Never the Twins Shall Meet

41 – There's No Place Like Rome

Happy New Year! We’re starting 2025 off with our longest episode yet, discussing the two Hollywood blockbuster behemoths of fall 2024: Wicked: Part 1 and Gladiator II. Topics of discussion include stage-to-screen adaptations, lesbian subtext, costume design, the perils of sequels, and a significant amount of complaining about historical inaccuracies. Spoilers abound for both movies, as well as the entirety of Wicked the musical and, randomly, Stranger Things season four. Our review of Wicked takes up the first half of the podcast while our discussion of Gladiator II starts at the 1:12:46 mark.

Media Mentioned:

• The Gentlemen on Netflix
• Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe
• Cursebreakers by Madeline Nakamura
• Anna and the Apocalypse dir. John McPhail
• The Outrun dir. Nora Fingscheidt
• Bird dir. Andrea Arnold
• The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
• Wicked by Gregory Maguire
• The Divergent movies
• West Side Story dir. Stephen Spielberg
• Widows dir. Steve McQueen
• Victorious (TV show)
• Bridgerton
• Crashing (TV show)
• The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
• The Fall dir. Tarsem Singh
• Everything Everywhere All at Once dir. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
• Kaos (TV show)
• Eragon by Christopher Paolini
• Thistlefoot by Gennarose Nethercott
• Gladiator dir. Ridley Scott
• A Quiet Place: Day One dir. Michael Sarnoski
• Normal People (2020)
• All of Us Strangers dir. Andrew Haigh
• Aftersun dir. Charlotte Wells
• The Last of Us (TV show)
• The Mandalorian
• Much Ado About Nothing dir. Kenneth Brannagh
• Stranger Things
• The Fear Street Trilogy
• Episode 34–Saltblah
• House of the Dragon (2022–)
• A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum by Emma Southon
• A Rome of One’s Own by Emma Southon
• Macbeth by William Shakespeare
• “It Was an Enormous Task: Gladiator II’s Costume Designers on Outfitting Ridley Scott’s Roman Epic (and Getting Denzel to Wear Those Little Earrings) by Elaina Patton for Vogue
• Napoleon dir. Ridley Scott
• Kingdom of Heaven dir. Ridley Scott

Content Warnings: discussions of slavery, death, violence, homophobia, ableism, colonialism, and fascism.

40 – Spooky Season Special

Happy holidays! Today we’re returning with a seasonally inappropriate episode on Halloween. In the month of October, we challenged ourselves to have a spooky good time and watch some horror movies. Topics include vampires (so many vampires), the joys and terrors of watching scary movies, and the beautiful but terrifyingly haunted nation of Ireland. (Despite the over-eager opening of this episode, we did not get around to discussing horror literature. Stay tuned!)

 

Media mentioned:

• Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
• The Dangerous Kingdom of Love by Neil Blackmore
• Arcane (2021-2024)
• The Poppy War trilogy by RF Kuang
• High Life dir. Claire Denis
• The Moth Diaries dir. Mary Harron
• Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan LeFanu
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
• Marina and the Diamonds
• American Psycho dir. Mary Harron
• Last Voyage of the Demeter dir. André Øvredal
• Dracula Daily (internet phenomenon)
• Renfield dir. Christ McKay
• The Company of Wolves dir. Neil Jordan
• Interview With the Vampire dir. Neil Jordan
• The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
• Labyrinth dir. Jim Henson
• Byzantium dir. Neil Jordan
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies dir. Burr Steers
• Maleficent dir. Robert Stromberg
• Elementary (2012-2019)
• Only Lovers Left Alive dir. Jim Jarmusch
• What We Do in the Shadows
• Belle dir. Amma Asante
• All You Need is Death dir. Paul Duane
• Lankum (band)
• Beetlejuice dir. Tim Burton
• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice dir. Tim Burton
• Coraline dir. Henry Selick
• The Nightmare Before Christmas dir. Henry Selick
• Wendell and Wild dir. Henry Selick
• Now You See Me dir. Louis Leterrier
• Dumbo dir. Tim Burton
• Wednesday (2022-)
• Mamma Mia dir. Phyllida Lloyd
• Chloe and Jame dir. Drew Burnett Gregory
• Psycho dir. Alfred Hitchcock
• The Silence of the Lambs dir. Jonathan Demme
• Jennifer’s Body dir. Karyn Kusama
• Oddity dir. Damian McCarthy
• Dracula dir. Todd Browning
• Nosferatu dir. Robert Eggers
• The Vourdalak dir. Adrien Beau
• The Family of the Vourdalak by Aleksey Tolstoy
• BBC Trignometry

39 – Homework is Due Monday, Please Ignore the Faeries

This week, we return from our lengthy and unplanned hiatus with the world’s! nichest! episode! That’s right, we’re talking about Among Others by Jo Walton, Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater, and Tam Lin by Pamela Dean, three fantasy novels set on school campuses that blend faerie folklore and coming-of-age stories.  Topics of discussion include how each book puts their own spin on the supernatural and the folkloric, tragically canceled book series, reproductive rights, and where on a college campus you’re most likely to run into a faerie. (And yes, this episode was meant to be released several months ago, as our discussion at the beginning indicates. Oops.)

Other media mentioned

• Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly
• La Chimera dir. Alica Rohrwacher
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carre
• Challengers dir. Luca Guadagnino
• Dead Boy Detectives (Netflix show)
• You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce (creepy faerie book Lulu couldn’t remember the name of)
• The Wicker King by K. Ancrum
• Aye and Gomorrah by Samuel R. Delany
• Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin
• The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
• The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
• Chime by franny billingsley
• The Hounds of Ulster by Maggie Stiefvater
• Apotheosis (concept, not katabasis)
• A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
• StarCrossed by elizabeth bunce
• The Oracles of Delphi Keep by Victoria Laurie
• How to Train Your Dragon 
• Lord of the Rings (film & books)
• Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
• An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Content warnings: discussions of sibling death, parental abuse, a car crash, pregnancy and abortion, suicide, and dubious sexual consent

38 - This Old (Possibly Haunted??) House

This week is all about the spooky ancestral homes as we talk about And Don’t Look Back by Rebecca Barrow and All the Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley, two young adult novels about family homes and the dark secrets they hide. Topics include what constitutes a haunted house (does there have to be a literal ghost?), twisty mysteries, and the inherent queerness of the gothic genre.

(Also, as you may have guessed, we did NOT release this episode before traveling internationally despite our optimism about doing so in this recording.)

Media Mentioned:

• Shogun (2024)
• Dungeon Meshi
• The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
• Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill
• Burning Girls and Other Stories by Veronica Schanoes
• Tramps (2016) dir. Adam Leon
• Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow
• Episode 26: Bad Things at the Beach
• The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe
• The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Episode 18: Reduce Reuse Reanimate

Content Warnings: Discussions of parental death, animal death, domestic abuse, murder, drowning

As always, you can learn more at our website, neverthetwinsshallmeet.com

37 – The Worst Italian Vacation Ever

This week, we’re taking a trip to 1950s Italy as we discuss Patricia Highsmith’s classic thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley and its acclaimed 1999 adaptation directed by Anthony Minghella. Topics of discussion include the novel’s iconic con artist protagonist, the twisty plot, homoerotic subtext, and how Minghella put his own spin on the themes and characters. 

Media Mentioned

• Scrapper (2023) dir. Charlotte Regan (note: Lulu was wrong, the lead actress’s name is actually Lola Campbell, not Lola Chambers)
• Aftersun (2022) dir. Charlotte Wells
• The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
• Dune by Frank Herbert
• The Artful Dodger (2023), starring Thomas Brodie-Sangster, David Thewliss, and Maia Mitchell
• Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
• Saltburn (2023) dir. Emerald Fennell
• Do Revenge (2022)
• These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
• The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
• “Patricia Highsmith” by Richard Brooks for the Guardian
• The Bourne Identity movies
• Nimona by N.D. Stevenson
• Sorry to Bother You (2018) dir. Boots Riley
• The Celluloid Closet (1995) dir. Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman
• Hannibal (2013-2015)
• King Arthur: Legend of the Sword dir. Guy Ritchie
• Ripley (upcoming Netflix show)
• BBC Sherlock
• And Don’t Look Back by Rebecca Barrow
• All the Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley

Content Warnings: discussions of antisemitism, racism, murder, violence, homophobia, gaslighting, suicide, and classism.

36 – The Ballad of Cabbages and Coursework

We’re back this week to talk about the latest Hunger Games movie, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Topics include our relationship with the famous dystopian franchise, how the movie compares to the book, why we find prequels and villain protagonists compelling, and a detour through Enlightenment philosophy.

Other Media Mentioned:

• Hannibal (2013-2015)
• The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
• Gods of the Wyrdwood by R.J. Barker
• Anatomy of a Fall dir. Justine Triet
• A Murder at the End of the World (2023)
• True Detective: Night Country
• We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian
• Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
• Coriolanus by William Shakespeare
• West Side Story (2021) dir. Steven Spielberg
• Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
• Second Treatise of Government by John Locke
• The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• “Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac
• Wicked (2024) dir. John M. Chu
• Saltburn (2023) dir. Emerald Fennell 

Content warnings: Discussions of death, violence, hanging, cannibalism and fascism

35 – Our Year of Literature and Library Addiction

Happy belated New Year! We return fashionably late with a behemoth of an episode to discuss each of our top 10 books of 2023, a few extra superlatives (scariest book, anyone?), and some reading goals for 2024. Tune in for fantasy fiction, gothic literature, romance novels, unexpected favorites, and only a little bit of human sacrifice. 

 

(Also, Lulu would like to mention that she forgot to mention Emily Carroll’s works when discussing graphic novels, but they’re all very creepy and amazing. Additionally, we ran out of time for her to discuss poetry, but Native Guard by Natasha Trethewey, The Renunciations by Donika Kelly, and Water & Salt by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha were her favorite books of poetry read last year.)

 

Content warnings: discussions of slavery (27:47-31:05), domestic abuse (31:06-33:08), and depression/suicidal ideation (58:18-1:03:18)

34 – Saltblah

Our podcast is back, and we’re in our hater era! In this episode, we tackle the infamously divisive 2023 film Saltburn, a psychological thriller directed by Emerald Fennell and starring Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick, an Oxford scholarship student invited to his wealthy friend’s summer estate, Saltburn, for a summer that takes a dark turn. (Spoiler alert: we didn't like it.) Topics discussed include the film’s muddled class commentary, our hatred of the film’s ending, and it’s intent to shock and upset the viewer. 

Other Media Mentioned:

• Blue Eye Samurai (2023-)
• Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
• A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris
• The Holdovers (dir. Alexander Payne)
• Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
• Bellies by Nicola Dinan
• Promising Young Woman (dir. Emerald Fennell)
• The Eternals (dir. Chloe Zhao)
• The Banshees of Inisherin (dir. Martin McDonagh)
• Knives Out (dir. Rian Johnson)
• Parasite (dir. Bong Joon-ho)
• Can posh people write good slass satire? By Patrick Sproull for Dazed
• Romeo + Juliet (dir. Baz Luhrmann)
• Biting the Hand by Julia Lee
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
• Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist
• These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
• Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris
• Temper by Layne Fargo
• They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
• Interview With the Vampire (2022–)

Content Warnings: Discussions of drug overdose, suicide, murder, classism, racism, manipulation, and sexual assault

 

Also, not actually related to the content of this episode, but if you are an American listener, we would like to invite you to call your representatives and demand a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine. 5calls.org makes it easy to do.  

33 – Brooches, Bards, and Bone Harps

We’re back for our first episode of the summer! In this one, we take a trip to post-Rome Britain to explore our fascination with a time period that is more myth than history. Going full history nerd, we take a look at three books set in Britain after the withdrawal of Roman imperial powers: Dark Earth by Rebecca Stott, Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve, and Sistersong by Lucy Holland. We discuss the possible origin of the King Arthur myth, queer medieval narratives, and the cultural diversity of Britain at this time–as well as wizards, warlords, and murder ballads. 

 

Other Media Mentioned:

• Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman
• The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
• Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
• Little Blue Encyclopedia for Vivian by Hazel Jane Plante
• The Thousand Eyes by A.K. Larkwood
• Bernard Cornwell’s books
• Spear by Nicola Griffith
• Perceval by Chretien de Troyes
• The Two Sisters by Steeleye Span
• On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain by Gildas
• History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth

 

Content Warnings:

Discussions of war, death, and body horror

 

Also 1) apologies for the distant car horn in a few moments and 2) our discussion of Here Lies Arthur involves talking about some characters who present as different genders over the course of the story and so has some varying pronoun usage.

32 - Seven Faceless Saints Interview With Author M.K. Lobb

This week, we’ve got a guest on our podcast as author M.K. Lobb drops by to answer our questions about her young adult fantasy novel Seven Faceless Saints. Tune in to hear us discuss the real historical inspiration behind her fantasy world, the joys of writing angsty romance, and the importance of angry female characters. 

 

Media mentioned

• These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
• Keep This To Yourself by Tom Ryan
• I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan
• Karen McManus (YA mystery author)
• The Queen’s Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
• Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

 

Content warnings: discussions of war, PTSD, and murder