We run down the week in geek, and most importantly we take you into the heart of the 2013 GWC International Meetup with a podcast recorded in front of a live meetup attendee audience. Enjoy!

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Sean is back, and the meetup is so very close! We take a quick moment to talk about the impending GWC meetup in Dallas.

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In this episode, Sean is out sick, so Chuck and Audra take the time to wax philosophical about their recent rewatch of the “Dominion War” episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

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We give a long-overdue visit to 1978′s Superman: The Movie, appreciate the film’s cinematic quality and inspiring John Williams soundtrack; discuss the permeating Christian allegory of the story; and cheer for Margot Kidder’s funny and feminine-but-not-treacly Lois Lane. Plus, we run down the Week in Geek, squee over the mysterious and dangerous-looking Benedict Cumberbatch in the latest Trek trailer, wonder whether Johnny Depp’s Tonto in the upcoming Lone Ranger movie constitutes 15/16 of a blackface performance, and take a very early look at The Prototype, a movie in production that will feature robots, military super-soldiers, and an alien takeover of Earth (I’m in!). Other hot guys discussed in this ‘cast: Karl Urban, Christopher Reeve, and Henry Cavill. Come join the fun!

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We briefly revisit Star Trek: Generations, finally appreciating its place in the Trek canon and wondering why we had overlooked the significance of Picard’s family — and loss of family — for so long. We take calls that touch on the power of pink, the time-travel potential of the airplane laser, and the less-than-sexy reality of naval sonar operations. And we run down the Week in Geek, dig on the upcoming Summer Glau comedy-horror Knights of Badassdom; wonder if Lincoln’s Twitter-themed Super Bowl ad (complete with Alpacas!) means we’re now officially old enough to be in their target market; discuss Wonder Woman’s declining role from Amazon warrior to Superman’s “current lover”; and are impressed that the new Barbarella TV series will be written by… wait for it…the guys who wrote Casino Royale and Skyfall. With this kind of pairing, who knows what could happen? Come join the fun!

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We jump straight into the buzz now that it’s confirmed: J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars: Episode VII, due in theaters in 2015 and starring much of the original crew. We walk through what the project might look like, speculate which EU areas the film will cover, hope for strong female characters, and anticipate a savvy, layered movie that both adults and kids can appreciate. We talk exciting Trek news with the release of the four-issue comic series Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness, which covers events leading up to Star Trek: Into Darkness, in theaters this April, and dig deep into why comics are a more important visual and narrative medium than they are usually given credit for. And we run down the Week in Geek, marveling at technological advances including new laser turrets on combat aircraft and scientists’ development of a rudimentary tractor beam. Seriously. Come join the geeky fun!

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This week as we re-ignite the Disney princess discussion, Sean reaffirms the impracticality of staving off the tidal wave of pink and weighs in on the fun of wearing a sparkly headband while playing backup for a three-year-old rock star. And, we run down the Week in Geek, get a glimpse of the new FX drama The Americans, in which married KGB spies pose as suburban Americans in early-80′s Washington, D.C.; lament the cancellation of the excellent Syfy series Alphas right when Nina gets awesome and Rachel finally gets to have sex; appreciate the U.S. government’s response to the official petition to build a Death Star; talk inflatable space hotels and the evolution of the U.S. space program’s potential as a thriving private industry; and take note of oceanographer Robert Ballard‘s incredible new discovery of 7,000-year old homes at the bottom of the Black Sea — which supports widespread cultural accounts of a Great Flood. Come join the geekery!

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We blast into 2013 with some nooooooos! and enjoy some classic GWC banter. And we run down the Week in Geek, including newly revealed details about Gates McFadden’s Season 2 departure from Next Gen (it had to do with sexism, despite the gender equality Beverly insists upon to Soren of the sack-cloth); the UK’s X-rating of the original Alien (no “sss”) movie due to sexual, um, confusion, it might instill in middle-schoolers; a cool piece in the Atlantic featuring the evolution of sci-fi book covers; news that Elder Scrolls will become an MMO this year (without dragons!?!); and the Shat’s squee-worthy Twitter exchange with Chris Hadfield of the ISS. Plus, Sean pumps the new season of Justified, we give props to a kick-ass Lego Iron Man proposal, and talk a little Voyager, including the obligatory Kazon Hair Report.

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In the year’s grand finale, we are joined in the studio by JUAAAAAN!! And we snub the ubiquity of the web’s year-end “Worst of…” lists, instead giving our own positive recommendations for 2012 media, including the underrated Men in Black 3, the fun popcorn flick Battleship; the brilliant TV comedy series Parks and Recreation (NBC) and sci-fi drama Alphas (Syfy); and two of our favorite video games of the year, Skyrim and Mass Effect 3. Plus, we run down the Week in Geek, joking about the photo of Stan Lee with the Hulk covering his junk that hit the web celebrating Lee’s new status as a nonagenarian; and Sean gives the rundown on his latest gaming addiction, EA’s new action RPG, Kingdoms of Amalur, written by Forgotten Realms author R. A. Salvatore and illustrated by Spawn creator Todd McFarlane. Join the madness — now with 33% more madness!

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We kick off 2012′s penultimate podcast by discussing 2005 movie The Island – wait, wut? Yes, The Island.  After seven years of GWC-style analysis and geeky discussion, returning to this flawed-but-likable movie made us realize how much the ‘cast has transformed the way we understand and appreciate art. Plus, we run down the Week in Geek, boo Blastr’s troll-baiting “Worst Movies Ever” poll which targets low-hanging fruit and popular franchises like Indiana Jones 4 and the Twilight series; give more love to affordable fun with Rifftrax; anticipate the addition of Jackie Chan to the cast of Expendables 3; and vicariously enjoy Sean’s experience with the cool-sounding strategy game Civilization Revolution, designed by the acclaimed Sid Meier and based on the 2008 original. Join the fun!

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In this penultimate GWC Christmas episode, we re-think everything that makes our holidays what they are. We re-cast and reboot some of our favorite Christmas movies (read: Seth Rogen and Amy Poehler as the new Griswolds), remake some of our favorite Christmas songs (Swedish EDM, anyone?), and re-think some of our hallowed Christmas traditions. Also, we run down the Week in Geek, checking out the trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s 2013 sci-fi/action flick Pacific Rim, which will  feature…wait for it… giant robots battling giant monsters from the ocean! Oh yes. It will be ours.

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In this episode we continue to talk Bond, with Skyfall. And we take listener calls about all kinds of stuff!

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