The Ringer-Verse

Green light! Ben and Daniel Chin discuss the second season of ‘Squid Game,’ focusing on how the streaming phenomenon follows up its first act without the element of surprise, its new spin on the formula from the sensational Season 1, and the future of the franchise. Then, they react to the third and final season of ‘What If…?’, breaking down the highs and lows of the latest set of episodes, how the whole series excelled and disappointed, and its MCU legacy (43:49). Finally, the Ringer-Verse and ‘House of R’ crews give gifts of nerd-culture content in the latest installment of 'Ringer-Verse Recommends,’ their monthly mini-pod about fandom favorites from TV, anime, movies, video games, books, comics, and beyond that were released recently but not yet covered in-depth on a full-length episode (1: 10: 37). Host: Ben Lindbergh Guests: Daniel Chin, Mallory Rubin, Joanna Robinson, Steve Ahlman, Jomi Adeniran, Matt James, Arjuna Ramgopal, Van Lathan, and Zach Kram Producer: Carlos Chiriboga Social: Jomi Adeniran Additional Production: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Boys delve into all of the content from 2024 and give you their Midnight Mulligans rankings. Movies: 'Kraven The Hunter' (10:31) 'Madame Web' (14:52) 'Joker: Folie à Deux' (16:04) 'Godzilla vs. Kong' (18:00) 'Venom: The Last Dance' (19:36) 'Gladiator II' (21:56) 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' (27:43) 'Deadpool & Wolverine' (35:38) 'Monkey Man' (49:08) 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' (1:10:51) 'Dune: Part II' (1:12:17) TV Shows: Netflix’s 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' (1:18:37) 'The Acolyte' (1:20:04) 'Echo' (1:24:57) 'The Boys' Season 4 (1:28:00) 'Invincible' Season 2 (1:29:13) 'Agatha All Along' (1:31:25) 'The Penguin' (1:34:14) 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 (1:37:22) 'X-Men ’97' (1:41:51) 'Shogun' (1:46:11) Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman Producers: Aleya Zenieris, Jonathan Kermah, and Steve Ahlman Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben, Steve Ahlman, Matt James, and Justin Charity wrap a podcast present and put it under the tree. First, they name “naughty” and “nice” trends in gaming this year, from high-profile, live-service flops to the decline of console exclusivity (08:55). Then, they celebrate the most unforgettable titles of 2024 by drafting their favorite releases across several categories, including sprawling RPGs, riveting action adventures, and indie darlings (39:20). Host: Ben Lindbergh Guests: Steve Ahlman, Matt James, and Justin Charity Producer: Devon Renaldo Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jomi and Steve are joined by Ben Lindbergh to break down the third installment of the ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ trilogy. Along the way, the guys discuss what worked for them in the movie and where the film franchise can go from here. Hosts: Jomi Adeniran and Steve Ahlman Guest: Ben Lindbergh Producer: Jonathan Kermah Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices