So, against the odds, we’re back. Episode two of the Two Honest Guys Podcast is here, and this time we had a lot more to say. As with our last podcast, this article exists to let THG fans know about what we’ve been chatting about, just in case you don’t have time to listen.
First, it is probably important to point out that we have a guest this week, the third honest guy.. Jess has now joined the podcast team. You’ll also be hearing her voice more often, as we announce that our podcast will become a bi-weekly event. So, be sure to tune in every second Tuesday of the month for our slow descent into madness.
Let’s get into it then. Here’s what we talked about this week!
The Kylo Ren Scar Controversy
In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rey pulls out some pretty badass moves and leaves poor Kylo with a gash up his cheek and forehead. Nasty.
Fast forward to The Last Jedi trailer though, and this brutal battle scar has been replaced by a sexy, Anakin Skywalker-esque slash over his right eye. The result was plenty of unhappy Star Wars fans.
In the podcast, we thought we’d get into what all the fuss was about.
Although Jess and Ryan aren’t exactly what you’d call a Star Wars fan, we all agreed on one thing: The move is a strange choice for the character, and it brings an unwelcome shift in his characterisation.
Kylo Ren is a bit of a weird guy. An oddball, an outcast. I’m not knocking Adam Driver, he’s fantastic, but he has an interesting face… Let’s just say that. This works well for the character and is one of the aspects that makes him perhaps the most compelling new addition to the franchise. Yet, with this scar change, Disney seem to be taking a step away from this characterisation, instead giving him a more sleek, Hollywood appeal.
The thing is, we don’t want a stylised ‘Hollywood’ Kylo Ren. We want the strange, ground-level messed up Kylo Ren we got in Force Awakens. We want him to be raw, we want him to feel real. The scar Rey gave him did make him look even weirder, but that is part of what we love about the character.
We don’t know how this will ultimately affect the character of Kylo Ren, but we all agreed it was a poor decision on the part of the film creators.
Guardians of the Galaxy 2: What We Want to See
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is right around the corner, so now was the time to dive in and talk about what we want to see in this movie.
In the podcast, the discussion mainly focuses on two points (with a bit of Baby Groot chat, of course):
- New characters
- Potential for disappointment
The first Guardians of the Galaxy is great, not just for its plot and creative design, but also for its characters. Rocket, Groot, Quill, Drax, Gamora, they all bring something to the table that turns Guardians from a good Sci-Fi into movie gold.
In Guardians of the Galaxy 2, the old crew is joined by three new Guardians: Yondu, Nebula and Mantis. We couldn’t decide how we feel about these additions. On the one hand, new characters mean more of what made Guardians great, but on the other, they could potentially dilute the impact of the original cast by stealing the limelight.
We also chatted about our fears for Guardians 2. Primarily, a fear I’ve had since the movie was announced, that it will just be a rehash of Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). What made Guardians so great was that it was new, it was unique and it deviated so brilliantly from other blockbusters, superhero movies and Sci-Fi.
The problem is though, that Guardians 2 can’t provide that same impact again, so it has to do something else to win the audience over. My concern is that it will just retread the same ground as Guardians 1. If does, I’m sure if it had come out first it would have been just as ground-breaking, but as a sequel may leave us a bit disappointed.
While Jess was sympathetic to my concerns, Ryan wasn’t having any of it. The reviews from early viewings have been very positive, and the stubborn bastard never had a doubt that this movie would be anything other than brilliant.
I hope the reviews are right and, upsettingly, I hope he’s right. We’ll find out on April 28th!
5 Reasons to Watch Firefly
As Ryan won’t let me forget, I’ve never seen Firefly.
There is a reason for this, of course. After years of hearing people bang on about how great it is, I’ve become jaded. While part of me wanted to see it, the fanboys had turned me against the series.
Ryan and Jess weren’t going to let this one go though, and in episode two of the THG podcast, they fight to convince me to watch it.
I challenged them to argue their case in a way that didn’t sound like the fans I’d come to hate and, except for a few blunders from Ryan calling it shit like genius and ‘ahead of its time’, they managed to do a fairly decent job.
You can hear all their most poignant arguments in the podcast, but to sum up, here are the 5 reasons they gave that won me over:
- It’s rated as one of the best TV shows of all time
- The ship Serenity serves as its own character, similar to Dr Who’s TARDIS
- The show indulges in political intrigue and demonstrates an evolution of modern society
- The characters are engaging
- It’s about fucking space pirates
Telltale Games and Two Honest Guys Updates
In episode two of the Two Honest Guys podcast, we also chat Telltale — both Guardians and Game of Thrones — and talk about upcoming projects. This article is getting far too long though, and these were only small sections in comparison to our main topics, so if you want to hear more about them, download our podcast now!
