Excommunication Podcast

Melissa Vegas and Scott Roeben
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Exes talk about movies, TV shows, streaming entertainment, love and romance and situationships, the whole nine.

Episodes

  1. Ep. 5: Oscar Nom Round-Up

    5D AGO

    Ep. 5: Oscar Nom Round-Up

    Scott and Melissa return for another episode of "Excommunication," where they check the numbers after discovering their last show had a 60/40 speaking split. Determined to rebalance the conversation, they dive into a wide-ranging discussion about movies, pop culture and a bizarre controversy at the BAFTAs. The episode begins with a debate about an uncomfortable moment at the BAFTAs involving Tourette's syndrome and a shouted racial slur during a live broadcast. Scott and Melissa unpack the complicated questions around disability, responsibility and whether the awards show mishandled the situation. From there the conversation shifts to the movies of the moment. First up is "Train Dreams," which sparks a lively disagreement about what makes a film worth watching. Scott dismisses the slow, plot-light drama as a complete misfire, while Melissa tries to find meaning in its themes about ordinary life, nature and the passage of time. They then tackle "One Battle After Another," the latest star-studded film from Paul Thomas Anderson. The two break down the movie's strange tonal shifts, its exaggerated political allegory and whether the characters give audiences anyone to root for. Along the way they discuss Leonardo DiCaprio's frazzled protagonist, Sean Penn's scenery-chewing villain and the challenges of balancing satire, action and comedy in the same film. The episode ends with a typical "Excommunication" detour into bald actors, Hollywood vanity, Jason Momoa, and an increasingly absurd conversation about funeral homes, corpse-related rumors and whether any podcast should really end this way. It is another unpredictable episode where sharp movie criticism collides with off-the-rails humor, proving once again that "Excommunication" rarely stays on script.

    56 min
  2. Ep. 4: Sinners and Weapons

    5D AGO

    Ep. 4: Sinners and Weapons

    In Episode 4 of the "Excommunication Podcast," Scott Roeben and Melissa Vegas dive into a passionate discussion about two Oscar-nominated films, "Weapons" and "Sinners." As always, the conversation begins with some playful housekeeping about podcast habits, interruptions and Scott's alleged inability to remember actors' names, before quickly veering into pop culture, Las Vegas gossip and a debate about Mark Wahlberg's rumored quiet departure from Las Vegas. The hosts then break down the horror film "Weapons," which earned a single Oscar nomination. Melissa approaches the movie from the perspective of a horror fan, arguing the film sets up an intriguing mystery but ultimately falls flat due to tonal shifts, implausible plot developments and an over-reliance on familiar tropes. Scott agrees the film fails to deliver on its eerie premise and criticizes its lack of suspense, uneven storytelling and campy execution. The discussion then turns to "Sinners," the heavily nominated period vampire film starring Michael B. Jordan. The conversation becomes more philosophical as Scott and Melissa debate the movie's themes, cinematography and cultural context. Melissa praises the film's visual style, production design and performances, while questioning its thin vampire mythology and lack of deeper backstory. Scott takes a more critical view of the screenplay and character choices while acknowledging the film's cultural significance and the importance of supporting diverse voices in filmmaking. As with every episode, the discussion includes plenty of detours, jokes and disagreements, including an ongoing argument about how much each host talks during the podcast and what rating system they should use for movies. The result is a lively, unfiltered conversation about film, storytelling and the strange dynamics of reviewing movies with your ex.

    1 hr
  3. Ep. 3: Pluribus Can't Be Bleat

    5D AGO

    Ep. 3: Pluribus Can't Be Bleat

    In Episode 3 of the "Excommunication" podcast, Scott Roeben and Melissa Vegas tackle Apple TV+'s buzzy sci-fi series "Pluribus." The conversation begins with some behind-the-scenes "production meeting" feedback about their own podcast habits before shifting into a deep dive on the show, which imagines a mysterious signal that merges the consciousness of nearly every human on Earth into a single hive mind. Scott and Melissa explore the premise through the perspective of Carol, one of the few people immune to the phenomenon, and discuss how the series blends familiar apocalyptic tropes with fresh ideas about identity, free will and collective intelligence. They examine the show's central themes, including whether the hive mind represents a benevolent evolution of humanity or something more sinister, and debate the moral questions raised by a world where individuality disappears but violence and conflict vanish with it. The episode also touches on the relationship between Carol and her hive-mind guide Zosia, the ethical implications of consent in a shared consciousness, and the broader parallels between the show's premise and the rise of artificial intelligence. Scott and Melissa share their favorite and least favorite episodes, discuss the Las Vegas-set installment that features the Westgate, and speculate about what the remaining immune characters might mean for the story's future. As with any "Excommunication" podcast episode, the discussion frequently veers off course into pop culture tangents, language debates and humorous disagreements about everything from zombie storytelling to podcast structure. The result is a free-flowing conversation that reflects the dynamic between two exes who still enjoy arguing about television, ideas and the strange directions a good show can take.

    1h 8m
  4. Ep. 2: This Is a Thing

    5D AGO

    Ep. 2: This Is a Thing

    If you do two episodes, it's actually a thing. Your hosts Melissa Vegas and Scott Roeben get into it, again. In this episode of the "Excommunication" podcast, Scott Roeben and Melissa Vegas dive deep into the cultural phenomenon of "Stranger Things" and its controversial final season. What begins as a discussion of the show's finale quickly turns into a spirited debate about storytelling, fandom and whether the series stuck the landing after five seasons. Scott, who recently binge-watched the entire series after previously abandoning it, argues the finale worked emotionally and wrapped up the story's major threads. Melissa, a longtime fan, takes the opposite view saying the show peaked in Season 4 with the introduction of Vecna and that the final season failed to live up to the expectations it created. Along the way, the conversation veers into everything from fan theories and the psychology of villains to Hollywood writing culture, binge-watching habits, and the challenges of ending a beloved series. There's also plenty of classic "Excommunication" tangents about pop culture references, soap-sharing etiquette and the evolving way audiences consume television.

    47 min
  5. Ep. 1: Welcome to the Party, Pal

    6D AGO

    Ep. 1: Welcome to the Party, Pal

    Let's get this party started. Melissa Vegas and Scott Roeben kick off the first of what could be either 10 or 10,000 episodes about movies, TV, romance and anything else that grabs their short attention spans. In the debut episode of "Excommunication," Scott Roeben and Melissa Vegas introduce their unlikely new project, a podcast built around conversations between two former partners who decided to collaborate instead of disappearing from each other's lives. The result is an unpredictable mix of humor, disagreement, storytelling and candid discussion. Scott and Melissa explain how the show came together, why they decided to work together again and what they hope to explore in future episodes. They talk about their shared interest in movies, television and pop culture, as well as the strange reality of launching a podcast while still figuring out what it should be. The conversation quickly veers into personal territory. Scott reflects on growing up in Hawaii, discovering theater as a teenager and eventually moving to Los Angeles to pursue screenwriting. He shares stories from his early days in entertainment, including working on the cult beach comedy "Miracle Beach" and a memorable encounter while working at the Writers Guild of America. Melissa talks about her original goal of becoming a blogger focused on dating and relationships before her path shifted toward Las Vegas content creation. The episode also touches on their complicated past, the experience of dealing with online trolls and the strange dynamic of two people who once dated now starting a podcast together. Along the way they debate podcast structure, tease future topics and argue about how much planning a show should actually require. It is a messy, funny and very honest first episode that sets the tone for what "Excommunication" will be. Two strong personalities, plenty of disagreements and a lot of conversations that wander far from where they started.

    58 min
  • 5 Episodes

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Exes talk about movies, TV shows, streaming entertainment, love and romance and situationships, the whole nine.

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