The Pop Break

Alex Marcus
  • 4.0 (8)
  • TV & Film
  • Updated Weekly

The Pop Break is a collection of podcasts executive produced by Pop Break Director Alex Marcus, featuring the very best conversations about television, film, music, anime, wrestling, and more! This includes weekly pods like Roses & Rejections on Wednesdays, providing coverage of the best of reality dating, as well as new episodes of monthly podcasts like The Anniversary Bros, TV Break, Not Couple Goals, Blerd Watchers, Anime x Pop, Batman By The Numbers, & Bill vs. The MCU every Monday and Friday!

  1. 2d ago

    The Anniversary Brothers: Designated Survivor 10th Anniversary

    Aaron and Josh Sarnecky are here to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Designated Survivor. Designated Survivor is a political thriller drama series. It premiered on ABC on September 21, 2016. It ran on the network for two seasons before being canceled. Netflix picked the show up for a shorter third season, which debuted in June 2019. Netflix canceled the series the following month, leaving the episode total at 53. In the pilot, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland) becomes the President after an attack on the State of Union address, by virtue of being the designated survivor. Kirkman, his wife (Natascha McElhone) and his children (Mckenna Grace, Tanner Buchanan) abruptly move into the White House. During the show, he must rebuild federal government, find those responsible for the attack, and run for election. Kirkman is assisted by many characters, including Chief of Staff Emily Rhodes (Italia Ricci), National Security Advisor Aaron Shore (Adan Canto), Press Secretary Seth Wright (Kal Penn), Secret Service Agent Mike Ritter (LaMonica Garrett), and FBI Agent Hannah Wells (Maggie Q). Political players include Speaker of the House Kimble Hookstraten (Virginia Madsen), Former President Cornelius Moss (Geoff Pierson), the duplicitous Vice President Peter MacLeish (Ashley Zukerman), and Kirkman’s campaign manager Lorraine Zimmer (Julie White). Other characters include attorney Ethan West (Michael J. Fox), aerospace businesswoman Andrea Frost (Kim Raver), White House Political Director Lyor Boone (Paulo Costanzo), geneticist Dr. Eli Mays (Chukwudi Iwuji), and Deputy Chief of Staff Isabel Pardo (Elena Tovar). Designated Survivor Season 1 earned solid reviews, but the show lost steam shortly after Season 2 premiered. The show had five showrunners in three seasons. The revolving door of showrunners plus declining ratings led to its first cancelation. Upon its second cancelation, Netflix said the third season’s finale was a satisfying ending. Designated Survivor received a South Korean adaptation titled Designated Survivor: 60 Days. Aaron and Josh discuss watching and reviewing Designated Survivor before going into the show’s storylines and characters, how the show was affected by real life politics, and its relevance back then and today. You can listen to Aaron and Josh talk about Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer in their 24 podcast. You can also hear about his role in Stand by Me on last month’s podcast. Designated Survivor is streaming on Netflix

    The Anniversary Brothers: Designated Survivor 10th Anniversary

  2. 6d ago

    Not Couple Goals: “The Drama” (2026)

    Welcome to “Not Couple Goals” where co-hosts Allie Nelson and Tyler McCarthy do a deep dive into a different ridiculous romantic thriller from the vantage point of their long-term relationship. Allie, a TV writer/producer and actress, has an affinity for romantic thrillers, the more salacious the better. Tyler, an entertainment reporter and critic, often finds himself drawn in despite his better judgment. Join them as they explore all the ways it’s possible to love too hard… like WAY too hard. In this episode, Allie and Tyler kick things off by explaining why they missed last episode and poor Allie’s many medical troubles. Then, they dive full-force into the 2026 movie “The Drama,” starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya. Join them as they reveal very different opinions on what constitutes a wedding dealbreaker, battle the harsh rain and uncover the correct pronunciation of Zendaya’s name.  Special thanks to Mallory Johns for the introduction music. Please don’t forget to follow our hosts on Twitter @ANelRetentive & @TylerMcCarthy and Instagram @ANelRetentive and to check out Tyler’s writing at USA Insider and Allie’s at Parade and Business Insider!

    Not Couple Goals: “The Drama” (2026)

  3. Sep 7

    TV Break: September 2026 - Reviews of Furious, Lanterns, & My Adventures with Superman + 2026 Emmys Preview

    Welcome to TV Break, where Pop Break’s Director of Podcasting Alex Marcus is joined by editor-in-chief Bill Bodkin, and TV Columnist Josh Sarnecky to talk about the happenings in television. Here’s the format of the show: The Best Thing I Saw on TV Last Month  – Alex, Bill, & Josh talk about a show/episode/event they liked from the last month including HBO Max’s My Adventures with Superman, Hulu’s Furious, and Disney Plus’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars.  2026 Emmys Preview – Bill, Josh, and Alex break down the race for the most nominations per network and highlight some of the most interesting acting races across the Comedy, Drama, and Limited Series categories. 2026 Program of the Year Award – Bill, Josh, and Alex review all 72 series, specials, and movies nominated for the best series/special/movie at this year’s Emmys and craft their own top eight across all categories before crowning their own winner of the best in show experiment. New Series Spotlight – This month, our trio is shining their spotlight on HBO’s Lanterns, reviewing the first three episodes of the new series from DC, starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre. The series was created by Chris Mundy, Tom King, and Damon Lindelof.

    TV Break: September 2026 - Reviews of Furious, Lanterns, & My Adventures with Superman + 2026 Emmys Preview

  4. Sep 4

    Podelay: Modern Guilt, 2008

    This is Podelay, a podcast dedicated to alternative rock pioneer Beck Hansen! After completing their Pod of Doom series, Randy Allain (Media/Lit) and Justin Mancini (TheCineMaverick.com) are back to take on a whole new genre. Our resident music podcasters are joined by Kris Ingersoll of Batman by the Numbers and the Media/Lit podcast, and this time, Randy steps into the host chair so that Justin can discover something new. In the tenth episode, Justin, Kris, and Randy discuss Beck’s first project with Danger Mouse behind the boards. They double-down on their penchant for blues guitar, contemplate the ideal Beck track for department store shopping, and imagine what a modern Blink-182 would sound like with 2026 anxieties. And as always, they recommend other artists for your listening pleasure. In every episode, each host will spotlight the following: ·        Where It’s At: a track they really like. ·        It’s A Loser, Baby: a track they don’t. ·        Sing It Again: a favorite lyric. ·        Such A Beautiful Way: a favorite musical moment. Join them as they travel to a destination a little up the road from the conversations and the pods you know. Please join us for the show that poses one simple question: I’m a podcast, baby, so why don’t you stream me? Host Picks:   Where It’s At (A Song We Think Is Underrated or Just Really Like) Justin – Volcano Kris – Chemtrails Randy – Modern Guilt   It’s a Loser, Baby (A Song We Don’t Like So Much) Justin – Replica Kris – Soul of a Man Randy – Replica   Sing It Again (A Favorite Lyric) Justin – Youthless Kris – Volcano Randy – Walls   Such a Beautiful Way (A Favorite Musical Moment) Justin – Chemtrails Kris – Soul of a Man Randy – Chemtrails   Other Artists We’ve Been Listening To: Justin – Kate Bush Kris – The Paradox Randy – The Velvet Underground

    Podelay: Modern Guilt, 2008

  5. Sep 2

    Roses & Rejections: Love Island Season 8 Reunion

    Your reality TV besties have arrived! Michelle Chapman and ⁠Mostly Nitpicking⁠’s DJ Chapman are dishing on all the drama, delusion, and occasionally genuine emotion from your favorite dating and competition shows. Love is Blind? Covered. RuPaul's Drag Race? Absolutely. The entire Bachelor franchise and whatever Netflix dropped this week? Honey, they watched it so you don't have to — but honestly, you should watch it too. Michelle and DJ are back with special guest Allie Nelson of Not Couple Goals to break down the Love Island Season 8 reunion. They cover all of the updates, which have some panelists more excited than others. They give their pitches on how the reunion could be reformatted to be more exciting. They wrap up with a preview of Let's Marry Harry and an update on the shows they missed while they were away.

    Roses & Rejections: Love Island Season 8 Reunion

  6. Aug 31

    The Pop Break Presents: The Best Pop Culture Vacation Destination (Live at SDCC 2026)

    The Pop Break's Alex Marcus and Amanda Rivas appeared on stage at San Diego Comic Con 2026 alongside Gigi Ford, Brandon Jackson, Derick McDuff, and Jason Patrick Galit. They debate the best fictional locations to visit in all of pop culture, from superhero worlds, fantasy lands, Star Wars planets, and animated environments! Full Video of the event available at our YouTube channel!

    The Pop Break Presents: The Best Pop Culture Vacation Destination (Live at SDCC 2026)

  7. Aug 28

    Batman By The Numbers: HBO's Lanterns Premiere PLUS Amazon Prime Video's Batman: Caped Crusader S2

    There’s arguably no superhero in existence that has been reimagined, redefined, or reinterpreted more than Batman.  No matter how many times he’s been rebooted, audiences are always willing to come back to Gotham City’s greatest defender.  With so much Bat content out there, there’s plenty to dissect, analyze, and of course, rank!  This podcast is dedicated to a surgical evaluation of Batman’s history, with a focus on ranking several topics in the world of Batman, among other classic Bat themes and characters. Join hosts Daniel Cohen, Pop Break’s former Film Editor, and Kris Ingersoll, co-host of the Media/Lit podcast, as they bring on several guests every month to share their passion for the one and only Dark Knight.  From Adam West to Robert Pattinson, no bat stone will be left unturned.  Bottom-line: If you’re a Batman fan, this is required listening. It’s just Daniel and Kris in the Batcave this month, and it’s all about TV.  One live action.  One animated.  Lanterns and Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2.  One of these we were very positive on.  The other one…not as much. First, we dive into the pilot episode of Lanterns.  And yes, SPOILERS abound.  We’ve been building up to this one for a while.  Did it live up to expectations?  We heavily discuss the two leads, as we break down how Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre fare as Hal Jordan and John Stewart.  We discuss that BIG ending, and what it may mean for the DCU going forward.  And we reflect on the good and potentially bad when it comes to the Damon Lindelof of it all. Next up, it’s a full-on SPOILER breakdown of all 10 episodes of Season 2 for Batman: Caped Crusader.  We compare it to Season 1, focusing heavily on how they handle new versions of classic villains.   Did Daniel like this Riddler interpretation!!!???   We also get into A LOT of Joker talk.  Did they nail the most important conflict in the Batman mythos?  We also discuss what we liked, and didn’t like regarding Batman himself, and the two delve into their favorite, and least favorite episodes of the season. Also, if you like Daniel getting things wrong, he does so with one of the villains this season, so that’s reason enough to listen! Enjoy this JAM-PACKED TV focused episode!

    Batman By The Numbers: HBO's Lanterns Premiere PLUS Amazon Prime Video's Batman: Caped Crusader S2

  8. Aug 26

    Bill vs. The MCU: Agents of Doomsday Part 1 - SHIELD S5E1-10; D23 X-Men Cast Reaction; Sony Spider-Verse Rankings!

    Hello and welcome to Bill vs the MCU! Each month your hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Pop Break Podcasting Director Alex Marcus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pop Break Editor in Chief Bill Bodkin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ are taking another step into the wider Marvel Multiverse as the MCU dives deeper into their Multiverse Saga. Bill & Alex spent all of 2022 rewatching the first four phases of the MCU, and, in the years since, they have covered the first four seasons of Agents of SHIELD, the entire Netflix Defenders Saga, Fox’s X-Men,  Fantastic Four, and Daredevil films, the Blade trilogy, a few Punisher films, Ang Lee’s Hulk, Marvel’s Modern Animation line up of shows, and, most recently, Sony’s Spider-Man and Spider-Man related films. Welcome to Season 9 of Bill vs The MCU: Agents of Doomsday, where Alex & Bill cover all the most apocalyptic Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter seasons in anticipation of Avengers: Doomsday this December! This month, it’s all about Agents of SHIELD S5 E1-10, where their favorite agents wake up in space, in the future, and in front of an earth that’s allegedly been exploded into tiny pieces by our favorite inhuman super-spy, Daisy “Quake” Johnson, destroyer of worlds.  However! Before they get there, Bill and Alex break down the latest X-Men casting news out of D23. They also circle back from last month’s cliffhanger, by ranking all 17 Sony Picture’s Spider-Man and Spider-Man Adjacent movies!  Check back next month as Alex & Bill deep dive on Agents of SHIELD Season 5 Episodes 11-22, also known as the Save The Future arc, available to stream on Disney Plus!

    Bill vs. The MCU: Agents of Doomsday Part 1 - SHIELD S5E1-10; D23 X-Men Cast Reaction; Sony Spider-Verse Rankings!
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About

The Pop Break is a collection of podcasts executive produced by Pop Break Director Alex Marcus, featuring the very best conversations about television, film, music, anime, wrestling, and more! This includes weekly pods like Roses & Rejections on Wednesdays, providing coverage of the best of reality dating, as well as new episodes of monthly podcasts like The Anniversary Bros, TV Break, Not Couple Goals, Blerd Watchers, Anime x Pop, Batman By The Numbers, & Bill vs. The MCU every Monday and Friday!

Information

  • Creator
    Alex Marcus
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    810
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Alex Marcus
  • Show Website
    The Pop Break