Indiewire: Very Good TV

It's the last episode of Very Good TV Podcast, so Liz and Ben use the occasion to say goodbye... and, of course, talk about series finales. Do not fear — one last time, both "The X-Files" and "The Leftovers" come up.

We don't want to talk about it. Except we do. Liz and Ben will dearly miss HBO's iconoclastic comedy about American politics, for all of its nuances and all of its outrageousness.

It's a Very Good TV Podcast first: An Oscar winner as a special guest! Also, Liz and Ben LEFT THE OFFICE to visit Adam McKay at his home in Los Angeles, where we got into McKay's role behind the scenes on HBO's "Succession." Secrets are revealed! Laughs are enjoyed! Fun is had!

For five seasons, Fox's "Gotham" delivered a twisted take on DC favorites, and Liz and Bn aren't afraid to take a moment and pay tribute to what the show did so very very well.

No spoilers for GAME OF THRONES Season 8, Episode 2 here! Instead, Liz and Ben examine the GOT season premiere, and how serialized storytelling enables episodes of television that don't actually have any story. (Shockingly, both THE X-FILES annnnnnd THE LEFTOVERS come up!)

It's a question Liz and Ben get asked fairly often — "how much TV do you watch? it must be a lot!" — and they've never had a real answer... until now. In this episode, they're joined by special guest Steve Greene to discuss a week spent logging all the TV they watched, and what they learned by doing so.

As Liz and Ben prepare for one of the year's biggest premieres, one question comes up: How is HBO planning to take advantage of GAME OF THRONES' final season, and how are other networks reacting? (Or, in Ben's words, "GAME OF THRONES is ruining television!") Believe it or not, THE LEFTOVERS comes up!

One of TV's most fascinating comedies returns for its second season on HBO... but, um, is it actually a comedy? That's just one facet of the Emmy-winning series that Liz and Ben discuss!

Netflix's bold drama by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij has always defied expectation, but Season 2, as Liz and Ben discuss, is pure uncut crazy. But is that level of craziness sustainable?

When we say we cover very good TV on this podcast, we mean it! Aidy Bryant is a joy in the new Hulu series "Shrill," but what beyond that makes it great? Liz and Ben dig in.

Special! Guest! Time! This week, Liz and Ben are joined by Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair, the creators of "High Maintenance," because it is a great show and you should watch it, and also because the show's journey from web shorts to HBO is a fascinating one.

This podcast gets back to its humble beginnings with an episode all about HBO's iconic detective drama. Not only do Liz and Ben dig into the nuances of the series, but both THE X-FILES annnnd THE LEFTOVERS come up!

Liz and Ben are joined by SPECIAL GUEST Kate Erbland to dig into all of this year's drama surrounding the Academy Awards, especially why there were concerns over this year's Oscars going host-less. (Shockingly, Hugh Jackman comes up!)

This week, with two new eclectic superhero dramas premiering, Liz and Ben dig into why the genre continues to proliferate, and if it's sustainable in the longterm.

The image attached to this week's episode was the first one that popped up when searching for "the future of television," which is what Liz and Ben talked about for this VERY SPECIAL 200th episode of Very Good Television Podcast. (We did it!)

Liz and Ben may not really be rooting for either team during this year's Big Game, but they're fascinated by how the Superb Owl affects the TV landscape, especially when networks like AMC and Amazon use that special Sunday for their own ends.

Maybe it's not such a big deal anymore when a movie star decides to make a limited series for TV, but as Liz and Ben get into, there's something special about TNT's "I Am the Night," largely thanks to the second Captain Kirk himself, Chris Pine. (Look at how many tattoos he has!)

Critics might be divided on "Black Monday," but everyone can agree that Regina Hall rules. Why isn't she the star of the show? There's the obvious answer, but Liz and Ben admit there's some nuance to it in this week's episode.

What's the upcoming Netflix comedy "Russian Doll" about? Ben doesn't know and Liz won't tell you, but they will discuss when it makes sense for a show to keep its premise a secret — and when it doesn't. (You'll be shocked to learn that "The Leftovers" comes up — but not for the reason you might think!)

Before this year's Globes, Liz and Ben did a live fantasy draft, identifying their picks across all the TV categories. Monday morning will reveal who owes who a sandwich, but enjoy listening to their bold picks!