Fallout Season 2, Zelda Movie First Look, And Our Birthday "Shallow Dives"

Geek Freaks

This week Frank celebrates his birthday in the studio with Jon, keeps the vibes relaxed, and still manages to pack in a full slate of geek news and debates. The two kick things off with updates on Shogun Season 2, breaking down the ten year time jump, the politics of feudal Japan, and how Western audiences connect with Asian history and tropes on screen. From there they pivot to Valve's newly announced Steam Machine concept and what it means for the future of consoles, PC gaming, and cloud streaming.

Then it is trailer time. Frank and John react to the new Fallout Season 2 trailer and its New Vegas setting, the Super Mario Galaxy movie trailer from Illumination, and the first official images from the live action Legend of Zelda movie. They also dig into Disney's Moana live action remake and use it as a springboard to talk about when fans want faithful recreations and when they actually want a fresh take.

In the second half, Frank launches a new recurring bit called Shallow Dives, a timed debate game where one host takes a position and the other plays devil's advocate. Topics this round include whether physical media is really coming back, if critic and audience scores should be hidden for a movie's first week, and how central cosplay is to modern fandom. The episode wraps with recommendations for Welcome to Derry and a timely revisit of V for Vendetta.

Timestamps and Topics

• 00:00 – Birthday intro, in person recording, and why this episode is more relaxed

• 01:00 – Shogun Season 2 news, ten year time jump, and how the show handles Japanese history and European trade politics

• 05:30 – Valve's new Steam Machine concept, console vs PC, and why price point might decide its fate

• 11:20 – Fallout Season 2 trailer reaction, New Vegas connections, Elvis ghoul Kings, and Macaulay Culkin's role

• 15:40 – Super Mario Galaxy movie trailer, Bowser in a jar, Bowser Jr, Rosalina, and Illumination's animation style and music

• 18:20 – First look at the live action Legend of Zelda movie and a deeper talk about faithful adaptations vs reinterpretations

• 24:00 – Moana live action trailer, shot for shot remakes, green screen fatigue, and who these remakes are really for

• 28:15 – Introducing Shallow Dives, the 5 minute debate game and how it might work at conventions

• 29:30 – Shallow Dive 1: Is physical media actually making a comeback or is streaming still king

• 35:00 – Shallow Dive 2: Should critic and audience scores be hidden for the first week of release

• 41:00 – Shallow Dive 3: Is cosplay a core part of fandom or its own parallel hobby

• 46:20 – Weekly recommendations: Welcome to Derry and why V for Vendetta still matters

• 48:10 – Wrap up and sign off

Key Takeaways

• Shogun Season 2 will jump ten years into the Edo era, exploring what it means for Toranaga to not just conquer Japan but govern it while foreign powers like Portugal and Britain push for control.

• For Western viewers, Shogun can be a gateway into Asian history and storytelling, with Frank and John comparing it to Game of Thrones style politics filtered through a real world lens.

• Valve's new Steam Machine raises real questions about timing and audience, but John argues that if the device hits the right price and lives in the living room it could appeal to younger PC focused players and convention setups.

• The Fallout Season 2 trailer leans hard into New Vegas iconography, from Elvis themed ghoul factions to Roman inspired forces, while doubling down on the tension between Lucy's idealism and the brutal wasteland reality.

• The Super Mario Galaxy movie and the Zelda live action first look both seem to be chasing a very faithful visual style, keeping game aesthetics intact while polishing them for film, especially through music and world design.

• Moana's live action remake sparks a bigger conversation about when fans want a nearly shot for shot remake and when they want a reinterpretation, with both hosts skeptical about the flat, overly digital look of some recent remakes.

• In the Shallow Dives segment, the physical media debate lands on a nuanced middle ground: streaming is convenient, but physical and local digital collections still matter for ownership, longevity, and curation.

• The discussion about scores leads Frank to explain why Geek Freaks removed numeric ratings from posts, preferring to describe how a story feels instead of flattening it to a single number.

• On cosplay, both hosts agree that it might be its own fandom as much as a subset of any one property, but it absolutely boosts the sense of community and safety at cons by signaling "you are with your people."

Memorable Quotes

• "I would rather put out a relaxed episode than no episode."

• "Each vault in Fallout is just a wild experiment, and that weirdness is the charm of the show."

• "Physical media might not be for everyone anymore, but owning a copy means nobody can pull it off your shelf overnight."

• "Reviews should tell you how a story makes you feel, not just slap a number on it."

• "Cosplay is like an instant signal that you are in a safe place to be as nerdy as you want."

Call To Action

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe to Geek Freaks on your favorite podcast app, leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, and share the show with a friend who loves Fallout, Zelda, or Disney animation. Spread the word using the hashtag #GeekFreaksPodcast so we can see what you think of the new Shallow Dives segment.

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Listener Questions

Have a question, hot take, or Shallow Dive topic you want us to debate next time Send your thoughts and prompts to us on social media or through GeekFreaksPodcast.com and we might feature your idea in a future episode.

Apple Podcasts Tags Geek Freaks, TV and Film, Entertainment News, Pop Culture, Shogun Season 2, Fallout TV Series, Fallout Season 2, Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Legend of Zelda Movie, Moana Live Action, Video Games, Cosplay, Physical Media, Movie Reviews, Streaming Services, Stephen King, Welcome to Derry, V for Vendetta, Alan Moore