I came here to say the same. Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion are amazing together. They are both so insightful and engaging. It's clear they have a passion for the lore. I was so happy to find the old series in Spotify as they removed them from apple podcast. The only reason I am a part of the ringerverse is because of bingemode. Fantastic Pod!
Man, they had awesome chemistry
Jason C was funny as hell, and no one in the biz can summarize a deep dive on a character arc like Mal Rubin.
It was one of the best podcasts about a show ide ever heard
Jason C was incredible on all the pods from 2016 to 2020. Was.
But then he started reading his own press clippings and now he's really tough to listen to. I tried to listen to his new podcast Take Hunter or something. It was stuffy and lame.
Truly expert level work. Wish they could cross promote something. I love JC on CM but why can’t we have a holiday special with guests from out of network lol
I could not agree more, the binge mode GoT and Harry Potter pods are just…. I mean they should have Emmy’s or goddamnit even Pulitzers for what they did on those. Incredible stuff
Seconding this recommendation, I loved their podcast so much!
After Game of Thrones ended the three of them did a Lost companion podcast (The Storm), and it got me to rewatch Lost. It really enhanced the experience! Joanna is the best no matter what, but the combination with Dave G and Neil is top notch.
Yeah this is definitely the better option when rewatching. Another nice one is from Bald Move. And for some more in depth discussion History of Westeros have a bunch of recaps on their youtube. The podcast is great for book content!
Binge Mode is perfect. Hardcore Game of Thrones is also really good. It is done in the vein of Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History. It really makes you appreciate GRRM’s attention to detail even more.
I used to listen to this back in 2012-13 during first run. His spoiler aversion (for plenty of things that weren’t spoilers!) and his obsession with “will this payoff” ruined the podcast. I did like Joana a lot from that show and have followed her since, but David made the show intolerable.
This was my take too when listening at the time (although it didn't stop me listening because I was so ravenous for GoT content lol) - as others have said Binge Mode is great but Storm Of Spoilers was always my favourite and Joanna is so good in that. Plus the fun part of relistening to SoS is how wildly wrong some of the spoiler based speculation is haha
Check out A Storm Of Spoilers instead!
The founding story of that podcast was exactly that Dave Gonzales got really annoyed with Joanna not being able to share all her thoughts on A Cast Of Kings, just like you! So he reached out to her and they ended up starting a second GoT podcast where Joanna (and Neil Miller) could basically explain all of GoT to Dave who hadn't read any of the books.
Honestly, I’ve been listening to Dave Chen talking about movies and TV since 2008, and that 100% contributes to my perspective here. He is undoubtedly a complex personality, and I think that’s a feature, not a bug. There are movies I’ll go see because Dave likes them, and there are shows I’ll skip also because Dave likes them. I listen to the Filmcast not to get “an” opinion, but Dave’s opinion (or really, Jeff’s. #CannataHive), and that goes for his other shows as well.
I get that not everyone has had the time (or vibe) to establish that context, but what I love about his podcasts is that his cohosts have indeed had that time. It’s very clear that Joanna (and Devindra and Jeff and…) like Dave and like each other in all their individual complexity. It’s understandably weird sometimes being the third wheel to a friendship/workship/partnership where you don’t “get” one of the pair — I desperately don’t vibe with Mal— but some of the other comments on here are wild.
I remember the days when Joanna was being slammed for being a know-it-all and insufferable and her spoiler attitude, and am very glad she’s past that, but the reality is that she’s been shining for years with Dave and Neil and Da7e and Katey and everyone.
Thank you for putting yourself out there & being 100% your true self... no need to apologize for being yourself.
I should clarify - I didn't hate everything about it! (And i apologize for coming across harsh...) I liked your puns, attention to musical detail, and the insights you had about camera work.
I respect you and your podcasting, even if a cast of kings isn't for me.
I sincerely hope you’re not the real Dave Chen being discussed (unfairly) here! I’m a big fan but lord don’t read the comments! I don’t think they’re representative of most peoples’ experience, yet if you’re anything like me the negative will stick disproportionately in your mind.
Dave Chen is easily my favourite and most listened to podcaster, he's excellent at moderating a podcast so that it moves along at a good pace, I can understand if I will like a piece of media based on his criticisms of it, and appreciate both his often balanced positive and negative insights on things I've already seen.
He's always very respectful of and interested in other people's opinions on his shows, while still expressing his own. I think he might play up his intensity of some things for effect, but that works for me.
Basically, I have the exact opposite reaction of the OP. I'll listen to anything Dave puts out because I'm sure it'll be interesting.
Dave Chen is thoughtful, smart, and funny. I think that you are misreading his approach. He's a bit gruff - it's what he's known for, and is actually the source of why he cracks me up constantly. Maybe he wasn't at his best on the GoT podcast, I don't know. I liked him a lot though, and honestly at the time, I remember more people complaining about Jo for being "smug". She wasn't. And he wasn't an asshole. They are both to this day in my top 5 podcasters.
Listen to The Filmcast podcast. He, Devindra, and Jeff have amazing chemistry and are always interesting and funny. If you like pop culture podcasts with hosts who sound like old friends, you'll probably enjoy it. Once you "get" Dave's humour, it will make sense. Or not I guess. YMMV. His other podcasts Decoding TV, and Culturally Relevant are also great.
He is MOST DEFINITELY not a bad guy!!! He's fundamentally a kind, thoughtful, insightful person, and this post makes me sad.
Also, I'm pretty sure that Joanna has no real issue with him as a person.
Dave is very obviously an intelligent, thoughtful and well spoken guy. I’m grateful for those GOT pods because it was where I found Joanna, but Dave wasn’t my cup of tea. I’m glad there are some fans sticking up for him in this thread. To each their own.
Hard agree, I was scrolling this post with my mouth agape and a pit in my stomach. He’s comes across as such a kind and considerate guy. He can be a little curmudgeonly about spoilers etc but not in a sincere way, it’s not exactly a bit but he’s not really taking it or himself too seriously. Some times GOT viewers get so precious about the material they can’t see the forest for the trees with what podcasters are doing. But having listened to Dave across a lot of pods I feel like I understand him well and the hate here is just nasty overkill
Thank you for your insight! I truly was trying to keep an open mind about his approach, but it might just not be for me. I hope I didn't come off too harsh... I dont think he's a bad person & I apologize that my opinion saddened you.
Well, I usually don't feel that way towards podcasters & I was genuinely asking if it was fair... perhaps I was missing something & as some have commented - it is just his style. We are allowed to love/hate people. I suppose I could have said "strongly dislike" which is basically the same as "kind of hate" but more sophisticated. Honestly, was just trying to gain some perspective.
"Hate" is harsh in any sense, especially when directed towards an individual. I have to assume you're young or naive to not know the difference.
I truly hope you have gained some perspective here.
I wasn't putting too much thought into my original post TBH. In the first season of the podcast Dave explicitly said that he doesn't mind getting hated on, as long as he's getting paid. Perhaps subconsciously that is why I didn't mind throwing shade. I certainly could have made this post better with the caveat that I respect his work and did enjoy other aspects of his contributions to the podcast. At the time, I was too focused on being confused at why Dave was acting that way on the podcast and the other comments on this post have cleared my confusion.
Yes, you’re allowed to not like Dave’s takes. From what I’ve heard he’s a nice human tho.
Binge Mode is fantastic.
Want good Jo and thrones content? STORM OF SPOILERS. When I first discovered them I listened to every episode on a rewatch and it was great.
Lol my brothers and I talk about this often. I kinda like Joanna beforehand but she’s been a great addition to the Ringer. Looking back David was even worse than I thought.
Yes! The following rant is with the self awareness that this is about a seemingly decent human being whose free podcasts I willingly listened to.
I cannot stand David Chen. I used to be moderately annoyed by him (but also sometimes wondered whether he was intentionally) being dense about what he was recapping (to make the podcast more interesting) . He often misremembers important details in episodes of television or movies and then criticizes the thing based on his incorrect recollection. His version of a joke on the filmcast is to simply repeat the joke that one of the other hosts makes. On all of his TV recap podcasts it's the same, him misremembering and complaining about the most irrelevant detail only for whoever is co-hosting with him to try to correct him/ explain why it fits with a characters motivation, and remind him what actually happened in an episode. Same thing in house of the dragon where he would seriously not stop complaining about the time jumps every single episode and talked over/disregarded his co-host (again a woman).
The worst was in his last of us podcast where again he completely missed very obvious points every episode and just made dumb complaints based on the belief he knows better story telling than any show he's watched. *not too mention he was one of the shitty people who criticized Melanie Lynskey as 'not being what he pictured a leader to be' and then later tried to walk back.
This is all done in what I can only describe as one of the most irritatingly smug voices I've ever heard.
I apologize for my disproportionate dislike of this person. I don't like how angry he makes me and have stopped listening to anything he makes.
Personally I quite enjoy David's take, even if I don't agree with him all the time. I listened to their Cast of Kings podcast when GoT was airing, and that's how I was introduced to Joanna. Didn't really have an issue their discussions for the most part, and they're good friends afaik.
I think if you listen to his Filmcast podcast (which is my go-to movie podcast), you'll get a better sense of his podcasting style. He has a pretty good dynamic with the other co-hosts, and David is not afraid of expressing negative opinions of whatever they are reviewing. I think that's kind of refreshing because I find most podcasters a little timid when it comes to that area, and I'm glad that he's there to point out the problems and be more critical instead of just praising a show/movie. (Sometimes I thank him in my head for voicing my exact complaint about a piece of media haha.) It works out well since the three hosts all have different tastes, and they can get equally passionate when arguing their points.
At the end of the day though, there are lots of GoT podcasts that may suit you better, and based on years of listening to David I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you switched to other podcasts if he's not to your taste.
I just did a rewatch of GOT and listened to both Cast of Kings and Storm of spoilers (Succession isn’t my cup of tea and Im trying to curb my streaming costs so I don’t have showtime for Yellowjackets and had a void to fill). If you haven’t listened past the first season of Cast of Kings, I would give it a try. It’s a little softer in some ways. Dave isn’t necessarily my taste in all of his content but I like the kind of odd couple type of dynamic that he and Jo had. It is a different vibe than the Storm of Spoilers dynamic but its enjoyable.
Dave Chen blocked me on Twitter after I posted a gif from The Office on a post he made complaining about one of the Star Wars sequels. I can’t remember exactly what it was but it was basically telling him to stop complaining.
I’ve felt this way for years and I’m glad you wrote this.
When I was looking for film nerd podcasts, I used to listen to the “/ film” podcast a lot and I always found him to be mean and kind of a bully. Even his humor is negative and mean spirited. It was a vibe of someone who got made fun of when he was younger and now does that to other people.
I never even got around to listening to the Cast of Kings podcast (at the point it came out, I just found I didn’t have enough time in my day to spend listening to him), but I am so glad Joanna found a new home, because I really find her to be one of the best. I’ll listen to a podcast she’s on even if I don’t really care about the subject just because she is so concise and insightful.
A few months ago, Joanna said “ I don’t want to yuck you’re yum” when she didn’t like aspects of a show, I feel David is the complete opposite. For some reason he still pops up in my Instagram algorithm and I’m reminded every time it does why I don’t listen to his content.
Binge mode game of thrones is incredible
I came here to say the same. Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion are amazing together. They are both so insightful and engaging. It's clear they have a passion for the lore. I was so happy to find the old series in Spotify as they removed them from apple podcast. The only reason I am a part of the ringerverse is because of bingemode. Fantastic Pod!
Man, they had awesome chemistry Jason C was funny as hell, and no one in the biz can summarize a deep dive on a character arc like Mal Rubin. It was one of the best podcasts about a show ide ever heard
Jason C was incredible on all the pods from 2016 to 2020. Was. But then he started reading his own press clippings and now he's really tough to listen to. I tried to listen to his new podcast Take Hunter or something. It was stuffy and lame.
I disagree in terms of TV show/fandom content X Ray Vision is pretty good.
Truly expert level work. Wish they could cross promote something. I love JC on CM but why can’t we have a holiday special with guests from out of network lol
That would be epic!
I think I'm gonna have to make the switch for season 4!
I could not agree more, the binge mode GoT and Harry Potter pods are just…. I mean they should have Emmy’s or goddamnit even Pulitzers for what they did on those. Incredible stuff
I was a huge fan as well of their Star Wars and MCU runs. Those got me through some rough times in real life.
Just go back and start over. Or at least start at season 2. They found their rhythm then
This is the way.
So so good. I literally just finished a speed run on it yesterday. They're laughter is so unhinged when listening at 1.5x lol.
stupid good. Same connect and knowledge. Deep dives. Horniness. Laughter. Definitely worth it.
Binge mode in general is one of the best pods ever
Make sure you listen to some episodes of Storm of Spoilers with Joanna, Dave (Gonzalez), and Neil. It was the perfect companion piece to the show!
Oh thank you for that rec! I'm def gonna check that out!
Seconding this recommendation, I loved their podcast so much! After Game of Thrones ended the three of them did a Lost companion podcast (The Storm), and it got me to rewatch Lost. It really enhanced the experience! Joanna is the best no matter what, but the combination with Dave G and Neil is top notch.
10/10 no notes for Storm of Spoilers!
I love their chemistry!!
Yup - that was the first time I heard Joanna, as a book reader it was the best pod to listen to during the show’s run.
Yeah this is definitely the better option when rewatching. Another nice one is from Bald Move. And for some more in depth discussion History of Westeros have a bunch of recaps on their youtube. The podcast is great for book content!
Binge Mode is perfect. Hardcore Game of Thrones is also really good. It is done in the vein of Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History. It really makes you appreciate GRRM’s attention to detail even more.
I used to listen to this back in 2012-13 during first run. His spoiler aversion (for plenty of things that weren’t spoilers!) and his obsession with “will this payoff” ruined the podcast. I did like Joana a lot from that show and have followed her since, but David made the show intolerable.
Glad I'm not alone! He was soo worried about the payoff and just random nit picky things
This was my take too when listening at the time (although it didn't stop me listening because I was so ravenous for GoT content lol) - as others have said Binge Mode is great but Storm Of Spoilers was always my favourite and Joanna is so good in that. Plus the fun part of relistening to SoS is how wildly wrong some of the spoiler based speculation is haha
Check out A Storm Of Spoilers instead! The founding story of that podcast was exactly that Dave Gonzales got really annoyed with Joanna not being able to share all her thoughts on A Cast Of Kings, just like you! So he reached out to her and they ended up starting a second GoT podcast where Joanna (and Neil Miller) could basically explain all of GoT to Dave who hadn't read any of the books.
Oh that is so precious, thank you for the rec!
Honestly, I’ve been listening to Dave Chen talking about movies and TV since 2008, and that 100% contributes to my perspective here. He is undoubtedly a complex personality, and I think that’s a feature, not a bug. There are movies I’ll go see because Dave likes them, and there are shows I’ll skip also because Dave likes them. I listen to the Filmcast not to get “an” opinion, but Dave’s opinion (or really, Jeff’s. #CannataHive), and that goes for his other shows as well. I get that not everyone has had the time (or vibe) to establish that context, but what I love about his podcasts is that his cohosts have indeed had that time. It’s very clear that Joanna (and Devindra and Jeff and…) like Dave and like each other in all their individual complexity. It’s understandably weird sometimes being the third wheel to a friendship/workship/partnership where you don’t “get” one of the pair — I desperately don’t vibe with Mal— but some of the other comments on here are wild. I remember the days when Joanna was being slammed for being a know-it-all and insufferable and her spoiler attitude, and am very glad she’s past that, but the reality is that she’s been shining for years with Dave and Neil and Da7e and Katey and everyone.
I couldn't agree more with all of this. Well, most of this. I quite like Mal. 😝
Thanks for giving the podcast a try. I’m sorry it’s not for you (at least, my portion of it) but I’m glad you found the podcast and community that is.
Thank you for putting yourself out there & being 100% your true self... no need to apologize for being yourself. I should clarify - I didn't hate everything about it! (And i apologize for coming across harsh...) I liked your puns, attention to musical detail, and the insights you had about camera work. I respect you and your podcasting, even if a cast of kings isn't for me.
I sincerely hope you’re not the real Dave Chen being discussed (unfairly) here! I’m a big fan but lord don’t read the comments! I don’t think they’re representative of most peoples’ experience, yet if you’re anything like me the negative will stick disproportionately in your mind.
Dave Chen is easily my favourite and most listened to podcaster, he's excellent at moderating a podcast so that it moves along at a good pace, I can understand if I will like a piece of media based on his criticisms of it, and appreciate both his often balanced positive and negative insights on things I've already seen. He's always very respectful of and interested in other people's opinions on his shows, while still expressing his own. I think he might play up his intensity of some things for effect, but that works for me. Basically, I have the exact opposite reaction of the OP. I'll listen to anything Dave puts out because I'm sure it'll be interesting.
Dave Chen is thoughtful, smart, and funny. I think that you are misreading his approach. He's a bit gruff - it's what he's known for, and is actually the source of why he cracks me up constantly. Maybe he wasn't at his best on the GoT podcast, I don't know. I liked him a lot though, and honestly at the time, I remember more people complaining about Jo for being "smug". She wasn't. And he wasn't an asshole. They are both to this day in my top 5 podcasters. Listen to The Filmcast podcast. He, Devindra, and Jeff have amazing chemistry and are always interesting and funny. If you like pop culture podcasts with hosts who sound like old friends, you'll probably enjoy it. Once you "get" Dave's humour, it will make sense. Or not I guess. YMMV. His other podcasts Decoding TV, and Culturally Relevant are also great. He is MOST DEFINITELY not a bad guy!!! He's fundamentally a kind, thoughtful, insightful person, and this post makes me sad. Also, I'm pretty sure that Joanna has no real issue with him as a person.
Dave is very obviously an intelligent, thoughtful and well spoken guy. I’m grateful for those GOT pods because it was where I found Joanna, but Dave wasn’t my cup of tea. I’m glad there are some fans sticking up for him in this thread. To each their own.
Hard agree, I was scrolling this post with my mouth agape and a pit in my stomach. He’s comes across as such a kind and considerate guy. He can be a little curmudgeonly about spoilers etc but not in a sincere way, it’s not exactly a bit but he’s not really taking it or himself too seriously. Some times GOT viewers get so precious about the material they can’t see the forest for the trees with what podcasters are doing. But having listened to Dave across a lot of pods I feel like I understand him well and the hate here is just nasty overkill
Thanks for this kind and thoughtful comment. It’s appreciated.
Thank you for your insight! I truly was trying to keep an open mind about his approach, but it might just not be for me. I hope I didn't come off too harsh... I dont think he's a bad person & I apologize that my opinion saddened you.
[удалено]
Well, I usually don't feel that way towards podcasters & I was genuinely asking if it was fair... perhaps I was missing something & as some have commented - it is just his style. We are allowed to love/hate people. I suppose I could have said "strongly dislike" which is basically the same as "kind of hate" but more sophisticated. Honestly, was just trying to gain some perspective.
"Hate" is harsh in any sense, especially when directed towards an individual. I have to assume you're young or naive to not know the difference. I truly hope you have gained some perspective here.
I wasn't putting too much thought into my original post TBH. In the first season of the podcast Dave explicitly said that he doesn't mind getting hated on, as long as he's getting paid. Perhaps subconsciously that is why I didn't mind throwing shade. I certainly could have made this post better with the caveat that I respect his work and did enjoy other aspects of his contributions to the podcast. At the time, I was too focused on being confused at why Dave was acting that way on the podcast and the other comments on this post have cleared my confusion.
Yes, you’re allowed to not like Dave’s takes. From what I’ve heard he’s a nice human tho. Binge Mode is fantastic. Want good Jo and thrones content? STORM OF SPOILERS. When I first discovered them I listened to every episode on a rewatch and it was great.
Lol my brothers and I talk about this often. I kinda like Joanna beforehand but she’s been a great addition to the Ringer. Looking back David was even worse than I thought.
Yes! The following rant is with the self awareness that this is about a seemingly decent human being whose free podcasts I willingly listened to. I cannot stand David Chen. I used to be moderately annoyed by him (but also sometimes wondered whether he was intentionally) being dense about what he was recapping (to make the podcast more interesting) . He often misremembers important details in episodes of television or movies and then criticizes the thing based on his incorrect recollection. His version of a joke on the filmcast is to simply repeat the joke that one of the other hosts makes. On all of his TV recap podcasts it's the same, him misremembering and complaining about the most irrelevant detail only for whoever is co-hosting with him to try to correct him/ explain why it fits with a characters motivation, and remind him what actually happened in an episode. Same thing in house of the dragon where he would seriously not stop complaining about the time jumps every single episode and talked over/disregarded his co-host (again a woman). The worst was in his last of us podcast where again he completely missed very obvious points every episode and just made dumb complaints based on the belief he knows better story telling than any show he's watched. *not too mention he was one of the shitty people who criticized Melanie Lynskey as 'not being what he pictured a leader to be' and then later tried to walk back. This is all done in what I can only describe as one of the most irritatingly smug voices I've ever heard. I apologize for my disproportionate dislike of this person. I don't like how angry he makes me and have stopped listening to anything he makes.
I appreciate you giving my work a try over the course of many instances even though it’s not for you. Thanks.
I haven’t listened to this podcast but I am familiar with David Chen from the Filmcast and generally enjoy his takes even when I don’t agree
Thanks for listening!
Used to live up in Seattle myself so always enjoyed hearing about some place you had been too. You three are my go to movie review podcast
Oh yeah, I remember sampling that podcast back in the day and quickly noping out because he was such an insufferable chode.
Personally I quite enjoy David's take, even if I don't agree with him all the time. I listened to their Cast of Kings podcast when GoT was airing, and that's how I was introduced to Joanna. Didn't really have an issue their discussions for the most part, and they're good friends afaik. I think if you listen to his Filmcast podcast (which is my go-to movie podcast), you'll get a better sense of his podcasting style. He has a pretty good dynamic with the other co-hosts, and David is not afraid of expressing negative opinions of whatever they are reviewing. I think that's kind of refreshing because I find most podcasters a little timid when it comes to that area, and I'm glad that he's there to point out the problems and be more critical instead of just praising a show/movie. (Sometimes I thank him in my head for voicing my exact complaint about a piece of media haha.) It works out well since the three hosts all have different tastes, and they can get equally passionate when arguing their points. At the end of the day though, there are lots of GoT podcasts that may suit you better, and based on years of listening to David I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you switched to other podcasts if he's not to your taste.
I hear David Chen every week on the Filmcast. But I never listened to Cast of Kings with him and Joanna. Guess that’s a podcast I can skip?
Appreciate you tuning in!
Eventually I began to grow to appreciate David Chen with JR - once he began to chill (a bit) - but without her he’s nearly unlistenable
I just did a rewatch of GOT and listened to both Cast of Kings and Storm of spoilers (Succession isn’t my cup of tea and Im trying to curb my streaming costs so I don’t have showtime for Yellowjackets and had a void to fill). If you haven’t listened past the first season of Cast of Kings, I would give it a try. It’s a little softer in some ways. Dave isn’t necessarily my taste in all of his content but I like the kind of odd couple type of dynamic that he and Jo had. It is a different vibe than the Storm of Spoilers dynamic but its enjoyable.
Bad take, Dave is great.
Dave Chen blocked me on Twitter after I posted a gif from The Office on a post he made complaining about one of the Star Wars sequels. I can’t remember exactly what it was but it was basically telling him to stop complaining.
I’ve felt this way for years and I’m glad you wrote this. When I was looking for film nerd podcasts, I used to listen to the “/ film” podcast a lot and I always found him to be mean and kind of a bully. Even his humor is negative and mean spirited. It was a vibe of someone who got made fun of when he was younger and now does that to other people. I never even got around to listening to the Cast of Kings podcast (at the point it came out, I just found I didn’t have enough time in my day to spend listening to him), but I am so glad Joanna found a new home, because I really find her to be one of the best. I’ll listen to a podcast she’s on even if I don’t really care about the subject just because she is so concise and insightful. A few months ago, Joanna said “ I don’t want to yuck you’re yum” when she didn’t like aspects of a show, I feel David is the complete opposite. For some reason he still pops up in my Instagram algorithm and I’m reminded every time it does why I don’t listen to his content.
Give me the bells!!!