Second Breakfast with Cam & Maggie

-- thoughts, theories, and literary analysis -- chapter-by-chapter fantasy discussions

The 2025 Brekkie Awards 12/30/2025

The 2025 Brekkie Awards We’re back for the sixth (!) annual Brekkie Awards, a celebration of the most affecting and transformative art of the year. In this episode, we’re announcing winners, shouting out honorable mentions, and applauding Maggie’s ability to cheat in almost every category. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39529600

Crossroads of Ravens [Part One] 12/26/2025

Crossroads of Ravens [Part One] Discussion of Crossroads of Ravens, Ch. 1-8 Surprise! We're returning to the wonderful world of chapter-by-chapter fantasy discussions with the latest Witcher novel, Crossroads of Ravens. In this episode, we're exploring the narrative paradox of introducing a character like Preston Holt in the ninth book of the series, young Geralt's illluminating / overlapping Faustian bargains, Sapkowski's tricky relationship with giving his characters "thesis statements," and the strange reputation inflation that happens when a franchise gets too successful. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39529435

Krampus 12/24/2025

Krampus The grand finale of our 2025 Advent Calendar is finally here, so we thought we’d finally talk about something festive! For this episode, we watched the modern holiday horror classic “Krampus”. Topics include: practical / digital creature design, the x-factor of onscreen family dynamics, key cinematic influences, and the existential, dread-inducing, high-pressure shadow of rewatchability that hangs over all holiday films. Merry Christmas! LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39509450

Tier List: Bad Theater Etiquette 12/23/2025

Tier List: Bad Theater Etiquette In this episode, we’re doing some very serious analytical work — creating the definitive tier list of all the worst breaches of theater etiquette we’ve ever witnessed firsthand. The vibes are frantic, the complaints are petty, and spirits are high. Happy Festivus! LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39509290

Call of Duty: WWII 12/22/2025

Call of Duty: WWII After the recent disappointment of Black Ops 7, Cam went back to 2017’s Call of Duty: WWII in the hopes of finding a simple, competently made FPS campaign. Instead, he found the most impressive, immersive, and profound game in the franchise — a largely overlooked modern classic that feels like a minor miracle in the current gaming landscape. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39469630

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge 12/19/2025

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge We try to mention "fun factor" in all of our gaming episodes. It's a mercurial, tricky concept that is too often overlooked in critical analysis. In this episode, we're celebrating an absolute masterpiece of fun — Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge. Topics include: arcade difficulty, colorful combat, and mechanical variety. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39428440

Terrifier: The ARTcade Game 12/18/2025

Terrifier: The ARTcade Game This episode is a post-mortem of the shockingly unenjoyable Terrifier game. We’re trying to figure out where it all went wrong, and that question will take us through combat expression, enemy variety, core understanding of the source material, and a brief digression into the world of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39427465

Reflection in a Dead Diamond 12/17/2025

Reflection in a Dead Diamond Somehow, this French indie movie is both the best James Bond movie and best Batman / Catwoman movie ever made. In this episode, we’re investigating the endless, delirious style of Reflection of a Dead Diamond. Topics include: the art of rug pull revelations, how to balance realism and surrealism, and the enduring cultural influence of Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39421710

Diablo IV [Season of Divine Intervention] 12/16/2025

Diablo IV [Season of Divine Intervention] Diablo’s latest season is like a box of crayons that has one gloriously beautiful crayon inside of it — but the rest is empty. Functionally, this is a season without a story, and as much as we are adoring the new Paladin class, this episode is ultimately about how alarmed we are by the narrative precedent established by this Season of Divine Intervention. Topics include: difficulty curve, constant bugs, fun factor, the new seasonal powers, underlying systems reworks, the seasonal campaign, a class update about the delightful Paladin, and some existential wrap up questions. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39421570

Powerwash Simulator 2 12/15/2025

Powerwash Simulator 2 In this episode, we’re exploring the calming, focusing, and meditative power of Powerwash Simulator 2, a game that Cam accidentally dumped fifty hours into — and found some measure of inner peace along the way. Topics include: the immortal attraction of color, what makes a great iterative sequel, and the thrill Maggie gets from pretending to farm. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39387060

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery 12/12/2025

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Wake Up Dead Man is far and away the best Knives Out movie, somehow managing to be both a great screwball comedy and an earnest drama about faith. In this episode, we’re exploring that dichotomy, and Maggie’s hunch that this feels like two movies stitched together. Topics include: the boundless talent of Josh O’Connor, the narrative demotion of Benoit Blanc, and the difficulty of ancillary political satire. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39360080

10 Games to Get to Know Maggie! 12/11/2025

10 Games to Get to Know Maggie! Maggie’s journey as a gamer stretches from Baldur’s Gate 3 on the PS5 all the way back to clicking away at ‘homework games’ on the family computer. In this retrospective episode, she’s taking us through the top ten titles that define her as a gamer — fascinatingly presented in chronological order. Come for the Barbie shoutouts, stay for the evolution into an ARPG sicko. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39356590

10 Games to Get to Know Cam! 12/10/2025

10 Games to Get to Know Cam! In an act of pure self-loathing, Cam attempted to create a list of the ten games that define him as a lifelong gamer. The first draft of that list had a hundred entries. In this episode, we’re discussing his final, winnowed-down top ten. Somehow, none of the Halo games made the list, but don’t worry, he found a way to fit in almost a dozen honorable mentions. Come for the obligatory Destiny 2 hand-wringing, stay for the wistful memories of Kirby Squeak Squad. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39349595

Man Finds Tape 12/09/2025

Man Finds Tape Man Finds Tape is a delightful, dread-inducing puzzlebox that deftly combines the found footage and faux-documentary subgenres of indie horror. In this episode, we explore the film's equally impressive high concepts and lo-fi effects by making enthusiastic comparisons to Hell House, LLC., Smile, and The Poughkeepsie Tapes. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39331780

Sisu: Road to Revenge 12/08/2025

Sisu: Road to Revenge Sisu: Road to Revenge is more than the sum of its parts — and those parts are pretty incredible. This episode is a celebration of what is at once the best John Wick, Mad Max, and Die Hard descendant we’ve ever seen. Topics include: impossible origin stories, the importance of runtimes, and the marriage of slapstick comedy and deeply sincere drama. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39315615

Last Epoch 12/05/2025

Last Epoch Forget Diablo, forget Path of Exile — Last Epoch might just be the best ARPG on the market. In this episode, we’re diving into this nine (!) act campaign to discuss difficulty, art direction, skill trees, quest structure, class variety, fun factor, meta progression, and endgame activities. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39280555

Hamnet 12/04/2025

Hamnet Besides being a perfect movie in its own right, Hamnet is also almost a one-to-one restaging of Robert Eggers’ The Witch — one of our favorite movies of all time. In this episode, we’re running through all the similarities and echoes we noticed, from a shared interest in female folk horror to pivotal exorcisms of oldest sons and impossible, undead finales. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39259210

Keeper 12/03/2025

Keeper This one’s a real head scratcher. Keeper evokes so many of our favorite horror movies — The Witch, Barbarian, The Invitation, The Black Phone — and we love the creative team behind it, but the film just didn’t work for us at all. In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at the plot, performances, direction, and editing to figure out why. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39203035

Stranger Things 5 [Vol. 1] 12/02/2025

Stranger Things 5 [Vol. 1] In this episode, we make the case that Stranger Things is the American Harry Potter — and more specifically, that Stranger Things 5 Volume 1 is strikingly similar to Deathly Hallows Part 1. Echoes include: victorious villains, dramatic camping, the death of innocence, hive mind lieutenants, and pirate radio broadcasts. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39229870

Predator: Badlands 12/01/2025

Predator: Badlands Popcorn movies. Fun movies. Entertaining movies. These are the types of films that we take for granted. They’re not the types of films that we usually give awards to, but that doesn’t mean that they’re easy to make. Predator: Badlands is masterfully engaging and relentlessly creative. In this episode, we’re exploring the concept of a “fun factor” to find out what made this experience such a hooting, hollering good time. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39202995

The Running Man 11/28/2025

The Running Man Does biting satire have to have a nihilistic ending? Do heroic victories undercut commentary about fascism? In this episode, we’re taking a look at Edgar Wright’s The Running Man, through the lenses of the following films: The Hunger Games, The Long Walk, One Battle After Another, Eddington, Gladiator II, and Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39196190

Stranger Things 11/25/2025

Stranger Things Stranger Things is a remarkable medley of genres we love, but is it more than just a collage of pop culture references and influences? In this episode, Cam argues that the show begins as a work of fantasy before evolving into science fiction and settling into the realm of horror. We trace this journey through the following subgenres: high fantasy, urban fantasy, military science fiction, hard sci-fi, dystopian sci-fi, kaiju sci-fi, apocalypse sci-fi, cosmic horror, body horror, Stephen King, haunted house horror, home invasion horror, and slashers. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39158095

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 11/21/2025

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Black Ops 7 is a fascinating blunder, and a major step backwards for gaming’s biggest franchise. In this episode, we’re working through the ten best and worst features of the campaign. Topics include: narrative surrealism, the future of the genre, weapon balancing, adaptive difficulty, and the unconscionable absence of a pause button. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39111280

Terrifier: The ARTcade Game [Demo] 11/17/2025

Terrifier: The ARTcade Game [Demo] There's so much to love about Terrifier: The ARTcade Game, but after playing through the demo a few times, there's a lot that makes us nervous too. In this episode, we're breaking down all these conflicted reactions. Topics include: signature weapons, enemy variety, hit detection, and the always-important fun factor. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39050835

The Bear: The Many Deaths of Mikey Berzatto 11/14/2025

The Bear: The Many Deaths of Mikey Berzatto The death of Michael Berzatto is The Bear’s inciting incident, but the character remains a regular part of the story through flashbacks and cutaways. What is the narrative effect of these repeated resurrections and deaths? In this episode, we’re continuing our exploration of grief art with a discussion of story structure, repetition, memory, and Carmy’s frighteningly familiar existential spiral. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/39011005

Black Phone 2 11/11/2025

Black Phone 2 Black Phone 2 is an exceedingly strange sequel: shuffling up the narrative prominence of all the central characters, switching horror subgenres, and tossing out the first film’s winning formula. These are all admirably big swings for the creative team to take, but the real sticking point for us is the ending, which breaks the cardinal rule of grief art. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38980780

Dragon Age: The Veilguard 11/07/2025

Dragon Age: The Veilguard A year after its debut, we’re taking an in-depth look at Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Beneath all the good faith (and bad faith) controversies, there’s an interesting, immersive fantasy world here that is worth exploring. Topics include: character customization, combat expression, role playing, conflicting art styles, and the difference between writing good plot and writing good dialogue. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38917235

Interview: Stephen Cognetti [Creator of Hell House LLC] 10/31/2025

Interview: Stephen Cognetti [Creator of Hell House LLC] We’re honored to be joined by Hell House LLC creator Stephen Cognetti for this wide-ranging interview celebrating the release of his final film in the franchise. Topics include: ambiguous endings, creative closure, the sequel business, audience expectations, continuing the franchise in a new medium, and fascinating deep dives into the structure and pacing of a good horror movie. Hell House LLC Lineage is available to stream now on Shudder. Happy Halloween! LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38785325

Frankenstein (2025) 10/28/2025

Frankenstein (2025) For die-hard fans of horror and fantasy like us, Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein might just be the perfect film — and it’s also almost certainly the best adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel ever made. In this episode, Cam leads us on a whirlwind tour through the source material’s intimate relationship with Doctor Faustus and some of this rendition’s most thrilling and thoughtful additions to that proud lineage. We also explore the film’s kaleidoscopic structure within the frame of a familiar favorite, analyze Del Toro’s sumptuous directorial style, and take a closer look at his (pun intended) Creature design. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38802815

Halloween (1978) 10/24/2025

Halloween (1978) In this time traveling episode of Second Breakfast, we're finally tackling the godfather of the slasher genre, John Carpenter's Halloween. We start with a simple question: why is this the best slasher movie? The answer involves gestural structure and a paradoxical approach to pacing. We also get into a spirited debate about the mysterious motive of our beloved Michael Myers. Is he supernatural? Are his crimes random? What roles do sexuality and cultural puritanism play in this story? Finally, we revisit some of the best analysis of the film that we've done over the past five (!) years. LINKS: , , , Feedback & Theories: /episode/index/show/secondbreakfastpod/id/38748390

Second Breakfast with Cam & Maggie

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