There are times when pretty much every teenager thinks his or her parents are evil — but what if it was actually true? That’s the situation six Los Angeles teenagers find themselves in when they stumble upon a terrible secret and realize that their parents have been lying to them for their entire lives. The offspring begin an investigation to try to figure out what their guardians are after, while the adults wonder if their kids are hiding secrets of their own. The unlikely crew of teens bands together — led by de facto leader and primary strategist Alex Wilder — to stop their parents before it is too late. The Marvel series is from executive producer Josh Schwartz, whose resume of young-adult fare includes “The O.C.” and “Gossip Girl.”

We begin with five houses, all alike in dignity, in fair Malibu where we lay our scene.  From ancient gods break new mutiny where innocent blood makes parental hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these five foes, a group of starcrossed children uproot their lives; whose misadventures change their minds, hope with their deeds bury their parents’ Pride.

We cover so much of the plot of Marvel’s Runaways in this session. The fans of the book start feeling better about the pacing now that some serious action is taking place. We enjoy the new romances that evolve and share all the many feels we have about the ‘ships. We discuss at length exactly how hard the fall will be in this next episode as we see the parents embrace their truly terrible natures.

What’s your grade for the series so far? Are you loving it? Have a prediction for the finale? Share it with us in the comments!

Until next time, don’t Runaway!

Regina, Dante, Isabela, and Evan

Greetings Geeks! The latest in the TGE Watches series: We discuss Marvel’s Runaways, the latest in the MCU airing weekly on Hulu. For our first episode, we discuss episodes 1-4 of the series. We meet our heroes and our villains. See things that cannot be unseen. Watch and wait as the story unfolds.

There are times when pretty much every teenager thinks his or her parents are evil — but what if it was actually true? That’s the situation six Los Angeles teenagers find themselves in when they stumble upon a terrible secret and realize that their parents have been lying to them for their entire lives. The offspring begin an investigation to try to figure out what their guardians are after, while the adults wonder if their kids are hiding secrets of their own. The unlikely crew of teens bands together — led by de facto leader and primary strategist Alex Wilder — to stop their parents before it is too late. The Marvel series is from executive producer Josh Schwartz, whose resume of young-adult fare includes “The O.C.” and “Gossip Girl.”

We begin with five houses, all alike in dignity, in fair Malibu where we lay our scene.  From ancient gods break new mutiny where innocent blood makes parental hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these five foes, a group of starcrossed children uproot their lives; whose misadventures change their minds, hope with their deeds bury their parents’ Pride.

Pacing is still an issue for those of us familiar with the comic books. Character development is awesome. We discuss more about the comics this episode, especially the fact that the parents are more fleshed out an sympathetic characters. We have theories as to why the show runners are making that choice. Listen and let us know if you agree.

Most compelling moment from episode 5 “Kingdom” Most compelling moment from episode 6 “Metamorphosis” Bold prediction for the next two episodes Overall letter grade for episodes five and six

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina, Dante, Isabela, and Evan

There are times when pretty much every teenager thinks his or her parents are evil -- but what if it was actually true? That's the situation six Los Angeles teenagers find themselves in when they stumble upon a terrible secret and realize that their parents have been lying to them for their entire lives. The offspring begin an investigation to try to figure out what their guardians are after, while the adults wonder if their kids are hiding secrets of their own. The unlikely crew of teens bands together -- led by de facto leader and primary strategist Alex Wilder -- to stop their parents before it is too late. The Marvel series is from executive producer Josh Schwartz, whose resume of young-adult fare includes "The O.C." and "Gossip Girl."

We begin with five houses, all alike in dignity, in fair Malibu where we lay our scene.  From ancient gods break new mutiny where innocent blood makes parental hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these five foes, a group of starcrossed children uproot their lives; whose misadventures change their minds, hope with their deeds bury their parents’ Pride.

At this point, we have more questions than answers. Thankfully, Dante, Evan, and Isabela are all familiar with the comic book series which is a help and a hindrance. Listen and watch to see our guesses for how the story evolves.

Favorite character Least favorite character Character I love to hate Bold prediction for the next two episodes Overall letter grade for the series as a whole through four episodes

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina, Dante, Isabela, and Evan

From CBS All Access:

Star Trek, one of the most iconic and influential global television franchises, returns 50 years after it first premiered, with Star Trek: Discovery. The series will feature a new ship, new characters and new missions, while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers. Star Trek: Discovery premieres September 24 on CBS All Access.

Ten years before Kirk, Spock and the Enterprise, the USS Discovery discovers new worlds and lifeforms as one Starfleet officer learns to understand all things alien.

Episode 7 was a hit with all three of us. Time travel episodes are a long standing Trek tradition and are often fan favorites. “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad” doesn’t disappoint. It doesn’t hurt that Harry Mudd is an absolute delight, even if he is a cad and a scoundrel.

Episode 8 returns directly to the Klingon plot line. We finally see Admiral Cromwell in captivity and the return of the Klingon Captain L’Rell. Our main characters are off the ship and on a planet looking for native technology to possibly help The Federation see through the Klingon cloaking device. More mixed feelings are expressed about this episode. We enjoyed some aspects of the story and some others not so much. “If you want peace, prepare for war” certainly seems to set up the need for a big fight in the mid season finale next week.

Really, you need to watch this episode just to see us all “Disco” at the end.

Until next time, get your Disco on!

Regina & Isabela & Dante

From CBS All Access:

Star Trek, one of the most iconic and influential global television franchises, returns 50 years after it first premiered, with Star Trek: Discovery. The series will feature a new ship, new characters and new missions, while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers. Star Trek: Discovery premieres September 24 on CBS All Access.

Ten years before Kirk, Spock and the Enterprise, the USS Discovery discovers new worlds and lifeforms as one Starfleet officer learns to understand all things alien.

We recorded this episode live on Google Hangouts on a sunny Saturday morning. Although we have some trouble with "Disco" as the nickname for the show, it appears we are all enjoying the show a bit more not what the characters and the story have developed. It seems to be our running commentary that we absolutely adore the secondary characters on the show. The main characters.... well it remains to be seen how we will view their morally ambiguous flaws. I am definitely on my own in thinking that Captain Lorca is a sociopath and bordering on evil.

I've noticed that Discovery is darker and more violent than previous Star Trek series. Could it be that they put it on CBS All Access so that we could have a higher level of violence? I wonder if the darker plot and scarier aspects of the story drove the network to put this in a less reachable format.

There is some seriously ambitious storytelling going on in Discovery. Each character has his or her own story line and character arch. It's going to be a lot to balance as the show continues and as it has already been renewed for a second season. We look forward to seeing where the show goes from here.

Until next time, get your Disco on!

Regina & Isabela & Dante

Did the end of episode 6 creep you out? Do you have a favorite Disco character? (Team Tilly here!)

A bit of a departure this week from my usual ramblings, in celebration of my favorite holiday: All Hallow’s Eve. Instead of a written piece, The Geek Embassy has granted me the opportunity to present a dramatic reading of a piece penned by one of the great masters of modern ethereal horror: H. P. Lovecraft, and his short story, The Outsider.

I will be the first to express bias towards this tale, as it imitates the voice of another famed horror writer, Edgar Allan Poe, a personal favorite of mine. And it is true, Lovecraft is the mind behind Cthulhu, one of the most recognizable icons in popular contemporary culture. But just as Poe penned more than The Raven and The Tell-Tale Heart, so too did Lovecraft offer more than tales of Innismouth and the brood of Yog Sothoth.

So today, tonight, this very hour, The Geek Embassy presents a tale of a singular being, isolated in a far-away tower in a far-off land. A being thirsty for discovery, for freedom and exploration, who may yet find themselves drowning…

What are some of your favorite scary stories to get you in the Halloween mood? Or, if you’re not a fan of horror, what do you like to do special for the season? Let us know in the comments below, and we’ll speak to you next time.

Happy haunting!

Summers span decades. Winters can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne continues.

It stretches from the south, where heat breeds plots, lusts and intrigues, to the vast and savage eastern lands, where a young queen raises an army. All the while, in the frozen north, an 800-foot wall of ice precariously protects the war-ravaged kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. Kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men…all play the ‘Game of Thrones.’ An original series based on George R.R. Martin’s best-selling ‘A Song of Ice and Fire‘ series.

About that cut scene. http://io9.gizmodo.com/game-of-thrones-cut-a-scene-that-wouldve-explained-that-1798622658

About Tormund. http://uproxx.com/tv/is-tormund-dead-game-of-thrones/

About the cast reacting to Jon and Dany gettin’ busy. http://nerdist.com/game-of-thrones-cast-react-jon-dany-love-scene/

About Tyrion making a deal with Cersei. http://nerdist.com/game-of-thrones-tyrion-cersei-deal/

About the Isle of Faces. http://nerdist.com/game-of-thrones-history-gods-eye-isle-of-faces/  (Complete series: http://nerdist.com/tag/history-of-thrones/)

About that incest coefficient. http://uproxx.com/tv/game-of-thrones-incest-jon-dany-baby/ 

And don’t forget that Funco Pop. http://nerdist.com/game-of-thrones-night-king-dragon-riding-funko-pop/

Tormund will live. (Regina)

Cersei is not really pregnant. (Isabela & Nicole)

The Hound & the Mountain fight. The Mountain dies. (Nicole)

Sansa takes the throne. (Regina – acknowledged as a long shot)

Arya finishes her list. (Nicole)

Dies: Cersei, Melisandra, Jamie, Euron, Theon.

Lives: Tyrion, Varys, Arya, Sansa.

Jon or Dany dies as a sacrifice to save the other. (Most likely Jon dies.)

WHERE ARE NICOLE’S ICE SPIDERS??!!

Until next time, winter is here!

Regina & Nicole & Isabela

What do you want to see in the final season? What characters do you want to see live? Who dies?

From CBS All Access:

Star Trek, one of the most iconic and influential global television franchises, returns 50 years after it first premiered, with Star Trek: Discovery. The series will feature a new ship, new characters and new missions, while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers. Star Trek: Discovery premieres September 24 on CBS All Access.

Ten years before Kirk, Spock and the Enterprise, the USS Discovery discovers new worlds and lifeforms as one Starfleet officer learns to understand all things alien.

I stand alone as the only one of the three of us more excited after watching episodes 3 and 4 to see how the story unfolds. “Context is for Kings” sees Michael Burnham, the disgraced first captain, on her way to the prison ship after being sentenced for mutiny. She quickly discovers not all is what it seems once she is rescued by the Discovery. She endears herself to the captain, Gabriel Lorca, both with her intelligence and her quick thinking during an emergency. He invites her to stay on the ship instead of being sent to prison.

Episode 4, “The Butcher’s Knife Cares Not for the Lamb’s Cry,” continues Burnham’s journey on the ship. She solidifies her new role on the ship by thinking outside the box and solving a major issue with the new drive they are testing. We are all disappointed about a major plot point in this episode and feel like the writers cut short an opportunity for some real character growth.

What are your thoughts so far on this new Star Trek show? It is quite different from the Trek of the past; does that make you more or less interested in it?

Until next time, get your Trek on!

Regina & Dante & Isabela

For the first installment, we read Storm Front by Jim Butcher. This is the first installment of The Dresden Files series.

From the Amazon description:

For Harry Dresden—Chicago’s only professional wizard—business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name.

Evan and Dante are both big fans of the series. The excitement the bring to the discussion is pretty endearing. (Even when Dante says that Harry Dresden is the “best” wizard named Harry. Not quite fighting words but close!)

My favorite one liner from the show, “Nothing ends well that starts with tequila.” You have to check out the episode for the reference.

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina & Isabela & Dante & Evan

Have you read The Dresden Files? Should we continue with this series or a different book? Let us know in the comments!

From CBS All Access:

Star Trek, one of the most iconic and influential global television franchises, returns 50 years after it first premiered, with Star Trek: Discovery. The series will feature a new ship, new characters and new missions, while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers. Star Trek: Discovery premieres September 24 on CBS All Access.

Ten years before Kirk, Spock and the Enterprise, the USS Discovery discovers new worlds and lifeforms as one Starfleet officer learns to understand all things alien.

We first discuss accessing the show online and our feelings about yet another subscription service. Then we dive into the show proper, talking about the sets, costumes, special effects, and yet another Klingon redesign. Yes, Klingons. Of course, Klingons.

Characters in the series so far are dynamic and engaging but kind of flat emotionally. We lack the emotional investment we really wanted from the main characters.  Listen to hear us discuss what we hope to see after the cliff hanger and bait and switch of the series premiere.

Did you watch ST:D? Thoughts? Feelings?  Will you later on DVD/Blue Ray?

Until next time, Get your Trek on!

Regina & Isabela & Dante

Today, I have a recording of our recent panel at Rose City Comic Con for your listening and geeking out pleasure. This is the third time we have presented this topic but each time is different, largely because we depend so much on audience participation. Because come on. The best panels let YOU speak. Am I right or am I right?

The audience at RCCC was engaged and engaging. They knew a lot about fairy tales from the very start of the panel which is  not how it has gone for us in the past. Usually, I pose the question to the audience intending to trick them and tell them that everything they know is wrong. I couldn't do that this session because other than one comment about fairy tales being "for kids," everything the audience shared was spot on. It is such a joy and a pleasure to present this panel but even more so when the audience truly appreciates our efforts.

Jesse came up to the stage after we presented and bestowed us with her declaration of "best panel of the con." Her enthusiastic comments contributed to how flawlessly this panel went for us. She told us we should make it two hours next time. (I'll check with RCCC and see if we can do something just like that next year.)

Unfortunately, my friend and colleague and expert in fairy tales, Jennifer Leaver, was unable to attend this time. She is working on a guest post with reading suggestions on this topic for the near future.

It's also noteworthy that this is the first time that Dante sat on as a panelist. At Wizard World, he moderated the panel and did his best to keep us on track. For RCCC, his analysis of the Green Lantern was flawless and perfectly engaged not just what we were presenting but the audience's interest as well. Isabela and I have both had some practice presenting about Jessica Jones and Guardians of the Galaxy respectively. But Dante's example and thoughtful commentary was truly outstanding.

I am always proud of the work we do here at The Geek Embassy but never more so than when we are out at cons representing the site and our geeky interests. I have another article I am working on that will go into greater dept on that topic but I will save it for another time.

Check out the panel and let us know your thoughts!

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina & Isabela & Dante

To Discuss

What kind do you look for in a panel when you attend a con? Lots of audience participation? Lots of info? Great panelists? Celebrities?

Everywhere you look, in every form of pop culture, at the movies, on broadcast TV, and on Netflix, everything’s coming up superheroes. Storytelling has always been about explaining the world; it is how humankind reaches out and understands that the struggles we face are often shared experiences. How does our current fascination with superheroes relate to storytelling approaches of the past? Can fairy tales help us understand the current fascination with superheroes? Come listen to an enlightening discussion about how everything old is new again and superpowered to boot.

I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing three comic book hotshots at Rose City Comic Con. I completely lucked out and got a chance to talk to Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, And Babs Tarr about their latest offering from Image Comics: Motor Crush. 

I can't lie. When I got the list of books available for interview, Motor Crush raced to the top because the premise seemed so unique and inherently feminist. Domino Swift is a woman of color competing in the dangerous world of moto racing. She lives her life perched between the official world of racing, and dangerous street racing where she competes for the engine boosting substance, "Crush." Torn between two worlds that demand every ounce of her spirit, she battles her own demons and those out to get her. My jaw dropped at the end of the first volume and I can't wait to see what comes next. 

This is a live recording and unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a video to go with it. Check it out and order your own copy of Motor Crush Volume 1 now!

Regina 

We return again to the depths of the Vastwood and find our characters traveling back toward civilization. Nictis Loath travels with our merry band of adventurers. As you’ll remember from episode 8, we discovered Nictis the only living person among a community of powerful mage ghosts.

Nictis berates our characters with questions about every living thing. Having not been around other living people, his excitement is understandable even if a little on the annoying side. The group also discovers that Nictis might be a little more powerful than they originally expected. Will this help or hinder their experience? Check out the episode and see.

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina & Isabela & Dante & Mark & Evan

What’s the most surprising thing that’s happened to you while playing an RPG?

Three different perspectives with overlapping time periods: one week on land, one day at sea, and one hour in the air, create a non-linear narrative.

Introductory text at the start of the movie says that in 1940, after the invasion of France, hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers had retreated to Dunkirk. As German forces close in, they await evacuation in a seemingly hopeless situation.

Our opinions differed greatly in pretty much every aspect of the film. Mark shares his disappointment that the setting didn't look truer to the actual beaches during the war. (See photos below for comparison.) Ryan and I both appreciated the artistic nature of the movie overall and how it was surprisingly deep. I will heartily admit it is hard to follow at the start, especially if you don't know the details of the battle particularly well. Watch and listen to hear our thoughtful analysis.

Summers span decades. Winters can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne continues.

It stretches from the south, where heat breeds plots, lusts and intrigues, to the vast and savage eastern lands, where a young queen raises an army. All the while, in the frozen north, an 800-foot wall of ice precariously protects the war-ravaged kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. Kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men…all play the ‘Game of Thrones.’ An original series based on George R.R. Martin’s best-selling ‘A Song of Ice and Fire‘ series.

The Dragon & The Wolf

Season 7 of the epic series ends.

This is the first time we have recorded the DAY AFTER the episode aired. There is so much to say and so much happens. We talk about the amazing meeting of 17 named characters. Seriously. This is the first time so many known and loved characters were on screen at the same time and in many ways it was worth the wait. (Kinda loving The Hound.) As always, we talk about every aspect of the story and some of what we think is coming. We will record another wrap up episode, looking at the season and the series as a whole.

Until next time, winter has come to King's Landing!

Regina & Isabela & Nicole

What was your favorite scene from the finale? Did you love watching the wall come down? The politics? The slicing of someone's throat?

Summers span decades. Winters can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne continues.

It stretches from the south, where heat breeds plots, lusts and intrigues, to the vast and savage eastern lands, where a young queen raises an army. All the while, in the frozen north, an 800-foot wall of ice precariously protects the war-ravaged kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. Kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men…all play the ‘Game of Thrones.’ An original series based on George R.R. Martin’s best-selling ‘A Song of Ice and Fire‘ series.

Beyond the Wall

Jon and the Brotherhood hunt the dead. Arya confronts Sansa. Tyrion thinks about the future.

We discuss the ragtag band of adventurers that make this crazy plan to bring a wright back as proof to Cersi and Danereys. Sansa and Arya have a tense conversation. The rest of our story lines are left to wrap up in next week’s finale. Everything is moving so fast! It’s exciting and OMG only one episode left!

Until next time, don’t throw stones at zombies!

Regina, Isabela, and Nicole

What is your theory about Little Finger, Sansa, and Arya?

It’s finally that time of year again: Game of Thrones has returned to HBO! Regina, Isabela, join Nicole Tanner from Gaming with the Moms to discuss season 7 of everyone’s favorite fantasy drama.

Summers span decades. Winters can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne continues.

It stretches from the south, where heat breeds plots, lusts and intrigues, to the vast and savage eastern lands, where a young queen raises an army. All the while, in the frozen north, an 800-foot wall of ice precariously protects the war-ravaged kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. Kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men…all play the ‘Game of Thrones.’ An original series based on George R.R. Martin’s best-selling ‘A Song of Ice and Fire‘ series.

Season 7, Episode 3
The Queen's Justice 

Daenerys holds court. Tyrion backchannels. Cersei returns a gift. Jaime learns from his mistakes.

Season 7, Episode 5
The Spoils of War

The Lannisters pay their debts. Daenerys weighs her options. Arya comes home.

Season 7, Episode 6
Eastwatch

Daenerys offers a choice. Arya grows suspicious. Tyrion answers a good question.

The amount of action in these episodes is overwhelming. We do our best (and in only TWO HOURS!) to discuss each of the plot lines and the characters we've come to love and hate. One of the most interesting observations about GoT is the fact that we have such conflicted feelings about so many of the characters. It's often hard to decide in some scenes who you are rooting for...

We might record two more episodes in this season, depending on how much happens in the penultimate episode and the season finale. A battle approaches but will it rival the ones that have come before? Only time will tell.

Until next time, winter is here!

Regina, Isabela, and Nicole

Which character in GoT creates the most internal conflict for you? Who do you hate to love?

Join our characters as they make their way into this leg of their journey. The story deepens, the characters come together and the next leg of their journey becomes clear.

Watch the entire campaign, The Keeper of the Dead, on YouTube here! And subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina & Isabela & Dante & Mark & Evan

Hargath is a reformed murderer/thief. He became a member of Sarenrae’s order after a cleric from the order showed him mercy. At 36, he started his Cleric teachings older than most and his blond hair has begun to grey. Recently he had a falling out with the church he was based out of due to discovering the chief priest there embezzling gold for his own purposes. He now looks to find adventurers that he can travel with in the hopes of finding a new church and helping anyone he can along the way. Whether that means healing people, bringing evil-doers to the light or smiting  evil that won’t makes little difference to him.

The cheerfully optimistic, orange skinned, green haired gnome called Sevarka Sunseeker describes herself as a professional nomad. Friend to all she comes across, her delightful facade hides a family secret. Generations ago, a dragon assumed gnomish form bedded one of the Sunseeker family progenitors. The eldest born daughter of each Sunseeker generation manifests aspects of the dragon and inherits its magical​ talents. Sevarka is the first born daughter of her generation, and wanders to discover the the origins of her draconic blood and what that means for the legacy of the Sunseeker clan.

Neraaden (Nera like Vera for short) is the middle daughter of a large dwarf family. With 10 siblings, she feels underappreciated and overlooked by her family. She leaves her family with dreams of finding success on the road but encounters disaster almost as soon as she leaves. She persevered as she journeyed farther and father from home, hoping one day she might return home a celebrated hero.

Freya is a half-elf that is striking out on her own after clashing with her elfish mother one too many times. She wants to find out who she is without the influence of her family. Freya’s mother was born into a royal elvish family but gave up the luxuries of that life to be with the human man she came to love. Freya carries the weight of her mother’s sacrifice with heavy resentment.

Summers span decades. Winters can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne continues.

It stretches from the south, where heat breeds plots, lusts and intrigues, to the vast and savage eastern lands, where a young queen raises an army. All the while, in the frozen north, an 800-foot wall of ice precariously protects the war-ravaged kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. Kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men…all play the ‘Game of Thrones.’ An original series based on George R.R. Martin’s best-selling ‘A Song of Ice and Fire‘ series.

Ok it’s pretty safe to say all three of us are differing levels of fan girl over Game of Thrones. Most dedicated among us is Nicole as she knows all the characters names. Normally, I wouldn’t note this as part of a definition of being “most dedicated” but come on. So many characters, so many odd and hard to remember names. She wins.

We talk about both the season 7 premire episode, Dragonstone, and the second episode, Stormborn, in great detail. We spoil everything. That is pretty much the expectation for the entire TGE Watches series: Spoilers are coming. Also discussed are several fan theories and a handful of articles we read before recording.

I am kinda sad we wrapped when we did because we continued talking about how much we hate Little Finger afterward and it was awesome. We will try to remember to pick up on that next episode. As I mention, we will do three episodes in this TGE Watches series. The next will be in three weeks after episode 5 airs.

Until next time, winter has come!

Regina, Isabela, and Nicole.

Which story line in Game of Thrones is the most compelling to you and why?

A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). Under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine. He finds himself distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. But when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.

As always, we talk the nitty gritty of the whole movie and spoil everything! Highlights include discussing how high is too high for Peter Parker, Keaton once being team DC and now entering Marvel as a kick ass bad guy, and the amazing casting job overall in the movie. Don’t miss our insights!

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina, Ryan, and Mark

Was Spider-Man: Homecoming an origin story? Why or why not?

Sevarka (Dante) impresses us all with her amazing fireball of doom. Hargath (Mark) impresses us with his spells and healing power and taking the time to make sure Freya recovered completely from her wound. Neraden (Regina) cleaves her way into the hearts and heads of the enemy. It was a great episode.

In episode seven, we continue toward the relic that set us on this road. The path changes a bit in this episode, much to each of our character’s surprise. Watch and let us know what you think of our journey!

Game on!

Regina & Isabela & Mark & Dante & Evan

What do you think is the most important part of role playing? Developing your character? Or bonding as a team?

Adapted from the classic novel by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale is the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States. Facing environmental disasters and a plunging birthrate, Gilead is ruled by a twisted fundamentalism in its militarized ‘return to traditional values’. As one of the few remaining fertile women, Offred (Elisabeth Moss) is a Handmaid in the Commander’s household, one of the caste of women forced into sexual servitude as a last desperate attempt to repopulate the world. In this terrifying society, Offred must navigate between Commanders, their cruel Wives, domestic Marthas, and her fellow Handmaids – where anyone could be a spy for Gilead – all with one goal: to survive and find the daughter that was taken from her.

We touch on three major topics during this discussion which all focus on our differing perspectives as viewers. First we discuss how the show stays true to the source material and how it differs. The impact this has on the story told is pretty profound. We touch on the different emotional responses we had to the themes of motherhood. I found some of the scenes that involved June’s daughter to be particularly difficult, not because of the content but because I can so imagine my own emotional response as a mother. Lastly, we analyze how race is represented in Gliead in this modern, visual medium and how that is also a significant departure from the book.

To Discuss:

Did you watch The Handmaid’s Tale? What drew you to the story and kept you watching? If not, have you avoided it for a specific reason? We love hearing your comments! Let us know your thoughts below.

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina & Isabela

This episode finds our heroes in some real trouble, fighting tooth and nail for the sake of the group. We have some fun rolls, some crazy things happen, and we all have great fun. We sure hope you enjoy watching!

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina & Mark & Dante & Isabela & Evan

What is your favorite weapon to wield in an RPG game? Video or tabletop? What makes it so enjoyable to play? I take some great satisfaction wielding Neraden’s Great Ax, I’ll admit, and Dante’s pleasure at roaming fireballs is amazing.

Hargath (Mark)
Human Cleric
Alignment: Neutral Good

Hargath is a reformed murderer/thief. He became a member of Sarenrae’s order after a cleric from the order showed him mercy. At 36, he started his Cleric teachings older than most and his blond hair has begun to grey. Recently he had a falling out with the church he was based out of due to discovering the chief priest there embezzling gold for his own purposes. He now looks to find adventurers that he can travel with in the hopes of finding a new church and helping anyone he can along the way. Whether that means healing people, bringing evil-doers to the light or smiting  evil that won’t makes little difference to him.

Sevarka Sunseeker (Dante)
Gnome Sorceress
Alignment: Neutral Good

The cheerfully optimistic, orange skinned, green haired gnome called Sevarka Sunseeker describes herself as a professional nomad. Friend to all she comes across, her delightful facade hides a family secret. Generations ago, a dragon assumed gnomish form bedded one of the Sunseeker family progenitors. The eldest born daughter of each Sunseeker generation manifests aspects of the dragon and inherits its magical​ talents. Sevarka is the first born daughter of her generation, and wanders to discover the the origins of her draconic blood and what that means for the legacy of the Sunseeker clan.

Neraden Runka (Regina)
Dwarf Barbarian
Alignment: Neutral Good

Neraaden (Nera like Vera for short) is the middle daughter of a large dwarf family. With 10 siblings, she feels underappreciated and overlooked by her family. She leaves her family with dreams of finding success on the road but encounters disaster almost as soon as she leaves. She persevered as she journeyed farther and father from home, hoping one day she might return home a celebrated hero.

Freya Redsun (Isabela)
Half-Elf Ranger
Alignment: Neutral Good

Freya is a half-elf that is striking out on her own after clashing with her elfish mother one too many times. She wants to find out who she is without the influence of her family. Freya’s mother was born into a royal elvish family but gave up the luxuries of that life to be with the human man she came to love. Freya carries the weight of her mother’s sacrifice with heavy resentment.

<do doo dut do> Wonder Woman! <do doo dut do>

But seriously folks, this summer's Wonder Woman movie has been the topic of much debate and discussion all over the internets. As a long time fan with a very serious personal connection to Wonder Woman, I'll be the first to admit that I was worried how well my favorite Amazon princess might be treated on the big screen. I'm thankful for the outcome.

As usual, we discuss the movie in great detail. It's three weeks today since it opened so I am not too concerned about that. But consider yourself warned anyway!

Ryan takes a measured response and is not too terribly celebratory of the movie. Mark lands much in the space space as Ryan. They both had far more negatives about the movie than I had which is great because they balance out my OMG THIS IS THE BEST EVER vibe. (Even though I feel like some points were rather nitpicky.) Watch the episode to see what our final tally is on total thumbs up. (Spoiler: I gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up!)

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina & Mark & Ryan

To Discuss

What did you watch Wonder Woman? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.

Finding the path is the next move in our adventurers’ journey. It’s not a clear move forward after running into a giant spider nest but our adventurers persevere. They find new complexities await them at the base of the mountains. Each episode takes them closer to the final dangers they will face. The road is not clear and easy; instead, it is covered with dead and decaying forest but also some more dangerous and sentient creatures.

As the new player to pen and paper role playing campaigns, I make sure to slow down and ask about the rules at several points in this episode. I realized at one point that we were skimming over some pretty important play mechanics. Since a key component of The Geek Embassy’s mission is to help facilitate learning, I wanted to make sure we covered exactly what was happening during the fighting. And anyway, the fights are the best part of the adventure. Well, that and Evan’s voice characterizations.

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina & Mark & Isabela, & Dante & Evan

To Discuss

What is your favorite fantasy race to play? Do you pick races that are similar to you in real life or the opposite? Neither?

For this hangout, we share our favorite parental figures from TV shows, movies, and books. We combined May and June’s hangout into one epic conversation. I had the idea to talk about favorite moms for May’s hangout since we were scheduled to record around Mother’s Day. When we had to reschedule, it made sense to make it a May and June parental figures celebration.

Each of us came with a different set of priorities and considerations for the characters we shared.  One ambassador had a truly epic list. (Cough cough Dante cough cough.) One of the most interesting ideas that we cover is how rarely we think about parental characters just in general. It’s easy and natural to talk about heroes or heroines, villains and even minions. But sitting down to think about favorite mentors and parents is something we rarely consider.

Give it a listen and let us know what you think!

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina & Isabela & Dante & Evan

Obviously, share your favorite parents or parental figures.

Each of our characters reacts differently to the fallout from the fight and taking the next step forward as we search for the trinket that set us on this path.

What is your worst nightmare in a story? What would you do if that nightmare happened to your character?

Miss an episode? Watch the entire series here!

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina, Isabela, Dante, Mark, and Evan

The excitement builds in this episode as our adventurers begin to understand the depth of the dangers present in the Vastwood. But our party will not be intimidated by the size of the foes they will fight! No! We will press ever onward.

Don’t miss this episode where you can see Nera (Regina) roll terribly but still swing a big axe, watch Sevarka (Dante) joke around, Hargarth (Mark) do some magical serious damage, and Freya (Isabela) aim her bow for the first time. We laugh a lot and hope you will too!

What is your favorite class to play in a role playing game? Do you play pen and paper or digitally? Never played but want to? Ask us about our experiences!

Watch a playlist the whole series here.

We continue our role play adventure with the next segment in our Pathfinder campaign. We begin the journey we started in our first episode, after spending the night in the Vagabond’s Rest deep in the Vastwood.

Our adventurers start on the first leg of their journey after being bestowed a map from their employer, Ruchior. The party seeks a guide and safe passage down the treacherous rain-swollen Varidan River and into the wilds beyond.

Join us as we learn to play Pathfinder and enjoy this story crafted for us by Evan.

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina, Evan, Isabela, Mark, and Dante

Hargath (Mark)
Human Cleric
Alignment: Neutral Good

Hargath is a reformed murderer/thief. He became a member of Sarenrae’s order after a cleric from the order showed him mercy. At 36, he started his Cleric teachings older than most and his blond hair has begun to grey. Recently he had a falling out with the church he was based out of due to discovering the chief priest there embezzling gold for his own purposes. He now looks to find adventurers that he can travel with in the hopes of finding a new church and helping anyone he can along the way. Whether that means healing people, bringing evil-doers to the light or smiting  evil that won’t makes little difference to him.

Sevarka Sunseeker (Dante)
Gnome Sorceress
Alignment: Neutral Good

The cheerfully optimistic, orange skinned, green haired gnome called Sevarka Sunseeker describes herself as a professional nomad. Friend to all she comes across, her delightful facade hides a family secret. Generations ago, a dragon assumed gnomish form bedded one of the Sunseeker family progenitors. The eldest born daughter of each Sunseeker generation manifests aspects of the dragon and inherits its magical​ talents. Sevarka is the first born daughter of her generation, and wanders to discover the the origins of her draconic blood and what that means for the legacy of the Sunseeker clan.

Neraden Runka (Regina)
Dwarf Barbarian
Alignment: Neutral Good

Neraaden (Nera like Vera for short) is the middle daughter of a large dwarf family. With 10 siblings, she feels underappreciated and overlooked by her family. She leaves her family with dreams of finding success on the road but encounters disaster almost as soon as she leaves. She persevered as she journeyed farther and father from home, hoping one day she might return home a celebrated hero.

Freya Redsun (Isabela)
Half-Elf Ranger
Alignment: Neutral Good

Freya is a half-elf that is striking out on her own after clashing with her elfish mother one too many times. She wants to find out who she is without the influence of her family. Freya’s mother was born into a royal elvish family but gave up the luxuries of that life to be with the human man she came to love. Freya carries the weight of her mother’s sacrifice with heavy resentment.

We start out our discussion with initial impressions which come back favorable. Ryan mentions the concern that the movie might become the "Baby Groot Show" and how the clever intro sequence put those concerns to rest. From there we spend some time talking about what we love about the movie (a lot) and what we disliked (not much).

We were all impressed with how strong the character development was throughout the movie. They started with some well established and enjoyable characters. A lot is at stake with characters that are beloved from a single movie. Mark observes that this is one sequel that stays in the same league as the original film. That is hard to come by.

Watch and listen and let us know your thoughts in the comments. We are also looking for movies to see in August and September and are open to suggestions!

Next month we see Wonder Woman because of course we are.

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina, Mark, and Ryan

Topics we considered: Favorite/least favorite moments. Favorite special effect. Favorite song/musical moment. Favorite theme. (Clearly, the importance of chosen family.)

On this holiest of geeky holidays, International Tabletop Day, The Geek Embassy welcomes you to follow us on a Pathfinder role play adventure. Isabela, Mark, Dante and I will take our newly rolled characters on an adventure hand crafted for us by Evan Graham. In today’s intro video, we share with you our character backstories, and a few hints about the story we will be exploring.

This campaign will be a journey in exploration and learning for me. This is my first ever pen and paper role play experience. I’ve wanted to jump into a true role playing game since I started my dissertation research almost 10 years ago. I noted in one of the texts I used how ironic it was that role players are often disparaged for their “performance” but we pay movie actors huge amounts of money to play scripted characters. It takes so much more imagination and innovation to improv a character in a setting like this. As you will see just from this introduction, I have a lot to learn. I’m delighted to share my experience with the community here.

I hope you all will join us on our journey and watch and learn along with me. Let’s get this party started!

Geek on!

Regina, Isabela, Mark, Dante, and Evan

Seeking shelter from an encroaching storm, our band of adventurers stumble across the Halfway Inn, deep in the heart of the Vastwood. As they settle in for the night, they make the acquaintance of Ruchior the Antiquarian, and his strange wooden companion Davenport. Here they learn of a great danger lurking deep in the wilderness beyond…

Hargath (Mark)
Human Cleric
Alignment: Neutral Good

Hargath is a reformed murderer/thief. He became a member of Sarenrae’s order after a cleric from the order showed him mercy. At 36, he started his Cleric teachings older than most and his blond hair has begun to grey. Recently he had a falling out with the church he was based out of due to discovering the chief priest there embezzling gold for his own purposes. He now looks to find adventurers that he can travel with in the hopes of finding a new church and helping anyone he can along the way. Whether that means healing people, bringing evil-doers to the light or smiting  evil that won’t makes little difference to him.

Sevarka Sunseeker (Dante)
Gnome Sorceress
Alignment: Neutral Good

The cheerfully optimistic, orange skinned, green haired gnome called Sevarka Sunseeker describes herself as a professional nomad. Friend to all she comes across, her delightful facade hides a family secret. Generations ago, a dragon assumed gnomish form bedded one of the Sunseeker family progenitors. The eldest born daughter of each Sunseeker generation manifests aspects of the dragon and inherits its magical​ talents. Sevarka is the first born daughter of her generation, and wanders to discover the the origins of her draconic blood and what that means for the legacy of the Sunseeker clan.

Neraden Runka (Regina)
Dwarf Barbarian
Alignment: Neutral Good

Neraaden (Nera like Vera for short) is the middle daughter of a large dwarf family. With 10 siblings, she feels underappreciated and overlooked by her family. She leaves her family with dreams of finding success on the road but encounters disaster almost as soon as she leaves. She persevered as she journeyed farther and father from home, hoping one day she might return home a celebrated hero.

Freya Redsun (Isabela)
Half-Elf Ranger
Alignment: Neutral Good

Freya is a half-elf that is striking out on her own after clashing with her elfish mother one too many times. She wants to find out who she is without the influence of her family. Freya’s mother was born into a royal elvish family but gave up the luxuries of that life to be with the human man she came to love. Freya carries the weight of her mother’s sacrifice with heavy resentment.

This month, we decided to take a few quizzes and compare results. Isabela, Evan, and I have lots of opinions about all things Harry Potter, not just the house definitions and meanings. We open with a brief discussion of Fantastic Beasts and The Cursed Child to kick off our discussion. I get all the names wrong. All of them.

For those who might not be as well versed in the Hogwarts houses, summaries of each house (taken from the Harry Potter Wiki)

Gryffindor values bravery, daring, nerve, and chivalry. Its emblematic animal is the lion and its colors are scarlet and gold.

Hufflepuff values hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty, and fair play. Its emblematic animal is the badger, and Yellow and Black are its colors.

Ravenclaw values intelligence, knowledge, and wit. Its emblematic animal is the eagle, and its colors are blue and bronze.

Slytherin house values ambition, cunning and resourcefulness and was founded by Salazar Slytherin. Its emblematic animal is the serpent, and its colors are emerald green and silver.

The fandom dedicated to Harry Potter is highly devoted and there are many ways to look at the Hogwarts Houses. We have a great time discussing the quizzes and our own desires to "self sort" into the house we truly feel the most aligned to.

Buzzfeed - What Is Your Hogwarts House Percentage?

Pottermore - The Sorting Hat

Personality Lab - Find Your Hogwarts House - Harry Potter Sorting Hat Personality Test

The Sorting Hat Chats - The Basics of Our Sorting System (article - no quiz)

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina, Isabela, and Evan

What is your Harry Potter house? Are we friends or house enemies?

Isabela previously discussed how guilty pleasures are often code for feminine. Romances are often described as guilty pleasures. One of the ideas we mention is they are often more light hearted or popcorn entertainment. 

The most amusing part of this hangout for me was hearing us defend each other's guilty pleasures and then finally finding something Mark considered a guilty pleasure, even if he didn't want to admit it. 

Until next time, get your geek on!

Regina & Isabela & Mark & Julie

Well, now is your chance! For our recent presentation in Portland, I was able to record our panel on my phone on a mini tripod recommended by a photographer friend of the show, Andrew. The sound isn't great but I think you can hear each of us well enough. Isabela is the faintest since she is farthest from the mic.

I truly adore this presentation. It represents the best of The Geek Embassy: a bunch of geeks merging their interests into a completely new idea. The genesis of this presentation came from me and Jen having cocktails one spring afternoon. All of sudden I had out a notepad and we were sketching through the ideas that ended up becoming the basis for this presentation.

What fairy tales do you love? What superhero stories could you relate to that fairy tale? Can you make the connection? Want to challenge us to?

But we've talked about those geeky relationship moments before so to spice this up we threw in our favorite doomed couples and our favorite "ships" or relationships we wish for. AKA "Fanon." We've got some crazy matches in store for you and some sad couples who either had tragic ends or tragically ended their shows because they ended up together. (Writers: don't kill the sexual tension! It really ends things!)

My 'ship couple brought up quite a bit of discussion and some creative ideas. Check it out to see what crazy world we really would like to see come about.

We WRaP the end of the episode with what we are Watching, Reading, and Playing. So much great geeky material to discuss!

Make sure to check out the live video and the podcast episode.

Until next time, get  your geek on!

Regina & Isabela & Julie & Dante

Tell us:  Your favorite couples? Who do you 'ship? Who is doomed but awesome in your mind?

Or at least a few less celebrity deaths.

Rhonda and I recall our fabulous time at Geek Girl Con in Seattle. We presented a great panel titled, "Capes & Baskets: What fairy tales can teach us about superheroes." It was really well received and a blast. The comments were amazing. It was so much fun to see people take our ideas and run with them. We also offered some advice about what not to do if you have a panel at a con. (The dreaded, "We want to hear from you!" is at the top of the list.)

We shared some of our expectations for 2017 and things we hope to find this year. We also shared some geeky gifts we got from the holiday season. One of Rhonda's gifts to me is going to play a pretty significant role this year for the site. Keep an eye out for that in the coming months.

Unfortunately, we will not be at Emerald City Comic Con this year. Our panel and press badges were both rejected. Maybe we will make it again in 2018.

Until next time, geek your geek on and have a fabulous 2017!

Regina & Rhonda & Mark & Ryan

What was your favorite moment from 2016? What are you looking forward to in 2017? Let us know in the comments.

For our November hangout the staff of The Geek Embassy put together a wonderful gift guide of all kinds of geeky themed gifts. I won't lie. Quite of few of my suggestions are things on my very own wish list. Check out our consulate themed gift suggestions.

Tantalus Depths

https://www.inkshares.com/books/tantalus-depths

Paper Girls

(volume 1, volume2 out Dec 6) - sci-fi

The Martian

https://www.amazon.com/Martian-Andy-Weir/dp/0553418025/

"Emergence" by David R Palmer

https://www.amazon.com/Emergence-David-R-Palmer/dp/0553245015/

http://product.half.ebay.com/Emergence-by-David-R-Palmer-1984-Paperback/1299986&cpid=2689560

Tickets to a play

https://www.pcs.org/oregontrail

Mothering the Game 

https://www.inkshares.com/books/mothering-the-game

The Dresden Files

https://www.amazon.com/Storm-Front-Dresden-Files-Butcher/dp/0451457811/

ThinkGeek - Solar System Glasses

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/2033/

Art book - Lois van Baarle

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Loish-Look-Behind-Scenes/dp/190941428X

Cooling Pillow 

https://www.amazon.com/Acanva-Memory-Cooling-Natural-Standard/dp/B01JFRW1L4/

Nap Pillow Buddy

Minion

Storm Trooper

MyBOOKmark bookmark

http://mybookmark-shop.com/

Postage Stamps

Star Trek postage stamps

Wonder Woman postage

Lego Ghostbusters Firehouse

http://www.target.com/p/lego-ghostbusters-firehouse-headquarters-75827/

3D Lamps

https://www.amazon.com/WOlight%C2%AE-Bedroom-Children-Decorative-Millennium/dp/B01FX8ILZY/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FW00NI6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Tickets to Bridgetown Comedy Festival - 4 days of comedy in May

https://www.bridgetowncomedy.com/

Tech:

Lumo Lift - Posture Coach & activity tracker

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N9P8GMW/

Polk Swimmer Bluetooth Speaker

https://www.polkaudio.com/products/swimmer-duo

Electric Wine Bottle Opener

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YFI0O6/

Syma X5C Explorers drone with camera

https://smile.amazon.com/Explorers-2-4Ghz-6-Axis-Quadcopter-Camera/dp/B01CNGT0DG/

Apogee One

7 Wonders - Duel

https://www.amazon.com/7-Wonders-Duel-Board-Game/dp/B014DMSTXK/

Superfight

https://www.amazon.com/SUPERFIGHT-Card-Game-Core-Deck/dp/B00E5QL2AC/

Mouse Guard RPG

http://www.mouseguard.net/book/role-playing-game/

Custom Photo Card Deck

http://photo.walgreens.com/walgreens/pdpgifts/type=playing_cards?tab=photo_Toys_PlayingCards

Dice Masters

Doodle and Dice bags (you never have enough)