Episode Details

Imagine a mind virus has taken over people you love. You have fought the good fight. Now you’re tired and feel like retreating. You and some old friends are desperate for a solution. Then one captain says he has a surprise. You open vast hangar bay doors to discover … a wonderful fantasy franchise, lovingly restored, with everything back as it should be, yet better. But how? “Well,” says the restorationist, “you can thank the good ol’ common grace of our Creator for that. Also, I’m a lot like you—a huge fan of the original.” Yes, many franchises are failing. So let’s celebrate a few that seek restoration!

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Episode sponsors

1. Enclave Publishing: Radiant by Ashley Bustamante
2. The Wizard’s Stone by Herman P. Hunter
3. The Pop Culture Parent

Concession stand

• Especially when exploring Picard, we’ll try to avoid spoilers .
• Optimism about present/future restoration is still limited by reality.
• Most franchises are restricted by bad stories, so a good one stands out.
• This episode is a more positive sequel to two previous episodes:
• 144. Which Top Six Fantasy Franchises Gave Fans Grief in 2022?
• 153. When Can Deconstructionism Threaten Christian Fiction? | with Michael Young aka ‘Wokal Distance

1. First the bad news: many franchises are still failing

• Star Wars. Fans are really feeling the Meh-dolorian (cf. Pitch Meeting).
• DC. Excitement about Gunn’s reboot seems artificial/shallow/trend-based.
• Marvel. There was a new movie this weekend. Its numbers are lackluster.
• Disney. Still failing. Did anyone see that Peter Pan remake? Lowery, why?
• LOTR: Again, we’re still reeling about the thud that was TROP season 1.
• Harry Potter: On the ropes, despite talk of a streaming series remake.
• Doctor Who. Tennant’s back but it’s kinda bait. Showrunner goes Sexualityist.
• Oh, then there’s the writers’ strike, which could set back all the things!

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