoy our end-of-year best list. All the TV…
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S3 E6 - The Best TV Shows of All Time
That's right, we attempted the impossible: Whittling down decades' worth of amazing TV into our personal top-10 lists. Hey, we need your support! If you enjoy the show, consider throwing a few bucks our way via our Patreon page. Thank you!
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S3 E5 - The Definitive Star Trek Movie Rankings
We've talked at length about the various Star Trek TV series, but what about the movies? We each compiled our own rankings, and the discussion that ensued was... let's just say "lively." See how our picks line up with yours! Hey, we need your support! If you enjoy the show, consider throwing a…
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S3 E4 - Coachfella: We Met with a Life Coach. Here's What Happened
If ever a couple guys needed some life coaching, it's us. So we independently met with Ryan Burtanog, M.Ed., MA, who helped answer these burning questions: 1) What the heck is a life coach? and 2) How much does it cost? (Spoiler alert: Ryan's rates are incredibly reasonable.) See for yourself at...
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S3 E3 - Shang-Chi and the Legend of Zzzzzzz
See if you can guess who actually fell asleep during Marvel's latest. Plus: The Denver meet-up, listener mail, and a telescope that solves the problem with most telescopes (but also maybe robs you of the true telescope experience?). Money, please! https://www.patreon.com/RADCTU
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S3 E2 - Rick Needs Career Coaching, Dave Wants His Two Hours Back
Midlife crisis alert! "What now?" Rick ponders. Meanwhile, Dave is very angry that he sat through a particular movie, but very happy he flew across the country to see a special TV.
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S3 E1 - Bezos and Branson: Astronauts or Astro-NOTS?
Serious question: Should these kajillionaires be spending billions on joyrides or maybe giving back to humanity a little bit? Plus: Book Club (minus books, but plus Loki) and real talk about Consumer Reports -- Dave takes the trusted publication to the woodshed because reasons.
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S2 E7 - Lethal Weapon: Does It Hold Up?
In our final episode of S2, we rewatch the 1987 classic to see if it's still a good movie. And if it's better than Die Hard. (Gasp! Blasphemy?) Plus: Listener mail, robot vacuums and 3D printers. All the things! Have no fear, we'll be back soon!
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S2 E6 - Captain Ah-meh-rica and the Winter Woe-ldier
YOU try coming up with a better way to make fun of Marvel's latest. But don't miss our post-mortem, because we have a LOT of thoughts. Plus: Rick gushes about the series that got him through the pandemic and Dave argues that his latest find didn't run one season too long. (Rick disagrees.)
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S2 E5 - Revisiting TikTok, Our New Favorite Time-Waster
TikTok got Rick through the pandemic; Dave took some convincing, but now he's totally on board. Find out why we're TikTok addicts now -- and why you should be too. Plus: Our first Pie Hole segment in a looong while. Get ready to have your food world rocked.
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S2 E4 - Superhero Worship: The Good, the Bad, the Boys
Everything we love about superhero movies -- and everything we don't. We're running the gamut from Superman Returns (deep cut!) to Spider-Man 2 (Tobey4ever!) to the Snyder Cut.
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S2 E3 - We're Wild About Wanda(Vision)
Has there been a better TV series yet this year? We'll fight anyone who says yes. Also, Dave's been channeling his inner Beyonce -- because he "put a ring on it." Specifically, a high-tech activity-tracking ring. All that PLUS the biggest plot hole in Pixar movie history.
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S2 E2 - Is it Still Okay to Like Joss Whedon?
Can we get serious for a minute? Actually, we can't, but we did have a semi-serious discussion about Joss Whedon, recently accused of creating a toxic workplace for women, and others who've endured similar career scandals. Are we still "allowed" to enjoy Whedon's work? What about Bill Cosby's?...
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S2 E1 - We Need to Talk About Star Trek (Again)
We're back! And we have some thoughts about Star Trek Discovery S3, oh yes we do. Plus, Dave tried Amazon's Alexa-enhanced eyeglasses, and Rick is fiddling with T-Mobile's $50 home-internet service. Here's the straight scoop on both.
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S1 E5 - Devs, Lies and Videogames
We’re finished with Devs and have many spoilery things to discuss. Plus: Dave exercises in VR and Rick gets serious about Grand Theft Auto V. (No, he hasn’t time-traveled back to 2013.)
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S1 E4 - The Best TV Show We've Seen This Year
We’re irrationally excited about the new Hulu series Devs; listen in to find out why. Plus, a must-read for fans of The Office, and Dave reveals his prized possession. (If you had your money on “wind-up Star Wars toy,” you’re in the ballpark.)
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S1 E3 - What is (up with ) The Matrix?
How do we explain that gaping plot hole in one of our favorite movies? You know how: A wizard did it! Plus, we geek out over Arcade1Up's Star Wars arcade game and share the funniest show on the interwebs right now.
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S1 E2 - We Need to Talk About Star Trek
Plus: Raising your steak game with sous video cooking and our takes on Uploaded, I Am Not Okay with This and Jerry Seinfeld's new Netflix special.
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S1 E1 - A Wizard Did It...
Hello universe! We're here to talk about all the things that interest us, namely TV, movies, books, food, sci-fi, tech, and just being alive in these crazy times. Come for the recommendations, stay for the fun.
About this show
Welcome to Rick and Dave Control the Universe: Insightful Thoughts from Learned Idiots. It's the upbeat, entertaining podcast about all the things we love: movies, TV, tech, food, books, and probably more than a little Star Trek.
Join us each week for segments like:
A Wizard Did It: Movies' most famous (or infamous) plot holes examined and explained
Prized Possession: Items you'll have to pry out of our cold, dead hands
Pie Hole: What we're eating, how we're cooking it, why you should try it
Does it Hold Up? New looks at old movies and TV shows
Discovery Zone: Cool things we've discovered and desperately want to tell the world about
Want to express your love for RADCTU in money form? Visit our Patreon page and help keep the lights on.
Hosted by
Rick Broida