Mugglecast: The Harry Potter Podcast

Now that season 4 of ‘The Boys’ has wrapped, Laura, Eric, and Andrew come together to recap, review, analyze, and make season 5 predictions! Is Butcher still in there, or has he gone full Kessler? Will Ambrosius see her revenge? How will the team finally defeat Homelander once and for all? Get ready for ‘Generation V’ season 2 before the 5th and final season of ‘The Boys’ - we think Gen V is set up to have an even greater impact on the 5th season! We also plug some fun easter eggs to look into if you want to get more out of ‘The Boys’ universe. Whether Ashley becomes a Hulk-esque supe next season or not, she will henceforth be known as Smashley. Don’t forget to follow us in your favorite podcasting app and leave us a review! Let us know in the comments below what you thought of season 4 of ‘The Boys,’ and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s MuggleCast, we’re setting book 4 down and picking up on real world controversy that was happening RIGHT as Goblet of Fire was first published, in July of 2000. At issue was whether the series, quickly gaining national publicity in the US, was instructing young readers to take up witchcraft, join the devil and abandon God. It’s HP vs Christianity on MuggleCast 666! New episodes of MuggleCast will now be released in full video on our YouTube channel, right when they are released on our podcast feed! For today’s Main Discussion, Eric has compiled a PDF of sources from the late 90’s to 2007 news media. The polished PDF is available via this link. By July of 2000, Harry Potter had gained massive popularity in the US, and raise alarm bells with some concerned parents. Were any of the hosts told not to read the HP books on religious grounds? The controversy may be categorized as a moral panic, not unlike the Satanic Panic phenomenon of the 80’s/90’s, which unfortunately had large ramifications.

Things are heating up on What The Hype as we dive into the world of smut in romance and romantasy! This week, Laura and Pam are joined by special guest and romance author, Jennifer Hennessy (‘Degrees of Engagement’), to discuss spicy scenes in romance and romantasy reads. There’s no denying that there’s been an uptick in interest in spicy reads thanks to BookTok, but what makes for a good steamy moment while reading? And more importantly, what gives us the ick and automatically takes us out of the moment? Plus, Jen offers up some insider insight into the world of publishing, the use of euphemisms, and why she thinks smut can be hit or miss for readers.Keep up with Jennifer Hennessy online via Twitter (X) and Instagram, and check out her books right here on her website! https://x.com/jennifercarolyn https://www.instagram.com/jennifercarolyn/ https://www.jennifer-hennessy.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, witness the return of Lord Voldemort himself after 13 years without a proper body! To celebrate this ‘rebirthing party’, we’ll be discussing two chapters of Goblet of Fire! LAST CHANCE to grab this year’s physical gift... The MuggleCast 19 Years Later t-shirt! If you aren’t a Patron, now’s a great time to join! Pledge today at the Slug Club level and fill out the form by July 19 to be eligible. Note: you will only receive your shirt after you’ve been a Patron at this level for a minimum of three months. In addition, you’ll get other great benefits such as twice-monthly Bonus MuggleCast, the chance to co-host the show, a video message from one of the four of us and much more! Visit Patreon.com/MuggleCast today! Thanks to everyone who came out to see us at LeakyCon Portland! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Goblet of Fire, Chapter 31: Flesh, Blood and Bone and Chapter 32: The Death Eaters 7-Word Summary #1: Cedric falls to his untimely, sad demise Main Discussion #1: The Death of Cedric Diggory

On this week’s episode, Micah, Eric and Laura soar into Westeros to discuss the hype around HBO’s hit series House of the Dragon. Taking place 100 years after the unification of the Seven Kingdoms but nearly 200 years before Game of Thrones, does House of the Dragon have what it takes to live up to its predecessor? Are dragons alone enough of a sell? On this primer episode, the hosts discuss their relationship to the original series, what drew them back in and share the storylines and characters they believe will make House of the Dragon a roaring success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey, has anyone seen a ghost?! Just over 40 years since its theatrical debut, the firmly adult comedy ‘Ghostbusters’ (1984) that spawned 2 animated television series and 4 film sequels has stood the test of time. Just what is it about this working-class underdog story set in grubby New York City (back when the city still had, Micah says, “some big problems”), why was it the second-highest grossing film of 1984 (launching on the same day as ‘Gremlins’), and is it even relevant today? In this episode of What the Hype?! Micah and Eric are joined by Ivan Guerrero, Ghostbusters (and LEGO) super fan! This is the first part of a multi-part series which will explore the cultural legacy of Ghostbusters and unpack all that it has to offer. So join us for this so-called Slimer primer and get ready to bust some ghosts! (Because, of course, bustin’ makes us feel good!) Check out Ivan’s vintage movie trailer for ‘The Ghost Busters’ (1954)! https://youtu.be/kAboGO9MDsQ?si=yZhXSe5pxqz3Gm-2 Ivan can be found on YouTube at @Wh

Get ready for an A-MAZE-ING episode as we take on the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament! Join Andrew, Eric, Laura and Micah as they discuss Chapter 31 of Goblet of Fire, "The Third Task." Reminder: This year's physical gift for Slug Club patrons is here...  The MuggleCast 19 Years Later t-shirt (Shirt Model 1, Shirt Model 2)! If you aren’t a Patron, now’s a great time to join! Pledge today at the Slug Club level and fill out the form by July 19 to be eligible. Note: you will only receive your shirt after you’ve been a Patron at this level for a minimum of three months. In addition, you'll get other great benefits such as twice-monthly Bonus MuggleCast, the chance to co-host the show, a video message from one of the four of us and much more! Visit Patreon.com/MuggleCast today! News: the Harry Potter TV show has found its showrunner and director Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Goblet of Fire, Chapter 30: The Pensieve 7-Word Summary: Riddles guard the misleading way to victory Main Discussion #1: Fami

‘Heartstopper’ is a queer, British coming-of-age romantic dramedy series based on Alice Oseman’s webcomic and graphic novel of the same name. The story was loyally adapted by Netflix and became an instant hit thanks to its feel-good and unique LGBTQ storytelling. In this episode of What the Hype?!, Pam, Andrew, and Eric are joined by Andrew's boyfriend and Heartstopper superfan Pat to celebrate Pride Month and share why the novels and show are worth watching! What makes it unique compared to other queer shows and movies, and what are its contributions to the LGBTQ+ community? Plus, we discuss some ridiculous drama in the fandom and share what we hope to see for future novels and seasons. Make sure you're following us in your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode! Visit WhatTheHypePodcast.com for more, and check out full video episodes on YouTube! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're diving headfirst into Dumbledore’s memories that he definitely didn’t leave accessible on purpose. So get ready to stand trial with Andrew, Micah, Laura and Morgan as we try to piece it all together before The Third Task begins! Reminder: This year's physical gift for Slug Club patrons is here... The MuggleCast 19 Years Later t-shirt (Shirt Model 1, Shirt Model 2)! If you aren’t a Patron, now’s a great time to join! Pledge today at the Slug Club level and fill out the form by July 19 to be eligible. Note: you will only receive your shirt after you’ve been a Patron at this level for a minimum of three months. In addition, you'll get other great benefits such as twice-monthly Bonus MuggleCast, the chance to co-host the show, a video message from one of the four of us and much more! Visit Patreon.com/MuggleCast today! Welcome, Slug Club guest Morgan of That Nerd Thing podcast! News: Dan Radcliffe wins his first Tony Award Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Goblet of Fire, Chapter 30: The Pens

Part two of our ‘Bridgerton’ series finds Pam, Laura, Micah, and special guest, Morgan (That Nerd Thing Podcast) taking a deep dive into ‘Bridgerton’ season 3. This time around, we aren’t holding back— spoilers for all season of ‘Bridgerton’ are fair game and run rampant! So consider this your official warning, dearest gentle listeners! We kick things off by checking in with Laura and Micah to see if they feel compelled to update their fan status from the last time we recorded. ‘Bridgerton’ season 3 marks the first time in the series’ history that Netflix has felt compelled to split the season into two parts. Did this work well for them? Did it play well for us? How about all those subplots? Were we intrigued or fatigued by how much they packed into this season? And more importantly, did it come at the expense of Polin? Speaking of Colin and Penelope, do we feel satisfied with the way their story played out or were we left wanting more? The topic of redemption as an overarching theme comes up in relation

This week, get ready to be undoubtedly stimulated by the extraordinary clairvoyant vibrations of Andrew, Eric, Micah and Laura as your hosts deal with being grounded by not one, but two adults, processing wild dreams and battling Voldemort-inducing headaches! This year's physical gift for Slug Club patrons is here... The MuggleCast 19 Years Later t-shirt (Shirt Model 1, Shirt Model 2)! If you aren’t a Patron, now’s a great time to join! Pledge today at the Slug Club level and fill out the form by July 19 to be eligible. Note: you will only receive your shirt after you’ve been a Patron at this level for a minimum of three months. In addition, you'll get other great benefits such as twice-monthly Bonus MuggleCast, the chance to co-host the show, a video message from one of the four of us and much more! Visit Patreon.com/MugglecCast today! Welcome, Slug Club guest Feryal! News: Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown fancies himself a Harry Potter fan Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Goblet of Fire, Chapter 29: T

What's the Hype about Audiobook listening? This week we have the full panel on board to discuss the pro's and con's of listening to audiobooks, and we compare it to reading a normal book. Some on the panel are a little rude when it comes to the idea of listening to an audiobook versus traditional reading, but we try to convince them otherwise. Elsewhere, we share the state of audiobook listenership (It's growing!). Later, we try our hand at narrating an audiobook and share the best ways to listening to audiobooks for free or cheap! Make sure you're following us in your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode! Visit WhatTheHypePodcast.com for more. Follow us now in your favorite podcast app so that you never miss an episode, and check out full video episodes on YouTube! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's that in the bushes? It's another introduction into the horrors of true crime as we follow Harry and Viktor Krum into the woods of the Forbidden Forest! Joining us for this episode are Nicole and Lexi of Fantasy Fangirls podcast! With plenty of laughs and deep coverage of another massive chapter of Book 4, listen now as we discuss "The Madness of Mr. Crouch!" Welcome back Nicole and Lexi of the Fantasy Fangirls podcast! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Goblet of Fire, Chapter 28: The Madness of Mr. Crouch 7-Word Summary: Harry finds Crouch disturbed inside the forest Main Discussion #1: Drinky has a winking problem Down in the kitchens, Harry and Hermione uncover more clues at the expense of making every situation worse. Laura has calculated Winky's BAC, and it's not good. Is Crouch Sr. careless to not have taken Winky back, and does he rely on House-Elf magic to feel confident that she'll keep his secrets, which she does? Main Discussion #2: a wild Mr. Crouch appears! Down on the pitch, we le

Welcome to a brand new podcast from the creators of MuggleCast and #Millennial, called What the Hype?! What The Hype?! is the class you always wanted, but were never offered in school! Each week, a panel of pop culture junkies educate each other on today’s biggest books, shows, movies, and more. No matter your experience, there’s something for everyone. Total Noob? We'll educate you on why the fandom took off and what makes someone a true fan! Already an expert? We’ll just see about that! Our subsequent episodes will take you on a deep dive and really test your stan-hood! And, if you’re somewhere in the middle, teetering on the edge of fandom, we’ll show you What The Hype is all about! What The Hype?! is from the creators of MuggleCast (the original Harry Potter podcast diving deep into the books, movies, and Wizarding World fandom) and #Millennial (featuring pretend adulting and real talk about the Gen Y lifestyle). Follow us now in your favorite podcast app so that you never miss an episode, and check out f

From the creators of MuggleCast is a brand new podcast: What the Hype?! For more information, see the episode titled 'What's the Hype about What the Hype?!' --- Bridgerton is a television show based on the bestselling book series by Julia Quinn. Its first season premiered on Netflix in December 2020, and is produced by Shonda Rhimes’ production banner, Shondaland. In this episode of What the Hype?!, Pam, Micah, and Laura are joined by special guest Natasha Polis of the podcast Those Forking Fangirls to discuss this book-to-TV adaptation! We discuss who the show is for, why it's so damn good, the show's diversity, and much more! Don't forget to follow us in your favorite podcast app, leave us a review, and tell a friend about the show! We're also releasing full video episodes on YouTube! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the creators of MuggleCast is a brand new podcast: What the Hype?! For more information, see the episode titled 'What's the Hype about What the Hype?!' --- With so much going on in our day to day lives, how do we manage to stay on top of the fandoms, shows, movies, and books we love? Andrew, Laura, and Eric take out some time to discuss strategies, and how to tell our friends NO when they suggest a new show. Plus: Would we ever miss an important personal event to catch big pop culture moments like a TV series finale airing live? These topics and more are discussed in this episode of What the Hype?! Don't forget to follow us in your favorite podcast app, leave us a review, and tell a friend about the show! We're also releasing full video episodes on YouTube! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the creators of MuggleCast is a brand new podcast: What the Hype?! For more information, see the episode titled 'What's the Hype about What the Hype?!' --- Amazon's comic-to-TV adaptation 'The Boys' is anything but your typical Marvel or DC tale -- It's gritty, gross, funny, heartwarming, AND outrageous! In this episode of What the Hype?!, Laura, Andrew, Eric, and Pam discuss why the show is so popular, who the show is for, what you should know before going into watching, and more! Damn, Vought SUCKS. Don't forget to follow us in your favorite podcast app, leave us a review, and tell a friend about the show! We're also releasing full video episodes on YouTube! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, TAKE NOTE! No, we mean it, TAKE NOTES! Because everything you need to know about the plot of Goblet of Fire is revealed as Padfoot Returns! Eric has an announcement to kick off this Pride Month! Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Goblet of Fire, Chapter 27: Padfoot Returns 7-Word Summary: Crouch is not innocent of any crimes Main Discussion #1: Second Task Hangover Does Snape behave any differently from a teacher catching students talking or passing a note in class? Snape calls Harry a “nasty little boy”... do we think he’s projecting here? Boomslang Skin & Gillyweed: Snape’s stores have been broken into, but what evidence does Snape have that it was Harry? Did Harry effectively use Occlumency without even realizing it? Should Harry have challenged Snape to give him Veritaserum? What's up with Karkaroff's arm? Main Discussion #2: Cave Crouching Why is Sirius the only real parental figure that shows up for Harry? Oh, Peter! Sirius is eating rats? Do we think that’s a coincidence? Sirius

We are off this week due to the Memorial Day holiday in the United States, but we are releasing a recent Bonus MuggleCast installment to give you a taste of the great benefits available at Patreon.com/mugglecast! Please join us there to receive two Bonus MC episodes every month and so much more! We couldn't do this show without support from Muggles like you, so thank you! A new article from the Wall Street Journal has been published which offers a rare insight into the relationship between Warner Bros Pictures and Potter author, J.K. Rowling, describing how WB's current C.E.O. David Zaslav has worked to secure a profitable future for the HP property under unusually restrictive guidelines set up long ago. Your MuggleCast hosts read from excerpts of the article and offer their thoughts on some of the many revelations, including what may be changes made to upcoming video game titles. Thanks, as always, to our Patrons and those subscribed to us on Apple for their support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

Grab your House-themed pennants and something to do for an hour, because today we’re heading down to the Black Lake and celebrating a Triwizard Task that nobody above ground can see or appreciate! Join Eric, Laura, Micah and special guest Chloé as they discuss Chapter 26 of Goblet of Fire, “The Second Task.” Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Goblet of Fire, Chapter 26: The Second Task 7-Word Summary: The merpeople mock Harry incessantly under water Main Discussion #1: Leading up to the task Hagrid’s back teaching. Do we miss Professor Grubbly-Plank? Could Harry be reaching out to Lupin or other folks for help? Have we ever overslept on the day of an exam and had to wing it? Main Discussion #2: The Task and Immediate Aftermath Why are the other headmasters so visibly annoyed at Harry? Could they tone it down a bit? What does the Second Task look like, for the audience and spectators? Even Dumbledore has to ask the merpeople what happened at the end of it. Micah’s Hot Take: Hermione is not meaningful