Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

Brenna and Joe dig into Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic 1935 tale of life on the frontier, Little House on the Prairie and discover...racism?Without nostalgia for the text, this is an incredibly confronting text, which dehumanizes its Indigenous "characters" are every junction while promoting the kind of Libertarian values that we despise.Plus: confusing Mary and Laura; why Christmas is the best chapter; and our hopes for the 2026 Netflix series.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe tackle the six episode limited series adaptation of I'm Not Scared, here called I'm Not Afraid (2026).Directed entirely by Alba Gil and shot/set in Mexico, this version is a little different. The kids are still important, but the adults have taken center stage. Plus: our fave episode; who the series "blames"; a different kind of socioeconomic despair; and why the ending doesn't fully satisfy.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe head to Italy for the first time with a discussion of celebrated author Niccolò Ammaniti's I'm Not Scared (2001).We talk about financial hardships, the end of middle grade innocence, more TERRIBLE parents, and the political and social turmoil during Italy's the Years of Lead.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe continue scary season with a look at queer Australian film Leviticus (2026) from Adrian Chiarella.Religious oppression, conversion therapy, doomed love, and TERRIBLE parents are all on the docket.Plus: our thoughts on the ending.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first week of Scary Season 2026, Brenna and Joe venture to Quebec to discuss Ariane Louis-Seize's YA vampire coming of age rom-com Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (2023) which is the best title we've ever seen.The film is utterly delightful, anchored by two revelatory lead performances (we're particularly smitten with Félix-Antoine Bénard's Paul) and features a fresh take on vampires.Plus: a loft to die for; vibrant supporting characters; and one stunning musical moment.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe respond to mail from listeners Jorge - who makes a pitch for Skins Series 4 & 5 - and Eliza - an(other) actual teenage listener!Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe return to rom com territory with Finding Emily (2026).Starring podcasts regulars Angourie Rice and Minnie Driver, the film is your typical "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy meets another girl trying to find the first girl."And yet...by virtue of great casting, an awareness of the subgenre's tropes, and a predominantly female focus, this is an utter delight!Plus: more fun credits!Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thanks to listener Chloe, Brenna and Joe check out George Jacques' Sunny Dancer (2026) which stars Bella Ramsey and Neil Patrick Harris.The cast is great, though the film relies a little too heavily on montage and familiar (cancer kid) tropes. Then comes the disastrous ending that torpedos all of the movie's goodwill. Can we forgive the unearned emotional manipulation?Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listener Foxy writes in to describe their experience with Skins series and make a possible recommendation about coverage if Brenna and Joe decide to take another stab at the series.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe circle back on Hayley Kiyoko's Girls Like Girls to check out the 2026 film.We're disappointed. Great chemistry between the two leads and music video visual aesthetic don't make up for even less character development than the book!Plus: Zach Braff; losing backstories; and pondering the changes in the queer female media landscape over the last ~10 yearsWanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following our episode on The Song of the Lioness, we immediately heard from 'Tea, Books & Chocolate' as well as Emma who wrote in to reassure us about the subversive nature of the rest of the quartet, new love interests, and how the series intersects with queerness in unexpected ways.Plus: an apology from Joe and a reassurance that we will continue with plans to read Book 3!Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe catch up on Prime's Legally Blonde prequel with season one of Elle.Starring a perfectly cast Lexi Minetree, we have a lot of pros and cons with the series. The model is not binge-friendly and the relationships are inconsistent across episodes. Plus: Tom Everett Scott as Elle's dad; needle drops; a final James Van Der Beek performance; and disagreement about the love triangleWanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Skins series three ends by sidelining most of its characters in order to focus on the Effy, Freddie, and Cook love triangle and WE DON'T CARE!Plus: Cook's extremely predictable father; a granny race; the grimness of the finale; and we finally figure out what's missing from/wrong with this season.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe return to discuss 1984's In the Hand of the Goddess, book two of Tamora Pierce's The Song of the Lioness.This is an interesting one because the book is much more YA than MA (Alanna is having sex!) and also jumps around in time.Plus: wrapping up Duke Roger; a plot detail stolen by Veronica Roth for Divergent; and our fears about where the quadrilogy may goWanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the penultimate episode of Skins series three and Brenna and Joe are getting real mad at Katie. If you were hoping to feel some kind of sympathy for the injured twin, look elsewhere because as everyone prepares for prom, Katie proves she's absolutely terrible to Emily.Plus: absent Effy & Cook, happy endings (?) for Pandora & Thomas and Emily and Naomi, and where we think the finale will go.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution"  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's another Brenna pick as we continue to explore the shorts-> feature pipeline with 2020's Theater Camp and its 2023 feature adaptation.Created by husband pair Noah Galvin and Ben Platt, as well as Molly Gordon and director Nick Lieberman, these improv heavy texts are perfect for folks who know theater...and find it a little ridiculous.Plus: Joe's appreciation of the film's expanded runtime; our favourite jokes; and a discussion of "actor" archetypes. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for a party in the woods and Brenna and Joe are becoming increasingly worried about Effy.Obviously the rock fight at episode's end will have some big ramifications, but the looming mental health crisis of pairing Effy and Cook has us terrified for the young girl.Plus: rural horror vibes; Brenna's burgeoning interest in Katie; and predictions for the penultimate episode.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the heels of the 1994 short, Brenna and Joe check out Trevor: The Musical, the Off Broadway adaptation that is a full blown musical! Written by Dan Collins and directed by Robin Abrams, the nearly two hour version of the story unfortunately doesn't add content so much as stretch it out. Still, there's some good to be found here, including the Diana Ross performance, and the staging. But what about that changed (C/W) suicide attempt?!Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe finally reach the JJ episode of Skins series 3 and...we're divided.On one hand, the show finally gives JJ a diagnosis and allows him agency, but we find Skins' handling of mental health treatment so grim and one-sided.Plus: different readings on JJ's mom; disappointment about the handling of Emily; a completely different episode soundtrack; and JJ as a truth teller.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna has programmed us an Oscar-winning short Trevor (1994) that also led to the creation of The Trevor Project. Directed by Peggy Rajski and written by Celeste Lecesne, the ~18 minute short is clever and slightly surreal, though C/W for suicide attempt.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Rewind Kid "Rhythm Revolution" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.