Episode Summary
The Boys is officially over, and Frank and Thomas dig into a series finale that split the internet right down the middle. They break down why Homelander's fall hits harder than the backlash suggests, where Kimiko's powers felt rushed, and how Butcher's heel turn landed for comic readers versus everyone else, before scoring both the finale and the full 2019 to now run. From there, they jump to the big screen for The Mandalorian and Grogu, a movie they both enjoyed while admitting the plot is paper thin and the whole thing feels like stitched-together episodes.
The centerpiece is a long-awaited sit down with Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, who returns as Uncle Iroh in Avatar: The Last Airbender season two on Netflix and plays Captain Carson Teva in the Star Wars universe. He opens up about adapting a beloved animated series, why he avoids the deep lore cuts when building a character, the reckoning Iroh faces in the live-action version, and the everyman appeal of Carson Teva. He also reflects on Kim's Convenience, the season six that never happened, and why he thinks tearing down something new before watching it is a waste of energy.
Timestamps and Topics
- 00:00:00 Intro and Weekly Catch-Up
- 00:03:52 The Boys Series Finale Review
- 00:25:27 The Mandalorian and Grogu Review
- 00:47:01 Interview With Paul Sun-Hyung Lee
- 01:20:55 Rapid Fire Questions
- 01:24:06 Network Updates and Weekly Recommendations
Key Takeaways
- The Boys finale earned an 8 out of 10 from both hosts, with the full series landing at a 9, praised for ending on a hopeful note that the good guys can actually win if they stick together.
- Homelander losing his powers reveals who he always was underneath the facade, a takedown the hosts rank among the best villain endings on TV, even if the way he lost them through Kimiko felt like a quick fix.
- The Mandalorian and Grogu works as crowd-pleasing, kid-friendly Star Wars but lacks a real character arc, scoring around a 6 to 7 with both hosts feeling it plays like several episodes cut together.
- Paul Sun-Hyung Lee approaches adaptation by serving the scripts rather than chasing deep lore, and the live action Avatar gives Iroh a real reckoning for his role in the siege of Ba Sing Se that the cartoon glossed over.
- Carson Teva works because audiences connect with the grounded everyman in a universe full of Jedi, a role compared to Nick Fury, Agent Coulson, and even R2-D2.
- Kim's Convenience remains a point of deep pride for Lee, who still wishes fans had gotten the Appa and Jung reconciliation from the original play, but stands by going out on top.
Quotes
- "When those were stripped away, he no longer could act like the same person." (Thomas, on Homelander)
- "The good guys can just straight up win." (Frank, on the finale's message)
- "We're so specifically Korean that it becomes universal." (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, on Kim's Convenience)
- "If you don't watch it, you can't talk smack about it." (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, on hating something unseen)
- "Go out on top if you're going to go out." (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, on ending Kim's Convenience)
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Links and Resources
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Listener Questions
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Apple Podcast Tags
The Boys, The Boys finale, Homelander, Butcher, Kimiko, Eric Kripke, The Mandalorian and Grogu, Star Wars, Grogu, Pedro Pascal, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Uncle Iroh, Avatar The Last Airbender, Netflix Avatar, Captain Carson Teva, Kim's Convenience, geek culture, pop culture podcast, TV reviews, movie reviews, Geek Freaks
