Second Breakfast with Cam & Maggie

Discussion of House of the Dragon, Season 1, Episode 6: “The Princess and the Queen”

After a 10-year time jump, we’re viewing this episode as a second pilot of House of the Dragon. Cam takes us throu…

Discussion of The Time of Contempt, Chapter 6

Welcome back to Maggie’s Mythology Corner! On today’s episode we’re talking about unicorns, which it turns out were not invented by Disney or Harry Potte…

Discussion of House of the Dragon, Season 1, Episode 5: “We Light the Way”

A new wedding in Westeros means a new color that makes us wince. We start with a discussion of Criston Cole: his downfall, h…

Discussion of The Time of Contempt, Chapter 5

After last week's cataclysmic conclave, you'd think Sapkowski might slow down for a chapter, maybe coast for a few pages. NOPE. We've got a spiraling smo…

Discussion of House of the Dragon, Season 1, Episode 4: “The King of the Narrow Sea”

Tristan is back this week for a whole hour of our long-running segment, Incest Watch! Some great listener feedback…

Discussion of The Time of Contempt, Chapter 4

So how ‘bout that magical conclave, huh? We thought this would be the straightforward centerpiece of this book – the Council of Elrond in the Witcher wor…

Discussion of House of the Dragon, Season 1, Episode 3: “Second of His Name”

Mythology, Arthurian legend, and pivotal Game of Thrones moments all flavor this week’s episode. The symbolism is heavy an…

Discussion of The Time of Contempt, Chapter 3

Throw on you party dresses and chug some enchanted wine – it’s time for some palace intrigue! This devious dinner party is a showcase for Sapkowski’s mul…

Discussion of House of the Dragon, Season 1, Episode 2: “The Rogue Prince”

This might be the best hour of fantasy we’ve gotten in years. Join us (and Tristan!) for a winding discussion of this great …

Discussion of The Time of Contempt, Chapter 2

After what feels like years of teasing, the Wild Hunt has finally made its appearance! And boy is she scary. Sapkowski has managed yet again to take trad…

Discussion of House of the Dragon, Season 1, Episode 1: “The Heirs of the Dragon”   HOLY MOTHER OF DRAGONS. We were absolutely blown away by this pilot episode for the new Game of Thrones spinoff ser…

The Time of Contempt, Chapter 1   Book 2 of The Witcher series started out with a bang (or is it really Book 4?? Don’t ask us). Sapkowski pulled out all the stops by using every tool in his short-sto…

For the final episode of Summerween 2022, we’re going back 100 years to examine a horror classic. We discuss the charming imperfections of scrappy 1920s production, coupled with the problems of unaut…

Blood of Elves, Chapter 7

FIRST THINGS FIRST: Our Substack is live! We’ve put together a new platform that will allow us to analyze more works of art and better interact with the Second Breakfast com…

This week’s Summerween movie is brought to you by Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Christopher Marlowe - and Kevin Smith! Tusk is one of those movies that lures you in with a simple concept and a familiar …

Blood of Elves, Chapter 6

This chapter is all about what we’re calling the “Sapkowski couplet”: after introducing complex, nuanced ideas in theory, we get to watch them play out in practicality. The …

Mike Flanagan’s 2016 home invasion thriller was a rip-roaring good time! He and co-writer/star Kate Siegel put together a film that both satisfies and defies our expectations. An acute awareness of t…

Blood of Elves, Chapter 5

This chapter is full of echoes – but it’s not just Sapkowski showing off, he’s inviting comparisons, drawing points of contrast, and challenging everything we know. Familiar…

We interrupt our regularly scheduled Summerween to bring you a dual-perspective look at the latest House of the Dragon hubbub. Cam breaks down a hopeful and informative two-part article from The Holl…

Blood of Elves, Chapter 4

This is one of those chapters that you could unpack and discuss for hours. Sapkowski is not afraid to throw contradicting worldviews at the wall like pieces of spaghetti. Th…