Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

At the request of Miriam, we're re-starting Book Club! Our first pick is Sarah Dessen's Just Listen (2006), which concerns rape and eating disorders (C/W). In order to proceed, we need your thoughts! Send us an email response at hkhspod@gmail.com before June 20th! 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: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe tackle the buzzy four episode Netflix limited series Adolescence (2025).Created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham (with all episodes directed by Philip Barantini), the show has drawn raves for its single long take format and outstanding acting.But what's missing from the discussion? Does it earn the acclaim? And what should a potential S02 look like? Let's discuss! 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: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe have a quick conversation about Miriam's email regarding the stark realities of Olympic winners, with a quick comparison to lottery winners. 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: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe return to inspirational sports movies with The Fire Inside (2024), but this is secretly two movies in one! The first is the story of Clarissa "T-Rex" Shields fighting for boxing gold at the Olympics; the second is what happens upon her return to Flint, Michigan.Anchored by two stellar performances from Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry, we prefer the second, more interesting movie and speculate the stronger film that could have been if writer Barry Jenkins and director Rachel Morrison had just avoided the familiar, trope-y underdog part altogether.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back with a fresh Mailbag courtesy of Sophie and Tea, Books and Chocolate. First up: a question about the popularity of comic adaptations of books such as <gulp> the After series?! Then, a response about the recent Quiet on Set episode which further complicates the issue of kids working in entertainment.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: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thanks to a prompt from listener Victoria, we're checking out Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV (2024), the five part docuseries exposing harmful working conditions on Nickelodeon shows in the early 2000s.It's grim to say the least, not just for survivors like Drake Bell, but broadly speaking all of media that employs children. Should we even be watching this kind of content? Cue the existential crisis!Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're checking out director Sydney Freeland's Indigenous basketball movie, Rez Ball (2024). C/W: suicide (off-screen)Co-written by Reservation Dogs' Sterlin Harjo, this underdog feel-good sports film does exactly what you expect and not much else (Prompting another round of "it's fine, why does it need to be more?"). Still, at nearly 2 hours, Joe wishes there was stronger character work and Brenna is frustrated by the mother character's incomplete arc.Plus: Navajo language, beautiful New Mexico scenery, and colourful Pitch Perfect-esque commentary!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: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe return with their first book to film adaptation episode with a discussion of Scott Westerfeld's 2005 dystopian novel Uglies and the long delayed 2024 film adaptation by McG.This is...a miss. The book has extremely shallow commentary and has editing issues, while the film has (yes) ugly CGI hoverboard action and an unconvincing love interest. And then there's Laverne Cox as a villain who forces children to undergo surgery, which is just unfortunate considering the current political transphobic moment. Yikes! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe are joined by Conrad Chambers, Joe's co-host from The Queer Gaze podcast, to discuss 2023 UK gay coming of age film Bonus Track.It's a little bit slight, albeit full of charming performances and nicely fills the gap left by Heartstopper and Sex Education.Plus: nepo babies, a Josh O'Connor cameo, and confusion about the period setting.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)> Conrad: @thequeergazeHave a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe are back for another mailbag, with recommendations from Tea, Books and Chocolate, gentle criticism about Heartstopper S03 and a call to action from Miriam, and request for coverage about child actor exploitation on set from Victoria.Want to recommend a book or participate in a new iteration of Banned Book Club? Contribute your suggestions in this open Google Doc: https://tinyurl.com/mryhx96a!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: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe return to discuss My Old Ass (2024), our second Megan Park text (after The Fallout).Don't let the title put you off! This is an extremely sweet and charming coming of age film, although as listener Spencer wondered: is this more for millennials than actual teens?We tackle the question, as well as the hilarious reverse "coming out" scene, which parts made us cry, and why we hope Park continues to surround herself with female talent to tell more stories about girlhood.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe continue their tradition of covering Heartstopper with a look at S03.We discuss how creator Alice Oseman tackles Charlie's eating disorder and treatment, the absence of Olivia Colman, and look ahead to the fourth (and final) season.Plus: concerns about Darcy and Tara's subplot, wanting Nick's growth to continue, how the season adapts a multiplicity of texts, and, oh yeah, A LOT of crying.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: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe return to tackle two emails from the Mailbag:1) Tea, Books & Chocolate wrote about a prolific series called Redwall by Brian Jacques, which spun into a conversation about romance novel Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday and full cast audiobooks.2) Maddy wrote in about queer sex - specifically in Heartstopper, but also a recommendation for Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min. This resulted in Brenna and Joe getting on our soapbox about why dominant majority book readers need to butt out or get uncomfortable, and also why we all need to support the library. 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: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe kick off HKHS Pod S07 with a few updates, including a revised schedule and an altered format for the time being. Let's just say we were a touch ambitious!Plus: details on Brenna's mat leave, the adjustment to having two kids, and why we need more Mailbag items!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: Letra “Like A Bird”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe are back for a special holiday bonus episode on Cynthia Hand's The Afterlife of Holly Chase (2017).The novel is very enjoyable, imminently readable, and surprising - which is nice considering it could have just been a simple Scrooge tale.Plus: colourful supporting characters, a great romance that's not the point, and why hasn't this been turned into a movie?!Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch out for falling hammers because Brenna and Joe are back next Tuesday for a special holiday episode on Cynthia Hand's utterly delightful Scrooge tale, The Afterlife of Holly Chase (2017). Get reading!Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe conclude our special Halloween coverage with episodes 5-8 of S01 of Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events, which adapts books 3 & 4.With a caveat that we were burnt out by Snicket's texts by this point, we still find things to like, including Woodard's wordplay, Harris' utterly unconvincing drag and the surprise queerness of Rhys Darby in 'The Miserable Mill.'Plus: More Catherine O'Hara, less Poe (please!), and the tease of the parental mystery. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe are back to untangle the first four episodes of Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events. We compare Neil Patrick Harris with Jim Carrey, how The Reptile Room works better on the TV show, and why Aasif Mandvi is such a delightful Montgomery Montgomery.Plus: a few gripes about the length of episodes and Brenna's least favourite child actor! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe return for the first of three special Halloween episodes, all focused on Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket)'s popular Middle Grade books A Series of Unfortunate Events.First up: books 1-3, as well as Brad Siberling's 2004 movie, starring Jim Carrey, who we're mixed on, as well as the film's pacing/ending. Thankfully the costumes, make-up and art direction are outstanding! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our S06 finale, Brenna and Joe bring back guest Jenny Leigh to tackle the third entry in Stephenie Meyer's The Twilight Saga series, Eclipse (2007), as well director David Slade's 2010 film adaptation.Guess what? Something actually happens in this book (!), though the love triangle between Bella, Edward and Jacob remains as frustrating as ever. Meanwhile, on the film side, Slade feels weirdly disconnected to the material.Plus: hilarious BTS pictures, rants about misusing Wuthering Heights, Mormon influences, and Brenna's first taste of imprinting!Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)> Jenny: @jennyleighx33Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.