Comic-Con and Emmy Main Titles Podcast, UnREAL Gets Too Real

Podcast: Comic-Con Updates and Emmy’s Main Title Nominees

On this week’s Water Cooler Podcast, we’re nearing the end of July, meaning the advent of San Diego’s Comic Con. Comic-Con was at one point something of a comic book trade show. However, once Hollywood learned the power of the geek, they descended upon the Con with presentations and panels from movies and television. We take a look at the latest buzz out of San Diego Comic-Con and discuss some buzzy trailers recently unveiled.

Our main segment this week is one of our most favorite: the Main Title Design and Original Main Title Theme music categories at the Emmys. We’ll review each category’s entry, and we’ll rate/argue about what we think will ultimately take home Emmy gold. (Podcast)

HBO’s ‘Looking’ Gets a True Goodbye

Television isn’t always fair. Sometimes shows’ lives are cut short, and the audiences that follow them are left in the cold with no real solution for their favorite characters. Surely depression and despair follow. When HBO’s Looking was canceled back in early 2015, fans were devastated, but the creators knew they were going to end things with a finale special. There was no real need for petitioning online or any Gilmore Girls-esque gap/anticipation. Looking never delivered in the ratings department, but HBO knew that the fanbase could only be described as diehard and very devout. Looking: The Movie is made with obvious care and love of its characters. It succeeds in providing fans with exactly what they want in a proper farewell. (Looking review)

New TV Trailers Pop Up Out of Comic-Con

The costumed masses swarmed on San Diego’s Comic-Con last weekend. Assuming they weren’t playing Pokemon Go, many attended for panels on their favorite television shows. It’s been a thing for several years now that Comic-Con is much less about comic books and much more about generating buzz for new product. Geek-friendly films and TV shows hope to make a splash and generate positive internet buzz as a result. As with each year, studios host panel discussions about current and upcoming shows, often premiering TV trailers never before seen. This year was no exception. (Trailers)

About THAT Twist on ‘UnREAL’ *Spoilers*

Unlike what some critics are saying about Season 2 of Lifetime’s UnREAL TV series, Megan McLachlan championed this sophomore season for a variety of reasons. For one thing, it had the balls to do what no ABC dating show has ever done (cast an African American as the Bachelor). Second, it’s become a character study of Rachel (Shiri Appleby) and Quinn (Constance Zimmer) as much as it’s given audiences a glimpse at Everlasting’s on-screen and behind-the-scenes drama. In fact, what’s depicted on UnREAL often feels more real than anything you’ll ever see on The Bachelor. But during the most recent episode titled “Ambush,” the series takes a strange, twisted turn down a road that doesn’t necessarily feel natural. See what daring plot twist shook the second season, according to Megan. (UnREAL Becomes Real)