Podcast
Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast
Hosted by Danielle Hanley & John McMahon · EN
When you spend the bulk of your life reading, writing, and building lesson plans, sometimes your brain needs a break. Join two of your favorite political theory professors - Danielle Hanley and John McMahon - as they switch gears from the world’s so-called great books to break down some of your favorite TV shows. The twist? Only one of your hosts has seen the show before.
First up? The Americans.
22episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
118. The Americans 6x2, "Tchaikovsky"
4d ago01:46:10Tap to summarizeWell, well, well - look what happens when your chickens come home to roost. John and Danielle are back at it for The Americans Season 6 Episode 2, “Tchaikovsky.” Tackling the ways past decisions and events shape the present conditions for different characters, they begin with some meta-reflections on what it means to be in the sixth and final season of the show. They then unpack the different chickens that Elizabeth, Philip, and Stan must contend with over the course of the episode. They touch on Elizabeth’s lies, Paige’s existence as a spy, and Sofia and Gennadi. In the Dossier, Danielle once again beats the drum of Renee as a spy, which John (as usual) ‘no-comments’ - stay tuned for more Renee check-ins in later episodes. Glas has Claudia and Erica, and of course, MAIL ROBOT BACK! We are treated to a chat about Reagan’s dementia and Jack Kevorkian in Borrowed Nostalgia. There’s another installment of TRAGEDY SZN in the Cave as Danielle guides us on an exploration of Aeschylus’ Libation Bearers, with the added bonus of some creative TheoryShips too. Enjoy! -- Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Transcribe →117. The Americans 6x1, "Dead Hand"
3w ago01:58:20Tap to summarizeWe are back, Arkadii is SO back, and it is time to embark on the final season of The Americans here on Not Great Quite Books! For the first episode, "Dead Hand," Danielle and John accept the season premiere's invitation to consider all things art: the arts of spying, how spying may prevent one from appreciating art, the art of national identity, and much more. In unsurprising but nonetheless engaging developments, Danielle is still highly suspicious of Renee in the Dossier, and has pronounced Season 6 Tragedy SZN (proffering Ajax this time around) in The Cave, while John has much to say about The Sadboi Summit of 1987. The episode's creative deployment of 1980s bangers, Soviet Film Club, and saturation in the politics of 1987 round things out. Did Danielle and John convince themselves to start a travel agency, use an Ancient Greek word for its name, and seek brand deals for it? We think you already know the answer to this one. -- Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Transcribe →116. The Americans Season 6 Preview
Dec 2900:49:39Tap to summarizeDanielle and John are BACK* from their long espionage sojourns and reunited to preview The Americans Season 6. Having both rewatched the S5 finale, they note their surprises and ideas upon this revisiting, before talking through what the show asks of its viewers and what Danielle expects, predicts, and wants heading into Season 6. *"we are SO back" reserved for the actual start of S6 episodes Season 6 episodes coming your way in 2026. -- Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Transcribe →Americans Season 6 coverage coming in the new year!
Dec 400:01:14Tap to summarizeIf you can't wait for [redacted] and [redacted] and the dramatic [redacted] of our beloved [redacted], never fear, we'll be back in early 2026 to begin our coverage of The Americans, Season 6 (the last one!).
Transcribe →115. Derry Girls Series 2, Episode 5 "The Prom" & Episode 6 "The President"
Nov 2801:42:07Tap to summarizeSet up for fancy listening devices as Regan and John navigate intersubjective lessons for the characters of Derry Girls and for themselves while they dive into the Series 2 finale. What do the girls learn about themselves through moments of conflict, and when do they stay stuck in joke-delivery-machine status? Do you really gotta hand it to Bill Clinton? Will John and Regan's respective takes on the show so far and on what they want out Series 3 be predictable? Much like being a Derry Girl, being a loyal NQGB listener is a feckin' state of mind (but do like, subscribe, and download). -- Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Transcribe →114. Derry Girls Series 2, Episode 3 "The Concert" & Episode 4 "The Curse"
Nov 601:19:45Tap to summarizeThe titular girls go through coming of age rites of passage both holy and profane, sneaking away to an escapade-laden concert in Belfast and navigating one wedding and a pot-scone-fueled wake. And yet, your hosts are split on these episodes and the series as a whole as one of them (guess who) concern trolls whether these are characters or props delivering jokes and shenanigans. Regan and John are united, however, in their interest in the travellers, gratefulness of The Cranberries drops, appreciation of Da Gerry, and having been too goody two-shoes as teens to pull off Derry girls-level deception and subterfuge. Plus, Sister Michael outside of school, twice! -- Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Transcribe →113. Derry Girls Series 2, Episode 1, "Across the Barricade" & Episode 2, "Ms De Brún and the Child of Prague""
Oct 2301:13:20Tap to summarizeThe second series of Derry Girls (second season for the Yanks) is here, and what if anything about the show has changed? 80s classic The Breakfast Club and Dead Poets Society help Regan and John frame their discussion of mission: ride some Prod lads and the questions about social separation the mission raises, and of the pedagogy (or lack thereof) of one Ms. De Brún. A real heyday for Sister Michael in these episodes sparks the segments, which also include your share of lad culture, music recommendations, and, of course, our guy the Child of Prague. -- Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Transcribe →112. Derry Girls, Series 1 Episodes 5-6
Oct 901:21:26Tap to summarizeThese are the episodes where the girls truly do become children of the crossfire. A run-in with the Orange Order prompts a roadtrip gone wrong and a consideration of our new favorite (?) Provo, whale some classic school newspaper mechanics prompt a coming out for one of the main characters. Regan and John discuss how these episodes and particularly the cross-cutting final scene may fundamentally alter the show and consider an absent Madonna (the pop superstar this time), step aerobics, The Cranberries, Saint Anthony, and Le Tigre among many other subjects. -- Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Transcribe →111. Derry Girls Series 1, Episodes 3-4
Sep 2501:09:56Tap to summarizeRegan and John connect to podcasts past (Pope-verse, anyone?) as they explore the ways Catholicism is woven into the fabric of everyday life for the titular Derry girls as they confront the mysteries of the Virgin Mary, dead, resurrected, or absconded dogs, history exams, and visitors from Ukraine. After questioning whether Erin can become more than trope-ic comic relief, they dive into the segments to appreciate Sister Michael, recommend PJ Harvey (guess who), talk about Chernobyl Children International, and much more. There’s even a hot priest! -- Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Transcribe →110. Derry Girls, Series 1 Episodes 1-2
Sep 1101:34:53Tap to summarizeRegan Levitte is BACK for some more NQGB podcasting, this time initiating John into the world of Derry Girls. Exploring identity-making, the pair situate themselves in the world of Derry, Northern Ireland and of the five main characters, Erin, Clare, Michelle, Orla, and James. Which character does each of your trusty hosts most resemble (whether they like ir or not)? What new and alliterative segments have been devised for this jaunt to the serious and silly sitcom set amid The Troubles, circa 1990s? What theory season is it (spoiler: Sara Ahmed SZN…but this time The Cave contains more than just theory.) Does John like this show? -- Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Transcribe →