Tom Secker of Spy Culture joins me to discuss the season 7 premiere of Homeland. We start off by giving a quick recap of the previous season which saw a faction of the deep state attempt to assassinate President Elect Elibazeth Keane. Tom and I then dive into this season, which breaks with Homeland protocol, and picks up 52 days after the events of season 6.
Good friend Tom Secker joins me today in the first hour for an in-depth discussion of the Science and Entertainment Exchange (SEEX). Tom explains what this little know pseudo-govenment NGO is, and how they have been quietly assisting over 1,300 Hollywood films. We talk about their connection to the National Academy of Sciences and their connection to the state. Tom then discusses their stated aim: to assist Hollywood in depicting accurate science, and the promotion of science and scientists. Tom and I then explore how this is not quite an accurate assessment of their work.
For my Boxing Day Special I am joined by goof friend Tom Secker. We have a lengthy discussion about the year 2017, our ups and down’s, and some of our favorite and least favorite news stories of the year. We begin by discussing our favorite news stories of the year. Next Tom and I move onto what we felt was the most important news story of the year. We discuss why the War in Yemen and the defeat of ISIS constitute this title. Tom and I also discuss the significance of the #MeToo movement, and some of the problems we have with the way in which the media is covering it.
Tom Secker and I finish off our trilogy of episodes discussing House of Cards. This month we look at the last season The Final Cut. We discuss Francis’ long political career as it begins it’s twilight phase. Tom and I talk at length about the Cyprus story-line which introduces foreign policy to the show for the first time. We touch on FU’s complete lack of expertise in this realm and how it contributes to his ultimate demise. Tom and I also discuss whether Urquhart’s experiences as a young man in Cyprus made him into the psychopathic individual he is as Prime Minister.
Tom Secker joins me in the first hour to discuss the upcoming Netflix movie about Anders Behring Breivik and the Oslo and Utoya Island attacks. Tom and I talk about why the film is being made now and the state funding it is receiving from the Norwegian government. We then talk about the writer and director of this film Paul Greengrass. Tom explains his career as a government propagandist and focuses on his film United 93. We then talk about the aspects of the attack we anticipate Greengrass and Netflix will leave out of the film.
Tom Secker joins me for a discussion of the sixteenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. We begin by discussing our general emotions and thoughts on the actual anniversary. We discuss how it unfolds both here in New York and across the ocean in the U.K. Tom and I then discuss how 9/11 has evolved into a heavily scripted and predictable event over the past several years. We touch on how the attack is viewed without context, in terms of what actually happened and what followed it.
