Taking It Down The Alabama Take

This week, Blaine begins with The Alabama Take and its newest endeavor: a newsletter, plus some more news (1:40)! Blaine then talks about headlines in pop culture that contain spoilers for TV shows and movies -- and he calls out names (3:30). Donovan joins the podcast, and they briefly discuss what they may think of the new Apple TV+ series 'Franklin' since they have yet to see it (8:30). They discuss a few spoiler-free things related to Shōgun (12:16) before getting into the specifics and spoilers of the eighth episode, titled "The Abyss of Life," with boils with intensity (13:45).
Blaine also reviews the latest episode of 'Sugar' and its developing mystery which may be too easy to have determined (33:28).
For the newsletter, head to https://www.thealabamatake.com/newsletter to sign up!
Also, visit www.thealabamatake.com and leave any voice message for any podcast! Join in!

In this week's TV and streaming coverage on Taking It Down, the hosts discuss the TV series Shōgun and the two-episode premier of the Apple TV+ show Sugar. To begin, Blaine has brief thoughts without any spoilers for 3 Body Problem from Netflix (2:07) and Manhunt (3:09) before he brings in Adam and Donovan to give them advice on transcripts with podcasts (4:07). From there, the hosts talk about both Shōgun (5:02) and Sugar (6:51) with no spoilers as they determine if they would recommend each. From there, it's a deep discussion on the seventh episode of Shōgun titled "A Stick of Time" (8:52). On the back half of the episode, Blaine reveals the specifics of why Sugar delivers a knock-out punch with two episodes (31:22).

Host Blaine flies solo this week to discuss what in the world is up with Mary Poppins (3:54) before he talks broadly about Shōgun with no spoilers (6:03) and then dissects the sixth episode of Shōgun titled "Ladies of the Willow World" (7:19).
This week's episode features an ad from our friends at the podcast Polyphonic Press, a show for music fans of all stripes where each week the hosts review a classic album from a list of over one-thousand releases from all genres of music. The twist? They have no idea what album will spin! Join them on Tuesdays for a new classic album and listen along to rediscover (or discover) the best in music.

This week on Taking It Down, Blaine begins with a quick, non-spoiler thought on Netflix's The Gentlemen (2:59). From there, he discusses without spoiling Manhunt from Apple TV+ (3:16) and 3 Body Problem on Netflix with no spoilers (5:47). After a hello from Adam, the two give some non-spoiler thoughts on Shōgun overall (8:39) before discussing TV's odd schedule (9:44). From there, they discuss Shōgun's fifth episode "Broken To The Fist," which has spoilers from that point forward (11:24).
This week's episode features an ad from our friends at the podcast Polyphonic Press, a show for music fans of all stripes where each week the hosts review a classic album from a list of over one-thousand releases from all genres of music. The twist? They have no idea what album will spin! Join them on Tuesdays for a new classic album and listen along to rediscover (or discover) the best in music.
Find and talk to Taking It Down on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.

As always, the YouTube channel for The Alabama Take features all episodes of this podcast and the rest of the family of podcasts.

The TV and streaming from The Alabama Take family of podcasts returns! This week, Taking It Down begins with a new introduction from host Blaine (0:00), which also includes a few non-spoiler thoughts about the Netflix series The Gentlemen starring Theo James and created by Guy Ritchie (4:20). The co-hosts then join the discussion: can they recommend the new series Shōgun on FX/Hulu (7:55)? After the suggestions for listeners, it's a deep dive into spoilers of the show that account for why Shōgun is as good as it is (12:37). Welcome back!
This week's episode features an ad from our friends at the podcast Polyphonic Press, a show for music fans of all stripes where each week the hosts review a classic album from a list of over one-thousand releases from all genres of music. The twist? They have no idea what album will spin! Join them on Tuesdays for a new classic album and listen along to rediscover (or discover) the best in music.
Find and talk to Taking It Down on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.

As always, the YouTube channel for The Alabama Take features all episodes of this podcast and the rest of the family of podcasts.

In this episode, Blaine and Donovan discuss the recent change in the video schedule for Taking It Down On Video (1:22) before they then delve into the setting of Alaska in True Detective: Night Country to answer the question: is it attempting too much (3:06)? To end, the two discuss various topics, including Apple TV+ originals, and other TV shows that could play a role for the podcast going forward (28:30), such as Manhunt, Constellation, Sugar, The Big Door Prize, Dark Matter, and The Lady in the Lake.
Look at TV from a different angle: Taking It Down is the The Alabama Take's TV and streaming podcast from irrelevant Southern thinkers. Audio podcast is out every Tuesday morning and can be streamed above or with the links at the bottom of the page. The video component of the podcast airs on Wednesday evenings at 5:00 p.m. CST.
Takeaways
The change in the video schedule for Taking It Down on Video has been made to align better with the coverage of the challenge and to provide a separate entity for challenge discussion. The setting of Alaska in True Detective allows for an exploration of mental illness in a dark environment. The supernatural element in the show could benefit from a more subtle approach, with hints and glimpses rather than jump scares. The engaging endings of the episodes create anticipation for the next one and keep viewers hooked. The characters' mental states, such as Navarro's bleeding ears, add to the mystery and intrigue of the show. The unresolved storylines and the introduction of new characters, like Otis Heiss, leave viewers wanting more. Other TV shows, such as those on Apple TV, offer potential for exciting and compelling storytelling. The search for John Wilkes Booth after he kills Lincoln is a fascinating historical drama. Apple TV+ has a variety of original shows, including Constellation, Sugar, The Big Door Prize, Dark Matter, and The Lady in the Lake. Ash Wednesday is a significant day for Elvis Perkins fans.

The Alabama Take brings you an entire family of podcasts and writings -- all with no ads! But we still have some bills to pay. If there's nothing in the shop to interest you, feel free to make a donation: venture to Buy Me A Coffee or visit our Venmo and PayPal to help to keep the site, the writings, and podcasts going.