Shows
The H&H PodcastThe Conscientious Objector to Therapy CultureChris Nicholson joins me to talk about Breaking Bad, Seasons 1 and 2, which we both recently rewatched for the first time in over a decade.The entire experience helped demonstrate to us the fallibility of memory. It’s not like this was a forgettable series. Breaking Bad was among the most memorable shows that either of us had ever seen. Yet after a decade, while we remembered major developments like certain death scenes and the ultimate fates of the main characters, many strings that tie together various aspects of the plot had been lost to both of us....2023-10-031h 46
The H&H PodcastThe Triumph of the Girlboss?Rob joins me to talk about Succession, through the penultimate episode of the series.There are spoilers below, and throughout our conversation.We discuss Ross Douthat’s recent piece on the series, and where I agree and disagree with him. We almost have inverse views on the lessons of the show, where Douthat says public opinion has been written out of it, while I think that the trend has been for mass sentiment and larger forces to intrude more on the personal struggles of the Roy family. Perhaps the point is that elites are in co...2023-05-231h 12
The H&H PodcastSam Bankman-Fried, Racial Politics, and Dirty CopsThis Christmas Eve, I’m giving my readers the gift of a very special podcast. Marc Andreessen and Rob Henderson join me to talk about The Shield, which ran on FX from 2002 to 2008. We debate whether we are supposed to root for the Strike Team or not, with Rob saying no, and Marc and me strongly disagreeing. Building on our discussions on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Marc gives his Nietzschean interpretation of the show. To me, this was the most right-wing show I’ve ever seen. The lesson is basically that white cops who...2022-12-241h 35
The H&H PodcastHow Does the War in Ukraine End?Chris Nicholson is back on to talk about the war in Ukraine, this time with a specific focus on how the conflict might end. See here for the transcript and the video where Chris takes us through a map of Eastern Ukraine. We start by discussing the Ukrainian capture of Kherson, and Chris puts forth the theory that Russia pulled back from the city in order to focus on the capture of the entirety of Donetsk province.We go through different scenarios of how the war might move towards its end, whether through a Ukrainian victory or...2022-11-161h 24
The H&H PodcastThe Impact of Winter, and Iranian Drones and MissilesChris Nicholson joins me again to talk about the war in Ukraine. Looking at a map of the situation (video of our conversation here), we discuss what is happening around Kharkiv, Kherson, and the Donbas. The Russians are in the process of evacuating Kherson, and the question appears to be what the withdrawal will look like rather than if it will happen. Away from the front, Iranian drones are apparently having a massive impact on Ukrainian infrastructure. Chris has changed his mind on this topic – while he first assumed that Russia could not effectively target Ukrainian infrastructure indefinitely, he no...2022-10-251h 37
The H&H PodcastCould China Conquer Taiwan?Chris Nicholson joins me to discuss the military and political situation surrounding Taiwan. We talk about the two ways China can try to take control of the island: a direct invasion or blockade. Chris believes that a direct invasion would be too costly. However, China does seem to have the potential to cut Taiwan off from the rest of the world with its navy. Furthermore, its collection of intermediate-range ballistic missiles gives it the ability to inflict serious harm on the American navy, should the US choose to get involved. US submarines remain a large advantage, but everything else...2022-10-191h 53
The H&H PodcastHIMARS as Miracle WeaponsWar is complicated. At the beginning of the Ukraine conflict, I listened to a lot of people who I thought made very plausible arguments that Russia had an overwhelming advantage and would ultimately prevail. At this point, it seems to me that one has to be pretty disconnected from reality to still be bullish on Russia. But I’ve been wrong before, so who knows?No longer confident in my own ability to forecast military events, I’ve figured that the best I can do is listen to those who have been right up to this point. You...2022-10-041h 41
The H&H PodcastRedemption...or Not? Marc Andreessen and Chris Nicholson on Better Call SaulMarc Andreessen and Chis Nicholson join me to discuss the final episode of Better Call Saul and reflect on the Breaking Bad universe.In the course of our conversation, it becomes apparent that I had a unique and much darker take on the final episode than apparently anyone else who watched it. Marc and Chris wear me down a little bit, but I still want to believe in my theory. Looks like they were right though.We reflect on what made Walter White special. Marc mentions how the show takes him being a scientist extremely...2022-08-171h 31
The H&H PodcastBetter Call Saul: S6E12, WaterworksI talk to Chris Nicholson about the second-to-last episode of Better Call Saul. Much of our conversation centers around the way the show portrays “normies.” Chris thinks that the vision presented is most likely a negative one, while I argue that the show has a rare conservative realism that recognizes actual distinctions between individuals and groups. This involves a discussion regarding how criminals and upper class professionals are portrayed by way of contrast. Chris is happy that Better Call Saul still manages to pleasantly surprise us, as he sees a shift from its generally pessimistic outlook of human nature towa...2022-08-101h 30
The H&H PodcastBetter Call Saul: S6E11, Breaking BadI talk to Chris Nicholson about Better Call Saul: S6E11, Breaking Bad. We discuss the role of nostalgia in art, and I bring up a recent Freddie deBoer essay on the topic. While in the past we disagreed on where Saul was going, this week we find ourselves mostly in agreement on this question but differing in our judgments of the artistic merits of what the producers are doing. Unfortunately, there is no video this week, but you can still listen on YouTube. For previous conversations on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, see2022-08-051h 01
The H&H PodcastBetter Call Saul: S6E10, NippyI discuss Better Call Saul: S6E10, Nippy, with Chris Nicholson. We remain almost as puzzled as we were last week about where the series is going, and lay out three possible paths for the final three episodes: tying up loose ends, a brand new story arch, or artsy experimentation. For previous conversations on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, seeThe Breaking Bad UniverseBetter Call Saul: S6E7, Plan and ExecutionBetter Call Saul: S6E8, Point and ShootBetter Call Saul: S6E9, Fun and Games2022-07-2755 min
The H&H PodcastBetter Call Saul: S6E9, Fun and GamesChris Nicholson joins me to discuss the latest episode of Better Call Saul, Fun and Games. Where do the last four episodes go, given the limited number of loose ends that remain? We discuss the ways in which the Breaking Bad universe does a good job of showing “men being really into stuff,” and how we got the homosexual version of that here. Chris and I are on the same page in being confounded regarding where the show plans to go in the final few episodes, which is where we want to be as viewers. For previous disc...2022-07-201h 10
The H&H PodcastBetter Call Saul: S6E8, Point and ShootChris Nicholson joins me to talk about Better Call Saul, Season 6: Episode 8, which is called Point and Shoot. We speculate on where the series will go in the last five episodes and discuss whether we would like to see yet another spinoff. Listen or watch the video here. As always, please leave any comments you have on the Substack page, not YouTube. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.richardhanania.com/subscribe2022-07-121h 11
The H&H PodcastBetter Call Saul: S6E7, Plan and ExecutionRichard Hanania and Chris Nicholson discuss Better Call Saul, Season 6: Episode 7. They talk about the underlying philosophy of the show, that of its main protagonists, and its outlook on human nature. Near the end, Richard and Chris speculate on how the show will end. For their previous discussion about the Breaking Bad universe, see here. For the video of this discussion, and where you can leave comments, click here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.richardhanania.com/subscribe2022-05-251h 07
HananiaBetter Call Saul, S6E5Chris Nicholson joins to talk about latest episode
Download the Callin app for iOS and Android to listen to this podcast live, call in, and more! Also available at callin.com2022-05-121h 01
The H&H PodcastThe Breaking Bad UniverseChris Nicholson joins Richard Hanania for a new weekly series discussing Better Call Saul. In their first episode, they talk about big ideas in the Breaking Bad universe. Richard argues that one of the main messages of the shows is that there is a weak correlation between likability and morality in individuals, something it is very easy to fool ourselves about. Can people’s personalities and moral outlook change? What is it that separates the characters who are completely irredeemable from those that are more nuanced? Are there different types of “good” characters, and what is the relationship between rule f...2022-05-051h 34