Stephen Strange: Hello, this is Stephen strange.
You are meddling in things that you do
not understand.
You need to cease and desist, now.
MCU Need to Know
Trey: Hello and welcome back to another episode of MCU Need to Know a podcast
dedicated to the Marvel cinematic universe and everything you need to know.
I'm Trey.
And unfortunately, Jude couldn't make it this week, but nevertheless, I'm
excited because today we get to welcome a first-time guest whose creativity weaves
together, informational recreational, and inspirational entertainment.
Whether they're delving into anime, fandoms on tick-tock are raising
money for charity on Twitch.
We're delighted to welcome the hype queen herself, yabba dabba.
Welcome to
Yebba: the show.
Thank you so much for having me also.
That was the.
Best introduction and I'm blushing.
Trey: So tell me, oh, that makes me so happy.
Look, I've heard that compliment a lot.
So it makes me happy every time.
So thank you for, uh, for saying that.
Absolutely.
You know, I got to say this isn't the easiest thing in the world
to do, but the fact that you have secured the same username across
all social media platforms has made this part of the job so much easier.
So thank you for that as well.
Yebba: You're very welcome.
And let me, oh my gosh, it was just one of those, like I had to muscle my
way through, I had to get past some people that were like yabba dabba,
doo, and I'm like, you know what?
You have a debit don't.
So it was just, it was very, it, you know, th the Instagram was the longest one, but
we finally secured it and I got that URL.
So it was just like, bam, bam, bam.
Wow.
Stars all
Trey: aligned.
Oh, I'm so glad that that is finally happened.
Uh, when an impressive list of just creative content you're putting out
there, uh, I do want to start with Twitch because that is where we got connected.
Uh, why this is happening, uh, 40,000 raise for charity.
That that's fantastic.
I, I was wondering if you could let our listeners know what
they can expect whenever they tune into a yabba dabba stream.
Yebba: Well, um, prepare your face palms because there's usually a lot of puns.
Um, both from me and then also from chat.
Um, and well, we, we tend to have, I would say probably the most
consistent thing that we have is that we have very real talks.
So, you know, I have some people who come in being like,
Hey, I don't understand this.
Or, you know, I'm not sure what's happening.
Or like, especially, you know, during this past two years with the pandemic
and with the election and with my history in election stuff, um, there, there
were, there was a lot of uncertainty.
And so, um, if there's anything that I can extend a as a welcome
mat, it is a welcoming space for a lot of different vibes.
But the one that we will always try to leave.
Is cozy and comforted.
So we play a lot of different games, but the thing that's kind of consistent
is that we have a lot of really important talks, but we also make
sure that we check in with each other and tend to have a really good time.
So I would say that's probably the most consistent thing.
And we also kicked for.
Uh, and if you are there for any of my scary streams, please
have me on like 30% volume.
It can, it can get bad, also very creative swearing, which I
will do my absolute best not to
Trey: do here.
I got to say so it's so funny you say that because coming also from the streaming
space as well, I too curse a lot, but once we started doing this podcast, when I was,
when I was doing it with dude, I've pulled back some, so I'm right there with you.
I know how it feels to have to attain that in.
And you're again, if, if all that other stuff is not an incentive
enough, please go listen to some of the creative swearing, because
you have taught me new words that I never thought to ever put together,
Yebba: set up a Dingle offer.
That's the big one, uh, the holy poop nuggets.
Um, there were a couple other ones where I was like on the front page and I was just.
Shit talkie shes was it?
It was just like, what, what can I say?
What happens here?
I did have to do a swear jar, like on the front page one time they
were just like, you're, you're cut.
It's like, we're not saying that you can't do that.
But I am saying that we need an incentive for you to keep doing it.
So like $5 every time you're on the front page and you swear, and I was like, cool.
Yeah, I can do that.
Now we have a swear jar on my channel too.
So if people activate it, it hurts the bank, but it's for a good cause.
Trey: Well, switching gears a little bit, you also make videos for tick-tock,
which I think is a relatively new addition to your creative avenues.
What can people expect there?
Cause I know you talk a lot about anime, which is what made me
really think like, oh yeah, that would be perfect for this podcast.
Yeah.
Yebba: I started an anime watch list.
It was about a year ago, actually like last week.
Uh, it was just like, I want people to curate my anime experiences.
I've watched one piece for years and I, I grew up with Toonami.
I did the whole kitten caboodle.
I've kept up with some shows, but I've never, I haven't really
watched anything like, honestly, past the year, like maybe 2008.
So like I've always gone to the same.
Well, and I've always gone to my comfort shows and I've always had
a good time, big Gundam fan, you know, big Robert robots go, boom.
It was one of those, like I liked the anime community that was on Tik TOK.
And so I wanted to create something that wasn't just a toxic hot
take, like let's compare power scale, blah, type of a place.
And I just wanted to create something that was still.
And ridiculous because I'm silly and ridiculous, but also to explore new anime.
And I would say probably from 2010 till now, I have watched a
huge slew of new genres of new studios, new types of things.
And like, I'm just, I'm completely blown away.
And I'm really, I'm honored that people, um, especially 13,000 of
them have enjoyed my journey so far.
Um, but it's all, it's a lot of silly fandom videos I have, you know,
again, it's, it's really anything nerdy, um, that kind of pops into
my head when it comes to stuff.
Books movies, television shows anime a lot of anime, more anime manga.
So, um, yeah, so that's, that's really what it is.
Yeah.
I'm just, I'm just a goon over there.
So it's, it's fun.
It's light.
It's it's not supposed to be taken very seriously.
I'm not, you know, I'm not here to tell everybody that they should do something.
I'm just here.
Like, Hey, I had a good time with it and I hope you do too.
That's what.
Trey: Yeah.
And, you know, based off what you said about your tick, talking about your
Twitch, creating that space for people to get excited, you're going to fit right in.
I'm so excited that you had decided to join us on this podcast.
And of course, if you want to follow more of Yahweh's work and make sure
you're following your at yabba dabba on Twitter, Instagram, Tik, TOK,
uh, Twitch, you can find all these links in the show notes as well.
So of course we are going to be talking about moon night, but something we'd
like to do every time we have a new guest on is to get a bit of a taste
of where they started with the MCU.
So what's your connection to the MCU?
Yebba: Yeah.
So I've always sort of been a fan of Marvel.
Um, I am actually a big X-Men fan.
Oh.
Um, so X-Men evolutions the nineties X-Men show X-Men con.
Um, kitty pride shadow cat is my frickin Patronis.
Um, I adore her and I adore everything about her, just I latched onto that
character and I was like, I need to know everything about everything
when it comes to her universe.
Um, so I had known about certain characters, but I would say
that I got introduced the MCU probably through the movie Thor.
Um, I am notorious for not up until probably the MCU in Lord of the rings.
Uh, I'm notorious for not seeing movies on time ever.
So like, uh, like I always, I was talking about how I finished X-Files in like 2013.
Um, like I can, I can be very behind on literally everything all of the
time, uh, except for one piece.
Trey: So.
I still haven't seen X-Files so I,
Yebba: gosh.
Okay.
Well, listen here.
If you ever need to get into Mulder and Scully, you just let me know.
I can give you some highlights.
Um, yes, the, um, so I would say on a, when I went with a friend to
go see the movie Thor in theaters and I was all in, I was all in,
obviously, also because of Tom had.
But yes, it was, it was just one of those, like, I love the portrayal.
Like I, I had sort of known about the Asgardians, but like, I didn't
know that big I had, I just, I had no idea something could be such a
visual feast when it came to that.
And so I was like, okay, well, if we're going to go jettisoned off of
the fantasy of Lord of the rings, into the fantasy of other armored
things with heavy things that go ouch, uh, I'm definitely gonna watch that.
Definitely gonna watch that.
So I still stand by the Avengers.
The Avengers is my favorite movie, so I know even above all the other ones, but
it's, it's still, it's the well that I go back to it's it's the, it's the comfort.
It's.
It's the culmination of all the characters that I started to learn.
And I, I still think it's to this day, probably my
Trey: favorite movie.
I mean, it is the moment, right?
It is the, the proof of the promise from the first phase of the MCU.
So it's like, yeah, I could totally see how that would be up there as one of your.
Yebba: Yeah.
Times were simpler than,
Trey: yeah.
Well,
well with the Avengers being the culmination of a lot of the
early heroes, what hero sticks out to you the most in the MCU?
Oh
Yebba: boy.
I grew to like Scarlet witch more with one division.
Yeah.
There, there was a time where she was introduced.
I, I read about her.
I, I knew about wine division and in Quicksilver because I knew about Magneto.
So like, I, I knew all about that and I was super hyped for her to come on.
And I was just like, what is this?
When it happened?
I was like, what is this?
Like, she's supposed to be an all-powerful literal human being.
So I was, I w I don't want to say I was disappointed because
I still liked her story.
And I still liked that little segment with vision, but it wasn't
until wine division where I was like, yes, ma'am reporting for duty.
I am.
Um, so I would say that she was the most surprising one that I, I started latching
on to when it came to all of that.
I'm also, I'm also just a really big black widow fan.
Oh.
Cause I, I mean, besides it just being Scarlett Johannson, I like this.
I like the story of a redeeming character.
Um, especially ever Demian character who has so much subtext and so much secrecy
and just, and just creates so many walls.
And then those walls just keep getting pushed down with all of the love
that's around them, but also because of their own confidence and their
own acceptance of their mistakes and kind of growing from that.
So I just, I really liked, I really liked that character and I also, I it's,
it's so funny that I'm going from like an all powerful being to like just a
bad-ass in a cat suit, but like, it's just, I, I, there, there are two very
strong women in many different facets.
That I think I latched onto, and it really, it was very encouraging
to see kind of on the screen.
I'm sad that we still had to wait until however long to get her movie, but
I was happy when we finally got it.
So, and then we got Yulaina.
Oh, yes.
Trey: Yes.
Who's the best.
So hopefully, hopefully we'll get to see more.
It won't be the same without Scarlett Johannson, but hopefully we'll see
more black widows stories with Yelaina.
I mean, she's gotta be one of the new faces of the MCU.
Oh yeah.
She's great.
So yeah.
Well, thank you so much for enlightening us with that.
That's a very exciting intro to the Marvel cinematic universe.
But of course, if you download this episode and you know, we're going to be
talking about season one episode, two of moon night called some in the suit.
So the way we're going to handle this is we're going to start off with
some pre spoiler thoughts, which is a chance for us to talk about the episode
without really getting into the details.
And that will be followed by an audio cue, which will take us in to the spoiler zone.
So before we get there, Yeah, but what are your thoughts
for episode two of Moonlight?
Yebba: It's moving at a pace in terms of introducing people
and introducing platforms.
Very quickly, but in such an informative and immersive way that it doesn't feel
like I'm just being thrown something and I'm like, wait, what I have to back up.
I didn't follow that because that happens to me a lot in animals.
So we, you know, we got to see some new characters and we
got to delve even further into characters that we already know.
And I was just, I, I loved it.
And I, I really, I really can't wait to see more, especially when
it comes to a couple of those
Trey: characters.
So yeah, I, and I think you're, you're spot on with the way they
are delivering the information.
It was on my rewatch today in preparation for this episode that it really hits.
This is the first Disney plus series.
I know we're two episodes in, but this is the first Disney plus series.
I have not thought about the runtime at all.
I've just been like, oh yeah.
Onboard from the start to the end.
And it's even in a way where it's like, it doesn't end where I'm like, oh, that's it.
I want more.
It's just well paced.
And the final preschooler thought, I think I'll throw out there is that for as much
flack as the MCU gets for undercutting moments with comedy, I think this
show has found an impressive balancing act between humor and seriousness.
Yebba: And I, I really like, I, I listened to the first episode and I
really liked that both you and Jude kind of pointed out that it portrays did.
In, in a way that doesn't feel too jarring, but also doesn't
feel super over-exaggerated, but it feels very empathetic.
And, uh, in terms of, of that, and I, and I feel like it went into that a
little bit more in this episode, and you got to see that the N that empathy
also from other characters, which I thought was like, like, yes, like,
yes, like people are addressing it.
It's not just this, like only the audience knows type of a thing, which, which I
get really annoyed with when I don't know how many books you read, but like
unreliable narrator books, when it comes.
You're the only person that knows, but you don't actually know because that's
the whole plot twisty thing of this book.
And I'm glad that it's, it's, it's not just something shoved under the rug or,
and it's not just used as a plot point to be like, wow, this is going to be,
you know, shocking shock value and book.
And it's not, it's not that at all, which I greatly appreciate.
And they.
Really went into that in the second episode.
Trey: A lot more.
Yeah.
Empathy, I think is a great way to spotlight how they're treating did so far.
Yep.
Well, I think that's a good place to leave the preschooler thought.
So let's go ahead and jump into the spoiler zone.
Like you said, you're gonna hear an audio cue and on the other side, it'll
be fair game for all spoilers in the MCU.
We'll see.
On the other side
and we're back.
So the way we're going to do this is break this down into the most important
topics of the episode, which is a way for us to cover it without having
to go necessarily scene by scene.
So starting with the first one, this one's called explaining mark.
We see really three instances of Stephen having to contend
with this other personality.
We see him explaining mark to the world around him.
We see mark and Stephen, literally having a conversation between each other.
And then we see Steven explaining the situation to Layla.
So, yeah, but again, starting with you, where do you want
to start within this section?
I think
Yebba: one of the most pivotal points, especially when it came
to like finally understanding that there's another person with mark was.
During the what's that called the security camera, um, review with JB.
Who's a lovely character.
I hope we can see more of him again, the Otter videos I'm with you, buddy.
I'm with, um, I liked that that was the first, uh, for us even
representation of seeing him seeing Steven and mark as a separate person.
The one thing that I caught on to during the second, my second watch through, uh,
which I learned from you guys, um, to do so during my second walk, my watch through
a, both one and two, I find that the cinematography choices are interesting.
So the one thing that I noticed is in the beginning of the first episode, we
see Arthur putting the glass in his hand.
And then walking and then as we're being introduced to Stephen and he's, as he's
in the bed, one of the first shots that you see after he takes off the covers
is you see the bottom of his feet.
So then you, as the watcher are like, oh, they're not the same person.
Cause his feet aren't injured.
So you're like, okay, those are two separate characters with it so far.
And then as he was going through his whole routine and then, you know,
checking the sand, doing the whole thing, um, he shuffles and scuffs a lot.
Like his feet always touch the floor and he shuffles and he
kind of goes in the balls of his feet and kind of does everything.
Um, and then he sort of, he has like an interesting gate and when
he walks, he's always rushing.
He's always kind of bent over and then Oscar Isaac's body language
in this as he's portraying, both characters is fantastic.
Um, because when we see mark for the first time as he's coming into scene
in that security footage, he has sweat.
He has sure.
Footing, he is stable and like, and that's the first thing that you see
and he's looking at the camera cause he knows, cause he's mark that Steven's
going to be reviewing that camera, that camera footage, he just knows.
He just knows that that's going to happen.
Of course, he's going to do that.
So like the, to go from a character who mumbles to, uh, to, um, a very talented
street performer and, you know, runs through all one of their thoughts with
absolutely no feedback from anybody else.
And then goes into a very, self-assured like just character,
like the, I find that it's.
So I find that they, that they chose feet and to be like the point of
stability for people in terms of determining like, oh, this is going
to be my impression of this care.
And I, I noticed that a lot in my second, one of just like
where the camera was facing.
So that was, that was really cool.
I loved it.
I loved the introduction of mark in that moment, more than when they talked in the
Trey: mirror.
So I got to say, I love the connection.
You've you've given with the way they, the stability of their gait and their, their,
their, the way they hold themselves.
Because Oscar, Isaac has created two distinct personalities.
Like, like last week I called, uh, Steven sheepishly, confident, like,
because he's still part of Mark A.
Little bit.
You've got that quick wit you've got that sureness, but it's not, it's not as bold
when mark steps in to the scene where Steve is discussing with Layla, when mark
steps into the aquarium, you know, it's mark, you just, you can feel it a hundred
Yebba: percent.
And like, and even, even like just the.
Um, when, when he's Steven, the way his body remembers to do things, to like
duck on the wall, if like something he knows is there that like the Stephen
that we're meeting wouldn't necessarily know to do that, but that's definitely
just his body's like his body's memory being like, oh, danger let's move.
Um, so it's, you're, you're sort of seeing how, how they intermingle in the
same body, but when one is in control versus the other, they are very different
Trey: for sure.
Sticking on this topic.
Steven and mark, I think I'm in love with this episode structurally, because again,
this is where we get to see more of them defining each other through conversation.
And the fact that we start with Stephen, having to look at himself in that
security camera, we go to the next scene.
He's giving up his name tag that stays says Steven, all last episode.
In this episode, he identifies himself as I'm the gift shop list.
And so now that that's gone, he really is forced to examine, okay, who am I?
And I'm always a sucker for this.
I know it's not the most.
What's the word I'm looking for.
I mean, it's, it's pretty obvious, but the fact that they have to go to a
storage locker to literally unlock the secrets of what they're holding out,
they're just playing with so much with the cinematography and just visually
telling the story between Steven and.
And so I, I really enjoy that.
And before, before we get too much further into their intermingling, I do want
to take a moment to spotlight Steven.
His wholesomeness is just, I, I think I've seen this online.
Like we must protect Steven at all costs at all
Yebba: costs and the person that I was getting like frustrated with.
Um, I don't know if you know this about me, but I can have
some short patience or something.
It's almost like when I play salty games or something in platformers that
I can just be a little rage monster.
Definitely not a personality trait.
Um, and, uh, so I, I was getting frustrated, but I found myself getting
frustrated with mark and not with Steven, because like mark is so reserved
and he wants to compartmentalize so much and not have Stephen be a part
of anything that he's not helpful.
And it's like, he just keeps saying, let me take over.
W why would you take over, like, clearly if you're not getting through
to him, just by yelling at him, why don't you try to explain why
it's better for you to do stuff?
And he sort of gets that way towards the li the later half of
the episode being like, I'm the one who can control the suit.
I am the one who can do this.
I can protect you.
I can protect Layla.
I can pretend like he starts explaining it.
But at the scene at the start, when, uh, when Layla's like first
over and he just keeps saying like, stop, stop, don't talk, stop.
Why.
Why honey, like, like it's like, it's like clearly, clearly Stephen's
confused and you know, he's confused because, you know, he doesn't know
all the information that, you know, so how about you throw this kid a bone?
Like just do something a little differently.
So I, so I, I got frustrated with him, um, at that point, but I didn't get
frustrated with Steven who I was expecting to get frustrated with and I didn't.
So it's good.
Trey: Well, the thing that's, so endearing, I think, is in the beginning,
like he is willing to turn himself in.
He's like, all right, let's look at this footage.
He's like, I think I may have some information on what's going on.
And yet he still kind of excited and he's like, all right, get a load of this.
This is going to blow your mind or whatever.
Like he's, he's the door for as, as much as mark is the stoic, like capable person,
Stephen is almost the complete opposite.
And you know, I, I didn't really have.
Articulated thoughts on what you were talking about with the
frustration of mark, but I think it is a nice thing to point out because
I'm still working through this.
And again, like we said, last week, we're trying to treat did with respect.
Uh, so this is something that I don't know, a hundred percent, but it feels
like at least within the show mark or Steven is a lot of either Mark's
insecurities or things that he regrets.
So we see in the conversation with Steven and Layla, they had a lot
in common and they're like, I think there was a favorite poet that Layla
and Steven were discussed and he's like, oh, that's my favorite poet.
And she was like, no, that's mine.
So it feels like.
Steven May internalize a lot of that for mark.
So it makes sense in the beginning when he's like, I don't
trust you, you can't do this.
You're not capable of this.
It is.
It is him not having that self compassion for himself almost again.
What I love about superhero shows that it brings the extreme
to almost a literal sense.
And you're getting to see that conversation here in, in the moment.
I, I
Yebba: really liked, I don't want to, I don't want to jump topics too much,
but the whole reason why we know.
Layla is because of mark and I loved Layla's reaction to kind of build
off of like, they, they clearly have a different connection because it
sounded like Layla was very firm with mark because she had to be.
And then with Steven, when she's, when she's like, like, like some in the suit,
like, like just asking him and asking him and you know, that she doesn't
believe him and you know, that she's having trouble with like all of this.
And then when she sees just the pure frustration and just horror on Steven's
face of being like, I don't know how to do this, and I don't want to do this.
She immediately empathizes.
And it's just like, okay, we'll figure out a different way out of this.
And like, again, that's just that night.
Um, it's that acknowledgement that there is a struggle and instead of just
meeting it and to butt heads and to call someone stupid or, you know, to degrade
them or to do anything else, that's just like, you know what, this is a problem.
This isn't going to solve the problem.
We're going to find a different solution.
So like, like I that's, when I also fell in love with the character Layla
in general, um, just in terms of.
It's it's, it's almost like to build off of your point.
It's almost like the chances that she didn't have with mark that she now
wants to do with Steven in order to, to kind of, to, to explore those types of
feelings, but to also, um, just to, just to reaffirm, like, okay, well, if we're
going to be partners in this, because she emphasized that a few times, if we're
actually going to be partners in this, I'm going to meet you halfway too, because
you need me to right now, you know,
Trey: I want to build off that as well.
Uh, cause you, we jumped to that scene where they are in the, I think
it's a warehouse and they're trying to outrun that Jackal and she's
imploring him to some of the suit.
You detail the empathy.
I didn't think about it until just now, but I think I love the fact that nobody
can see the jackals, but mark at this point, because if super hero, like we
did the episode on villains and the thing that I think makes good villains is,
is whenever they make the antagonists.
The embodiment of what the protagonist is dealing with.
And so at least within this moment, that Jackal is an invisible thing to Layla,
but it is a real thing to Stephen.
And so even though she can't see it, she recognizes the danger.
I think that one shows the empathy on her character, but it makes me love
the externalization of the problem that Steven and mark are dealing with.
Yeah.
Yebba: Yes.
Yeah.
And, and the fact that she picks up a bottle and the fact that she's like,
okay, well his hands there, that probably means that the body's over here.
So like, like she she's deducing information, she's trying to help out.
And she's trying to recognize a problem that even if she can't see all the
information, so yeah, that's a fantastic.
Fantastic point.
Oh, they're so good with sometimes in this show, they're so good with it.
And like, it's so funny that like, the more you talk about it, or the more
times you watch it, or the more times you do anything, it's just, you keep
pulling all these little pieces out.
So 10 out of 10.
Love it.
Trey: Yeah.
Well, well, speaking of the way they, they visually depict stuff.
Let's circle back to the, the first time we really see Layla as much
work as they've done to educate us with characters and mirrors.
I love that that first conversation Layla has with Stephen, where she's
like, all right, cut the crap.
You know, we're out from the person who was chasing you.
You don't need to be this character anymore.
And yet Steven is talking to her through the mirror, like at this point, that
is the only connection they have.
And so to get from there to where she's happy, where she's helping them with the
invisible force at the end, what a great character arc within just this episode.
Yeah.
And again,
Yebba: it didn't feel rushed and it didn't feel.
Like, you know, they, they jumped to a conclusion because she needed to be there.
Like, it just, it just felt like a natural progression as they started, as she
started to learn that, okay, this isn't mark, this is mark, but it's not mark.
So, um, and, and you sorta saw her, you saw you and you definitely saw
her, even though she didn't have nearly as much time on screen,
you saw her also struggle with it.
So it wasn't, um, nothing is empty.
Nothing is empty in terms of character reaction.
Or, um, or the actions that they do, um, or even, even just the
lines like th th there's nothing.
Well, in the MCU in general, there's really nothing.
That's like a throwaway line because a lot of times they just go back to it
of just being like, Hey, remember when I said that in like three movies ago?
Like, ha, there you go.
But yeah, I, I really liked the character, Layla, um, Ethan Hawke, again, just
secured for me that if he's not up for an Emmy, I'm going to be disappointed.
So it's fine.
Trey: Yeah.
I think even Hawk has definitely secured the creepy kindness in this episode.
Well,
Yebba: he, he is, to me, the, the embodiment of what is the
scariest part of humanity.
And that is somebody who is willing to go to any lengths through any means to meet
what they perceive to be their YouTube.
And that's terrifying.
Like it D it doesn't have to have religious zeal attached to it.
It doesn't have to be a cult.
It, obviously both of these are, but it doesn't have to have those
things, but just that mentality of, I will do anything to reach the
end and screw everybody in my way.
That's terrifying.
That's that?
That's the ultimate evil, because there, there is no sympathy.
There is no empathy.
And, uh, and I actually disagreed with, with the, like, you know, he
was having, like, he had relief.
I don't think he had relief at all.
When he finally made those choices.
I think, I think to him, it was just like, yes, I am on the right path.
Like for him, it's reaffirming for him.
It's not reaffirming.
For like everyone else, he doesn't care about anyone else.
He cares that everyone else is believing what he
Trey: believes.
Okay.
Sorry.
Are you talking about last week?
Whenever he used the scales to judge those two people?
Uh, cause I had mentioned that you could see the relief on his face, but you think
there's something a little bit more it's
Yebba: it's it's relief that he is doing.
What's right.
It's not, it's not relief of like he did punish or he didn't punish
it's him reaffirming that the path that he chose is the right path.
Because obviously when, when, when a lot of these.
I'm coming.
I shouldn't say obviously, and then not everybody is super into, to
ridiculous true crime and tyrannical dictatorships and reading all those
books like I do, because you're not weird like me, but, um, so, uh, for
anybody who doesn't know, uh, I have a background in politics and one of my big
things that I read are, uh, historical instances of tyranny and deviance.
Um, you know, I've read a lot about serial killers.
I've read a lot about cult fanatics.
I've read a lot about all of this stuff.
That's why I had a podcast at one point talking about this.
Um, yeah, sort of like files.
Yes.
Um, we, we may come back.
We'll see.
I need to stop being busy.
That's really what it comes down to.
So, but the, the big thing is something that goes hand in hand with this,
especially when you start gaining power.
And especially when you start a certain path and you have a certain zeal
is that you have a certain level of paranoia and that paranoia turns into
distrust of the people around you, or it turns into distrust of yourself.
So we already learned that Arthur was at one point partnered, uh, with Concho.
Like he, he was the avatar of conscience.
That's what we.
He's strayed from that path because he found a firmer path and he
was just like, I'm not going to wait until something bad happens.
I'm going to preempt it.
I'm going to minority report this.
I don't, I don't want to wait.
I want, I want to, I want to nip it in the bud and I want to create my utopia.
So, because he's been exposed to both sides, he needs to reaffirm
that he chose the right side.
So he needs to know that every action that he does.
Not only do they believe, but he believes that he's on the right choice because
it starts feeding into that paranoia that I don't know, or any, any self
doubt in any of this he's going to die.
So he can't, he can't, he can't have doubt from other people and
he can't have doubt in himself.
So he just needs to charge all the way forward, all collateral damage in his
Trey: way.
It definitely makes a lot of sense why he would switch to a belief that is
preemptive and not as a reactionary as Concho, which speaking of we do have
that scene here where after mark and Steven interact, we have concierge
chasing Stephen through the warehouse.
What was your interpretation of mark detailing?
What he's doing for Concho, at least at this part of the, the episode,
Yebba: I wasn't sure who reached out to.
So when things are a mutual agreement, I tend to find them like that.
That's something that's going to be mutually beneficial.
So it was probably, it was, it was agreed upon on a common ground.
If it's something at that point where like he was born into it, like it was
going to be a birthright and he was forced into this path and he had no choice.
I usually have problems with that because it's just like,
no, for them, screw the man.
Screw the system.
Don't don't be a conformist.
So, so at that point, I wasn't sure.
Um, what, what the type of agreement was, but it didn't sound like mark.
He didn't tell him like his arm was twisted.
It didn't sound like he kept saying that he had like a duty that,
that he had a task to fulfill.
So it sounded, it sounded very finite in terms of what this
agreement was going to be.
So it wasn't like, uh, selling your soul, whatever type of thing.
Um, but it was interesting at the end of the episode, after
Trey: that, I definitely to, to get our read of it here, before we get into one
of the final, final bits of the episode.
But, you know, you did amazing work talking about Arthur Harris.
So I think we can go ahead and move into the next, most important
topic, which is Hearos hospitality.
So this is going to take us through the scenes where Stephen has been apprehended
by the officers, and he gets to have a face-to-face meeting with Arthur as he
details all of his belief and utopia.
So starting with me this time, You know, I I've seen this comparison a lot on
social media about how much the, the Ahmet believers are starting to feel
like Hydra, because we saw the, you know, we're going to strike before even
the crimes are committed and that is 100% the belief that they have here.
I want to go out one further.
They're obviously playing within the ideology of those two factions.
But the thing that I think is super impressive and can be felt in the scene
where the officer comes to Steven's home, or when he's like trying to reach
out to the person outside of the car who was playing with a soccer ball, they
have created, as you said earlier, the paranoia of who can you trust and the
way that it is depicted with the scales, just being like shown when they move a
hand, oh man, there's so much fear going on in that first introduction with HARO
Yebba: and even, even in the museum, when it's somebody he literally has worked.
And he just, he just holds up his sleeve and he's like, oh wait, not you
to like, like it's, it's one of those.
Um, like, and the fact that it's a police officer is the two police officers is
like a genre in itself of like, Ooh, I love that song, but it's, it shows
that anybody can be influenced, which I think is a very important thing.
Also when it comes to cult stuff, you know, it's not just the uneducated,
it's not just the susceptible.
It's not just the naive.
It can be anybody, anybody can be susceptible to being
brought in by a certain message.
And I think what we see, especially when he's walking through the community, you
know, when he admires the tomatoes and they start talking Mandarin and they,
they, um, you know, they go get the lentil soup and there's, um, there's
a silent movie, not silent movie.
A, um, what's the word I'm looking for?
Uh, screening.
Yeah.
Like, like a, like a headphone screening.
I don't, I don't know what word I was trying to look for.
Um, but, um, I did silent parties in the library before where we
all sync up playlists on the same thing, and then we all like jam out
to it, but not annoy other people.
So, you know, the early or the late two thousands college, it was fine.
Um, so like, I feel like we get a sense of the utopia that he's built.
But just like with Venos and just like with everybody else, even if you have
a great idea, the means to which you get, there can be very problematic and
you start to see Stephen get really comfortable and be like, yeah, I'm vegan.
I'm going to have this soup.
This looks delicious.
But then he starts to hear it.
And then he starts to question it.
And then as he questions it, there's people closing in because once again,
if you have a shun, the non-believer, but also when you have someone
who has the potential to convince someone, to break ranks with these
people, I don't see that happening.
But when, when you have the potential of that, you have to neutralize that threat.
So, um, horo was looking to neutralize, two threats.
He was looking to neutralize someone who has the power of conscious.
And he was also looking to neutralize someone who has the potential to
maybe convince some other people in the room that, Hey, maybe what
he's saying is, is kind of true.
Maybe we shouldn't, you know, potentially just off some innocent
person before they commit some type of crime in 30 years in the future.
Trey: I love because he's like, he turns to the crowd, it's like, it's a bit dodgy.
Right?
Are you all for this killing children?
Like, are you like, I think about killing my boss all the time, but
that doesn't mean I'm going to do it.
Like he, I love what, the way you're framing it as him being the one to
try to appeal for everybody else.
And that's why he becomes an immediate threat for HARO.
I, I, it's still, it's only two episodes, so I'm scared to make this
bullet of the claim, but I think Steven really might be one of the.
Strongest characters emotionally that we've seen in the MCU.
'cause I, I had to write this line down whenever it was written, because
it, it, it hit me right in my heart.
Whenever Arthur is trying to appeal to them at first to get to his side, he
talks about like, okay, did constitute choose you because you're a broken
or when you would be easy to break and Stephen goes, I'm not broken.
I just need some help, mate.
Oh man.
What a beautiful line.
Because like at every turn, so.
Everybody has put Steven down and he keeps like standing back up.
So I love that this show is taking a character like this, who should
be a pushover because I've gone to try and like describe Steven.
And every time I go to one of the first words that comes to mind is
pushover, but he's not, he's only.
Appearance of being it, but he's got that strength to stand up to HARO.
So I, I love the way that you had just outlined that there
Yebba: and to build off that further, um, some of the most emotionally intelligent
characters that we have are always gray.
So it's, it's, it's, they're never black and white.
They're never one way or the other, because they have to stay in that gray
zone because they have to see both sides.
They have to empathize with both sides.
Hey HARO, I understand that you want to create this wonderful utopia
and that sounds great, but maybe this isn't the best way to do that.
Hey, Concho.
I understand.
Hey mark and con Concho, I understand that you have to fight against
this, but I also can't have you keep using me to hurt innocent people?
Well, who will or just hurt people in general?
Not even, not even innocent or guilty, just hurt people in general.
I don't, I don't subscribe to that, especially when he's he's in between
two sides of literally the same coin where you have conscientious.
Where they have the same objective, but they also have the same faults
where Concho does not care who he gets roped into his stuff, as long
as he has their body and has their power in order to complete his duty.
And then HARO on the other hand does not care about anyone and will do
exactly what he needs to do in order to make sure that his vision comes from.
So he's caught between perfect black and white, and he has this fantastic shade of
gray that is saying both of you are wrong.
Like, like, like, like both of you are just this isn't this isn't right.
And, and he's not saying that he's right, but he knows what's not, he knows what's
wrong and he knows what he stands for.
And he knows what he believes.
So in terms of like being a pushover, he's not a pushover, he's just, he's, he's so
understanding of where he wants to be, that he knows where he doesn't want to be.
So he, he just knows that like, this is, this is not for me.
I don't want to be a part of this.
I don't want to be a part of your utopia and I don't want to be the utopia smasher.
So I, I don't know what you want me to do, man, but I don't
want to be a part of any of it.
I just want to be a gift shop is
Trey: again, more time.
I love that.
That's how he identifies himself.
Like, he takes so much pride in that job, even though that job
keeps pushing him down as well.
Yebba: So, but he, and he's still, but he still tries.
And like he, you know, and, and I feel like he knows he keep fitting
it reiterated, like even with the lady in the elevator, in the.
Um, episode of just like, you know, that the people even in his building
had probably been exposed to him and like, and you, you know, and you can
hear in his voice that he knows how much of a disappointment he can be.
And like the fact that you have awareness of that is emotionally
intelligent is, is emotional, intense.
And it's, it's, it's, you're wrestling with empathy with
yourself, even when people are not giving you that same empathy back.
And it's a very exhausting space to be in trust me, men there.
So it's, I, I feel like they do a really good job.
Um, I'm, I'm curious for people who don't suffer from mental illness or.
I don't have that as a constant daily battle or don't
have any of those feelings.
I wonder how they interpret him because, you know, I, I, I have depression and I
was also recently diagnosed with ADHD.
I'm sorry.
I need to change that.
I, I was diagnosed with severe depression last year, um, which I didn't appreciate
the severe, but it was it's accurate.
So, um, it's one of those, like, I, I understand what I can handle.
I understand what I can tolerate.
I understand what are my limits and what are my boundaries, but
I also understand what I need.
It's, it's, it's a very difficult conversation with people who have.
Either have to have that awareness or haven't gotten there yet.
So I'm just curious what, um, how people interpret Stephen.
Cause I feel like a lot of people know where mark is, but maybe
don't know how to interpret
Trey: Stephen all the time.
Yeah.
But I I'm glad you're on.
You've given me so many every time you start talking, there's so many
different directions I want to follow.
And I think the place I'm going to start here cause you've.
Wonderfully detailed house.
Steven is the gray between mark and Arthur.
And I know in my notes, one of the things I was writing down is I kind
of put myself on the record here.
I'm waiting for the moment where we see the reveal that horo is seeing
Ahmed like Marcus seeing Concho.
And so we're seeing these two ideologies because you can see moments where Arthur
is talking to Steven and he just kind of like turns his head to the side
Yebba: or when he looks, he looks behind him or, yeah.
Trey: Yeah.
So he's very familiar with that.
And so if, again, if antagonists or the embodiment of the thing
that the protagonist are facing, the fact that Concho for mark and.
Ahmed for Arthur are the influences to which they can
not create their boundaries.
And Steven is the one person who is creating their boundaries.
Oh man, I'm loving this.
This is such a great series so
Yebba: far.
Yes.
Oh, that's such a good, it's such a good way of putting it in terms of boundaries
of, of, you know, just being that guiding light when, when you know that they, they
are so tunnel vision, they, they are so.
I'm w I'm where they need to go and how they need to do it.
That they're not, they're not thinking about anything that they're passing.
So that's, that's, that's a really good point.
Or that's a really good term to put it as in terms of boundaries,
that Steven is is, is the boundary.
Yeah.
So, and even like, even when mark like freaks out, when he finally
like, like takes control and he just gets so frustrated with Steven, and
it's just one of those, like, Steven, didn't do that with you, Steven.
Didn't do that with you.
And like, and like, I understand that like, maybe
you don't want to deal with it.
Like, you know, in the last scene he's like drunk and stuff.
So like, obviously there's some, there's some addressing issues.
Uh, that he probably has, um, when it comes to facing things or maybe
he just, you know, needs a break from stuff and that's understandable, but
it, but, but like, again, that's, this is where I'm getting frustrated with
mark and I'm not getting frustrated with Steven because Steven is articulating
what is frustrating and what he's dissatisfied with and what he's upset by.
And with mark you're, he's just a loose cannon.
He like, he just, something's going to flip that switch and
it's just like, well, now he's in.
Crap.
So,
Trey: yeah.
So sticking within this section where we're still in the
moment where I keep tangenting
Yebba: on.
Oh no, you can reel me back in anytime.
Trey: Alright.
As a tangent, like we go on tangents here all the time.
Okay.
Jude, Jude once told me, he's like, dude, it's whenever we're in conversation,
sometimes it feels like we're throwing the shield out and you're bringing it back in.
And that was one of the nicest compliments he's ever given me
as a big captain America fan.
So I, again, I encourage you go on as many tangents as you want
and I'll keep us on the outline.
But now I do want to.
Cause you again, you've, you've detailed the spectrum
with which we're dealing here.
How did you feel about the realization that Arthur once was in?
I want to say cahoots, but partnership with Concho.
And because of that, he is able to call the shots of, oh, is he saying
this as he's saying to kill me?
Oh, is he saying that he's real justice and he doesn't have to hear that?
Like what, what was your read on that moment?
And
Yebba: he's very good at manipulating people.
That, that was the read that I got.
So this is also, you know, my skeptical, uh, my, my skeptical nature, um, when
it comes to these types of characters, but I definitely got the read of
like, oh, he, he knows how to read someone and then to get to the point
that he knows is going to resonate.
So for him, it's, he's, uh, Arthur's almost reassuring, like, Hey,
I've gone through this before.
I'm I'm relatable.
When it comes to this type of interaction that you're having.
Um, which is very manipulative, but at the same time, it's a really cool window
into Arthur to be like, oh, like, like he had this power at one point, huh?
I wonder why he gave it up.
And so you're, so that, that starts kind of turning in your head of like, did
he give it up or did you say, you know, screw you, I don't need you anymore.
I need a new vessel because as we learned, you know, he seems to be on
the lookout for all that all the time.
So, um, what, what is more enticing with Ahmet?
It is, is it because I'm at promised him something.
Or is it because Ahmed has more power and he's power hungry and he's greedy,
or did Ahmet appeal to, um, you know, he's partially there with Concho
of like, I'm avenging the innocent and I am punishing the, uh, I am
punishing who needs to be punished?
I, I am, I am justice, but he he'd, since he said it.
So facetiously, like he said it in like a, oh, does he say like, I am justice?
He, he clearly, he's not co-signed the con shoe anymore.
And he clearly got sick of Concho and then Ahmed was just way more attractive.
Well, as a crocodile head lady.
Trey: Yeah, the, the judgment of a weird crocodile lady.
Yup.
Yebba: It's little quips are so
Trey: funny.
Steven is so quick witted.
He is he's he's courageous.
I'm gonna throw this out there.
I've I've detailed a mess, sheepishly, confident.
I think by the end of it, he'll just be full on courageous again.
Yebba: He knows where he.
He just because he's unsure of where everybody else stands, he sort
of dances around whatever it is.
And then he finally gets there.
So it's not that he's unsure of himself, he's unsure of other people.
And that's why he's hesitant.
He's not, he's not because he's unsure of himself.
He gets a little shaky there when he's not quite sure what the heck's going
on, but, um, you know, he, he's very, he knows, he knows what his morals are.
He knows what his compass is and he knows what he wants to do.
He's just not sure who around him is either going to make fun of
him or shun him or, um, you know, hurt him or be somebody who's
just not going to support him.
So that's that, that's where his hesitancy is.
It's not really in himself, it's with everybody
Trey: else.
So, you know, you mentioned earlier about the way Arthur is manipulative and the
way he is able to appeal to insecurities.
I love the work they're doing.
Arthur is making conscious seem like a petulant child and they're doing yeah.
And they're doing great work with the cinematography too, because I know
there's on some level it's supposed to be not necessarily horror, but like
intimidating that the camera pans up and you see Concho sitting there just
watching them or he's in the distance.
But the fact that he is limited to the sidelines, at least in this moment,
because Arthur says like, oh, is that him?
Is he here?
Like, don't worry.
That's the worst that he can do without your help.
And so they have undercut him, I think.
The cause we still don't know enough about Contra yet because we'll
get to it later in the outline.
I still can't get a perfect read on what it is he wants or whether or not we can
see him as not necessarily good, but at least not somebody who is taking the souls
of people who were believing in him way to
Yebba: thin out your believers, by the way.
Maybe don't do that all the time.
I'm just saying, just keep the numbers.
Maybe.
I don't know.
Trey: Yeah, that can't be a very successful strategy.
Yebba: Now.
Why would you kill your most devout?
What like, hello?
One-on-one like sometimes if you need them for fodder, keep them for fodder.
Don't don't just arbitrarily make them mummies and put them in a weird
storage room in the middle of London.
Trey: Yeah.
You know, speaking of thinning the herds last week, I, and I think you
even mentioned at the top of the episode about how I was reading relief in his
face, any doubts I may have had where he was at completely gone in this episode,
he wouldn't a hundred percent took that person's life without judgment.
Yeah.
I don't think, uh, you know, we've seen him use the balance a couple of
times, there's a bit of a, what minute animation that happens on his tattoo.
That was a way too quick for the scales to balance on that.
Yebba: Yeah.
Way, way, way too quick.
And the fact that he even took time with Steven, which I'm sure was more
to create chaos, uh, to affirm chaos in order to create chaos for Steven.
Um, but the fact that somebody who would be a quite literal threat more to.
And that, that, that he didn't take advantage of that to try to
do something was, uh, interesting.
And the fact that just because this person touched something that was
important and that was important to his cause he immediately zeroed in on.
Off with you.
It was justified.
It's justified his brain.
He's fine with it.
So yeah, malicious, malicious, malicious
Trey: so much for the utopia.
Yebba: This is when we go from the utopia, right to the tyranny and the
dictatorships, bam, every single time.
Boom, boom.
Almost like it's a pattern.
Trey: I was going to say like clockwork.
Well, I think that'll do it for this most important topics.
So we're gonna go ahead and move into the next one, which
is called some in the suit.
This is going to take us, this is going to take us through the scenes where Layla and
Steven are trying to escape the utopia.
And Layla is imploring Stephen to use the suit because Arthur has summoned a Jackal,
a Yaba starting with you this time.
What did you think of this pretty big action piece within the episode,
Yebba: it was nice to have a confirmed, to have a bit more visual
of the bad thing in my personal.
Um, cause I liked, I like when things are sort of jaws, like we're, they're left to
the imagination, but when I saw the actual Jackal thing, um, I was already starting
to go into a comedy bit where I was just like, ah, the army, you have a new bus.
I have to rewatch the mummy returns again.
Um, so that's, that's kind of where we're, uh, my silly brain went.
Um,
Trey: you're in tweets.
I know you don't need another reason to watch the moment.
It's true.
Yebba: It's true.
It's like, it's like a, it's like a monthly watch at this point.
It's like, whatever, I'm a Knox and the moon hit me, so it's fine.
And uh, but I, I liked, uh, I alluded to it earlier where Layla had a lot of
empathy for Steven during this point.
And you could see Stephen sort of being like, oh, I've already been through this
danger before I already knew that the suit and mark helped me before, but I
think I'm going to help myself this time.
And it turned into a fantastic comedy bit and, and it was, it was quippy.
And so it wasn't, it wasn't like Hawkeye.
In terms of like comedy, because Kate Bishop was the queen of comedy through
that entire series, along with Julina.
So I found it to be a little relieving after a really heavy scene with Arthur,
but also set up some really fantastical action because it was cool to see that
the Jackal was actually invisible, uh, which we, we sort of thought with the
camera, but like maybe it just wasn't caught on electronics for whatever reason.
I don't know.
So it was nice to have that confirmation.
And just like, I, I'm still really curious about the powers.
Like I want to see more, I want to see, like we saw restarted.
We sort of saw it when mark redid the suit, but like, I want to, I
want to see more and I, and it's kind of cool that it can be so
manipulated, um, at the person's window.
Um, to be useful, almost that, that, that was, that was really cool.
Trey: It's really representative of the driver and what they're
asking for within the moment.
And I remember going into this show whenever the marketing was showing like
the different, they haven't shown too many, but they gave us a taste of two
different versions of the costumes.
So we had moon night, which we saw in episode one.
Then we have, what I believe is referred to as Mr.
Night with this one in the suit with Steven, I never would have
guessed that that suit would not be because it's not it's so.
Not, not that it's defined.
I know these are all based off comics, but it was a whim of, of
him not knowing how to use the suit.
Like I never would've guessed that.
And the lead up into the psycho Colonel Sanders, like, it's
just my God, like this show.
It is so rich with the way it's using its premise that it's it's, this is
the balancing act that I was talking about in the preschool and our thoughts.
Like it, it, it can be serious.
It can be action and it can be comedy and it is not missing a beat whatsoever.
I mean much like the Stephen with the float, like a butterfly sting, like a bee.
My name's Steven with a V like this
Yebba: show with me.
That was so adorable.
Trey: Oh man.
I think, I think that's what I'm leaning with with Steven here is he tried,
you know, you were talking about.
Mark not helping them.
I think the fact that Steven was willing to try and step into the
suit, even though he wasn't fully capable of doing it is what earned
some sympathy for, or not sympathy.
But some beginning to understand him from mark, because after he punches
the Jackal and that he gets knocked out, Stephen stands up and he talks
to mark in the reflection of the bus.
Mark actually showed some side of like the punch.
Yeah.
He's like, that was pretty good.
But if you don't want to hurt these.
Let me take control from
Yebba: here and, and, and, and Mark's relating to what Steven
probably has the most concern for.
He's not saying like, again, like, I know this is, this is just us graduating
as like a society and like moving along into smart, sophisticated, good dialogue.
Um, you know, I'm so used to like, like, I'm not saying, I'm not gonna
say I'm used to crappy action movies, but like, especially with us growing
up where, um, most of like the banter between like buddy cop movies or like
action movies was always just like insulting the person or, or, um, you
know, pointing out their faults or like doing anything marks appealing to
something that Steven would see be a reason as to why he should take over.
Like, it's, it's a lot of.
Um, and also mark recognizes that he's earnest, he's earnest in that
I want to do something and I want to do it because I don't want it to
do it your way, because your way has made my body hurt a lot of people.
And so like, he's, he's trying to thread that needle to be
like, I need to keep you safe.
I need to keep well, you and me safe, and I need to keep Layla.
I'm sure mark thinks about other people, but I don't think it's his top most
concern, um, a lot of times, but he knows that he needs to do something different.
And then he listens to Layla.
When Layla says, get him out of here, like get him away from these other people.
I feel, I feel like mark does not have the same level.
Um, but he sees the reason behind making certain decisions for the greater good
or for public safety or whichever,
Trey: you know, I I'm thinking about what you said earlier about how
awareness is the sign of somebody who's emotional intelligence and
pairing that with what I was detailing earlier about how it feels like Steven
might be a fractured off version of.
Mark.
If Steven is Mark's awareness that I think is a good character growth on
mark, that he's finally listening to that, because again, I don't think he
would have taken care for those people until he saw how it was important.
Um, and it culminating to Layla being the one to say, like, all
right, go get him so good to
Yebba: go back to when they first meet in the apartment, when Layla produces the
divorce papers and he's and Stephens shot.
Because I'm sure he's thinking Layla, you're beautiful.
You're smart.
Like, I, I can already tell, like, if I'm actually married to you, I'm very lucky.
Trey: I would never divorce you.
Yebba: I would never divorce you.
And you, you sort of like, they sort of look to mark during some of those times
and he scoffs and he's just like, like it's, it's, it's not disappointment in
Steven it's disappointment in himself.
And he knows that he doesn't want to put Layla in danger and he keeps
thinking that he's doing things.
This is, this is such the machismo male, um, thing that just drives
me insane, um, is I'm going to push you away in order to protect you.
Screw you, screw you.
I, I am not a strong, independent woman that don't need no, man.
I am a woman who is choosing to be with you because I know
we can be stronger together.
Like come on dipstick, like get with it.
So like, it's just, it's, it's just one of those, like, whatever
your feeling in terms of.
Like, I need to keep you safe if you're not taking into account
what the other person is saying, you're not keeping them safe.
You're saying that you're a burden and you need to leave.
So, and Steven sees that and Steven sees that because for him, it's very much
like why would I ever get rid of you?
And then he, and the only time Steven listens to mark is when
he says you're putting her in.
And that's when he realizes, oh, maybe I shouldn't act so rashly, or
maybe I shouldn't do that because I don't want to put Layla in danger.
So they have the same motive and they say they have the
same goal to keep Layla safe.
But it's the emotional intelligence of Steven that recognizes it's a partnership.
It's not a get the hell out of here.
And she points that out to,
Trey: so after that beginning fight scene with Steven, we get a version
of it with mark quick, real quickly.
What did you think of that set piece?
Where we finally see Moonlight in full control?
Yebba: He's a conch, he's a con shoe Batman and I'm into it.
Like it's just, he's a he's he's Batman money.
Is that money?
So like, I.
He is fantastic.
And it's, it's, um, it's a versatile suit.
Like you can clearly see that, um, it gives them safety and it gives them power.
Um, and I'm sure there's some also like extra sensory something or
other, anything that's going on.
But the fact that it's so manipulatable and I would love to
see if they change anything else.
Like if they go full miss Marvel with it, but like, I want to see,
I want to see kind of where else those superpowers can go, but also
how they choose to use those powers.
Especially Steven.
Um, if Khan shoe actually wants to work with him, to
Trey: me, it feels like leading into this, that it feels like Marvel studios really
wants to create this side of the world.
That's not necessarily like Avengers world level, but it's kind of street level.
This felt like a scene out of Daredevil for me.
Yebba: Oh honey.
I, the second you said it's street level.
I was like, oh yeah, it's Daredevil.
It's Luke cage.
Jessica Jones.
Um, it's, it's all those same things.
I will not mention iron fist.
Um, so, uh, or the defenders.
Um, but oh yeah, no dare, dare devil.
And the fact that he, he had the Baton kind of like both the clubs also,
there was just, it was, it was cool.
It was, it was one of those, like, it was one of those moments where I, I
can see a lot of potential and I know.
The writers will capitalize on some of it.
And then I know they'll leave some of it for a future iteration of some sort.
So I'll be curious what they finally expose us to through this
Trey: one, a lot of groundwork being laid for sure.
Yep.
Yebba: And I, I love the, when things go a bit more supernatural, but aren't Spacey.
They're not, they're not Dr.
Strange supernatural.
They're literal pyramids in the ground level of supernatural.
And I feel like that's a new level that we haven't fully experienced and also.
With possession and borrowing powers.
Um, being granted power is not like, you know, obviously like cap got,
what was he, a superhero in a bottle.
And then you had the suit from iron man.
Uh, and then you had the whole from radiation.
So like we've had different induced euros, but it's curious to know
that you have someone who can be who who's in a packed almost of
like, I wonder where this could go.
And, you know, we saw this with the terminals, with the black
Knight and yada yada yada.
So
Trey: yeah, I've never really thought about it that way before, about it
being something that it's entrusted to somebody rather than it being
something that just happened to them.
Yebba: And that's why, and that's why I was curious with
the agreement with current.
If it was a birthright thing or if it was like a, Hey you're on, it
sounded like it was, Hey, you're on, you were on death's door.
Let me give you it's a deal with the devil essentially.
So, but you didn't have to go to the crossroads and you
didn't have to play violin.
So you're
Trey: good.
So I, I, you know, that'll go ahead and move us into our last important
topic, which is the country agreement.
You know, you'd talked about the, the being on death's door.
Uh, I want to shout out a community member, fashion, Jimmy, and the discord
who threw out that conversation between, uh, Stephen and the little girl where
she talks about like, Hey, what was it like to pass the field of reeds?
I believe, yeah.
Yebba: Pairing.
I
Trey: didn't die.
Yeah.
I I'm starting to subscribe to their belief that there might be something more
to her than we are led to believe, because this will be the second time a Rite of
passage was mentioned the first time.
And then the second time with Layla, when they were talking about the
hieroglyphics and she read it, and then we get this information
about Concho saving him from death.
Yeah.
There's definitely something going on
Yebba: here.
Yeah.
Why would he be reading about a funeral rights other than
something else that was there?
So, yeah.
No, that's, that's a really great point.
That's a super great point.
I
Trey: wonder if subconsciously Steven's trying to save mark from
this agreement with Concho, even though he doesn't really understand
what he's looking for at this point.
Yebba: And we know conscience, doesn't like mark, because I mean, he's
referred to him as such things as parasite, like, like contrary to me is.
I'm sorry that that's what I meant.
It doesn't like Steven, because he calls him parasite and gets
in the way, um, of the agreement.
So like, clearly we know that he's, he's very belittling to Stephen and he, and
the way Khan shoe acts is the way, um, I don't want to, again, I don't want
to say I'm used to in action movies, but as a very prevalent trope, when
it comes to, um, you know, like the, the come around, like somebody has a
face turn to use more wrestling terms.
Sorry.
Um, and, um, the, and so it's, it's very, um, it'll be very
interesting where they take it.
If Concho, you know, ends up having some revelation or ends up having,
uh, being nicer to mark or something.
But the fact that he's holding Layla over his head makes me think
that there, there is something.
And I don't know if it's consci or Mark's fault.
So I'm, I'm, I'm curious to see where that goes in terms of like,
how nefarious was this deal or how advantageous was it, you know, who, who
was being exploited when it happened?
Because it doesn't sound like mark doesn't like the powers.
It sounds like he does very much like the powers, but it
then turns into at what cost.
And obviously if the cost is Layla, he had some definitely some second thoughts.
Trey: Yeah.
Yeah.
I I'm right there with you and trying to figure out like the details of this
arrangement, because I cannot get a read on con shoe as far as no, I've got to be
careful here speaking in an absolute, but no good person, I think holds somebody
else against their wishes like that with threatening to, to take up Layla.
But then at the same time he goes, you were worth protecting and yes, there
is that beneficial, like, okay, you are my avatar, you are very capable of
this, but there's something about that that felt a little bit more like, no, I
think he does somewhat care about mark.
So.
I, I dunno, I'm still trying to figure it out, but I think the, the biggest question
I have that I I'm going to pose to Euro.
Do you believe mark?
When he tells Steven, Hey, when we're done, you'll never see me again.
No, no,
Yebba: I it's.
It's one of those.
Um, it seems like mark has learned to live and I'm putting those in airport.
Uh, mark has learned to live with Steven, um, because for him it's
laying down, waking up it's it's, you know, suddenly being jostled
out of whatever situation you're in.
Uh, but for Stephen, Steven has not learned to live with any of this, you
know, he's just now being exposed to it and he's never going to be the same.
And I, I don't think what caused this internal rift within them is
something that was necessarily, necessarily started with Concho.
I, I, so I, I don't see how once they get rid of con shoe, that
that would suddenly disappear.
It's not like it's and we still haven't learned who was before whom we haven't
learned if they've always been this way.
And they've always been split.
We haven't learned the catalyst.
We haven't learned the Kazi.
So like until we have a little bit more, more information, um, I don't
think they're ever going to need to be separate, but I'm curious
to see how co-living can happen.
Question mark.
So, yeah, I'm not sure about that, but especially with the way Khan she talks.
I, I don't, I don't think it's, I don't think he's
Trey: the catalyst.
I'm glad you brought that up because there's a moment where mark says
something to the extent of, you know, we've all always been pretty good about
keeping separate, but whatever wall we had between us, something changed and
Concho has been part of them for a while.
So it's not, I, I you're spot on, I think with that.
And second, you know, I, I have been left questioning who came first.
And this was it, mark, was it Steven?
I want to say mark, because he obviously has the experience with
cashew, but Stephen seems to have a very well lived in life here in London.
And they're like, I mean, Steven OD pointed out, you know, the
tiny American living inside me.
They have two distinct lives, so I, I'm still waiting to
figure out where we're at there.
Yebba: Yeah.
And the fact that he's been the fact that mark has been in mercenary, I
have to be very specific and not just say he, but the fact that the fact
that Mark's been a mercenary, um, you know, that's, that's, well-traveled,
that means he's been with crews.
That means he's had to work for various people.
That means he has a history.
How did he meet Layla?
You know, can Layla glean any information out of that or, you
know, is, is she still have holes?
She knew about Steven or at least their mom, I guess she doesn't
know about Stephen's mom, but, um, Steven keeps calling somebody,
but never actually talks to them.
So who that, what number is he calling?
What, like, is that just a fallacy that he's created in his head?
Like is the mom non-existent and he just that's something that he created
or was she existed, but he doesn't remember something that happened.
So like it's um, I'm, I'm definitely curious.
Of, you know, the chicken and the egg story, um, is, you know, is mark the egg
or with Steven or were they both chickens?
Cause we actually don't know what came first chicken or the egg
then more immaculate exception.
Sorry I'm done.
Trey: Oh my God.
Amazing.
Yebba: I oh, I shouldn't be on public.
That's fine.
Trey: That's fine.
Well, you know what?
Speaking of the public, let's go ahead and move into the listeners.
First takes a, so we did reach out on social media to see what
you all thought of the episode.
So we're going to take some time here to read through those.
Uh, this first one comes in from Ben dot Maddie over on Instagram, and
they say, quote, sorry, one division.
This may turn out to be my favorite MCU TV show.
Oscar, Isaac, and Ethan Hawke are amazing.
This story has gripped me and all the cinematography is incredible.
Bring in next week.
I'm right there with you, Ben.
I, I know we joked how we turned down, the four episodes that were
given to the press last week.
I take it back.
I want it.
I want, I don't want to be part of the people I want to watch mutiny.
Yebba: Can I, can I sneak in as like a graphics art contributor and just
be like, yes, I need a press badge to
Trey: test it.
You covered, we'll get you
Yebba: in.
I work in Canva.
Does that count?
So, um, hashtag.
Uh, so if I could read the second one, because it's
definitely my favorite comment.
Um, so quote, Jason Bourne versus Egypt branch Davidians, question mark
with a hint of the one last job trope.
And that was sent by TJ build stuff.
I laughed so hard when I read this quote, I laughed so hard.
It was just, oh my gosh, it's a beautiful knot.
So it's 10 out of 10 comment.
Do it again.
Yeah.
Trey: And, and one of our breaks, you explained to me, because I didn't
know what branch Davidians was.
So I'm so glad that you took the time to share that.
Yebba: Ah, gotcha.
It's Waco.
Yep.
So I just off the dome.
It's fine.
Um,
Trey: listen, you, you had the murder podcast, like this
information has got to go somewhere
Yebba: and I'm not even the cult person.
I'm the Zoe I'm.
I was the, I was the, I didn't, I guess I did some of the cold stuff,
but I was the, I was the gross stuff.
I was like the cannibals and stuff, but anyway, call to Jason.
Trey: So
Yebba: called the Jason.
Trey: Yes.
Uh, finally this last one comes in from friend Daniel on Instagram and it reads
perfect balance of hilarious, dark and emotional, and 100% Daniel, you and I
share the same sentiments of this episode.
It is, it is two episodes in firing on all cylinders.
Yeah.
So again, thank you so much for reaching out with those listeners first takes.
And of course, if you want to get in on that and make sure you're
following us on social media.
And as we said last week, we are doing something different this
season where we are going to put out a number that you can call.
If you want to leave your audio thoughts as well.
So real quickly, if you want to reach us, you can call us at (512) 893-1355.
So, yeah, well, yeah, but we're getting to the end here.
Uh, I just wanted to give you a chance to share any final thoughts you may
have on this episode before we go.
I think
Yebba: you and I both, um, touched upon it, but I like that we saw more of.
Um, and that both he and Steven were able to interact.
I also think the one thing that was underplayed by both of us
is that we saw more of Concho.
Um, and we saw more of the entity itself.
And if Kanchi was able to, to materialize like that, and as a
fallen, quote-unquote fallen God in comparison to the other ones.
What the hell does amen.
Look like?
Like it's, it's one of those, like, are they bigger?
Like, are they more mythical?
Are, did they appear?
Do they appear differently?
Can they not take that type of form?
So do they have to possess people in order to be seen?
So, um, it was, it was something really cool.
So I liked that there, they showed more of him and his connection to everything.
Uh, and I really can't wait to see more of mark because I feel like
next episode is definitely going to be giving us more mark than Steven.
And, uh, we'll see what's happening in Egypt.
Trey: Ah, man, I never even thought about like the size difference of what
it could be to conch you, so, oh yeah.
Yebba: Especially, especially if they're part of the nine.
So the ninth, yeah, he was making, he was correcting that it was seven.
It should be nine.
Trey: Any ad I believe.
Yes.
So I'll play off that one and then lead into mine.
You know, I talked about it last week.
I was a bit of a nitpick where I didn't like the voice of Concho.
I don't know what it is to me.
It felt mixed in a lot better this episode than it did last episode.
So that felt good.
Glad we got the time we got with crunchier.
Finally, I had written this down in my notes, but I ended up backspacing on it.
But after our conversation today, where we talked about the way Stephen is almost
marks awareness and how that shows them growing together as a person on that
bus, one of the ads says something to the extent of reunite with your loved ones.
And so now after that conversation, I love, I love
that that has to be intentional.
So I just want to throw that out there.
Yebba: Yeah.
I just want more Layla.
That's really what it.
Trey: Yeah.
Hopefully we'll get more Layla next week as well, so, well, yeah,
well, yeah, but thank you so much for joining me on this episode.
It has been an absolute blast.
Yebba: Absolutely.
Thanks for having me know this, this I'm definitely all in on the show.
I appreciate you reaching out.
I, I have folks to talk to you when it comes to the MCU, but I know
how knowledgeable you and Jude are.
And I am honored that I can partake in such wonderful
Trey: conversations.
Yeah.
Well, the invitation is always open whenever you went to join back on.
So we'll have to make that work in the.
Yeah,
Yebba: just let me know.
And you know, it just, I will not be busy.
I promise promise.
Yes, I will do my, I will do my absolute best.
I can't promise if it's, you know, going to be in Germany or
Australian time, but you'll be fine.
Trey: Well, of course, if you want to keep up with Yaba and the work that
they do and make sure you're following them on Twitch, Tik, TOK, YouTube,
Instagram, Twitter, all at yabba dabba.
And of course you want to find a very easy, accessible way to click those.
You have a debit.com and we'll link to those in the show notes, as well.
As far as this show goes, you can reach us at MC you need to know
on Twitter and Instagram, or reach us on that cell phone number that
will be in the show notes as well.
And if you'd be so kind to leave us a rating and a review, we'd really
appreciate it, especially on Spotify, where they just implemented that system,
which will help our discoverability.
And if you wanna join in the active community, there is a discord link where
you can come join other like-minded MCU fans, as well as general pop
culture fans to hang out with.
Yebba: I got to do that.
Oh, wait, now I'm going
Trey: to do it right now.
Well, there you go.
You can, you can come hang out with, you have a dev as well.
And of course we'd like to thank Nick Sandy for the use of our theme song, which
is his rendition of the Avengers theme.
You can find more of his work on a SoundCloud, which is linked
in the show notes as well.
That's going to do it yabba.
Thank you so much for doing this.
Thank you.
We'll see you all next week.
Yebba: I love, I love when talented actors really make some, a character,
their own like Robert Downey, Jr.
Like when you look at Robert junior, it's always going to be Ironman,
just like it's always going be.
And it just, you know, I feel like somebody else could be captain
America, but like, I know, I know, I know nobody can be America's ass.
Nobody, nobody else could be America's ass, but somebody
else could be captain America.
Um, so it's just like, I feel like there's other people that could
potentially play people, but when it came to iron man, it was just
like, Nope, it's Robert Downey Jr.
That's it.
Our DJ done and done and done.
Trey: I have to ask, this is, this is a running bit we used to do whenever
we first started having guests because captain America is my favorite.
Uh, Ironman is Jude's favorite.
Are you team stark or team?
Uh, Steve.
It's civil war and civil war.
Okay.
This is so funny.
I think you may be our first team start guests and it's the ones you not here for.
Yebba: I'm a heel, I'm a tweener heel through and through baby.
Let's go.
I love it.
Trey: Oh man.
So dude, when you hear this, it finally happened.
Yebba: Yes, yes, no, cause it's, it was one of those, like I
didn't dislike both sides at all.
Like I, I saw, I saw both of their arguments and when it came to things,
but I just had a little extra empathy and a little extra connection with, with
team star just to just a little oomph.
So when it came to that, but yeah.