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In this episode, we rank the seven most important sets of the Harry Potter films. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 2:11 #7: Ollivander’s Wand Shop. We aren’t there for too long, but what goes on here is extremely important. This is where Harry got his first wand and learned of the twin cores, themes that would follow him forever.

· 9:49 #6: Gringotts’s Bank. This beats Ollivander’s because more happens here. Harry gets his fortune here, and it is the first building he went in in Diagon Alley. This is also the site of their flight from the security after getting the Hufflepuff Cup from the Lestrange vault.

· 16:36 #5: Platform 9 ¾ and the Hogwarts Express. What an iconic set. We take these two for granted after seeing the films so many times, but we can’t deny just how integral they are for the story and just how much we would miss them if they were gone.

· 21:10 #4: The Ministry of Magic. The first time we go here is in the fifth book, but it is one of the most important places for the story after that. It represents the forces of evil trying to take away Harry’s freedom, the freedom of the rest of the wizarding world by extension.

· 25:18 #3: The Burrow. There is a incredible amount of character with the Burrow. It is messy, but full of family. As Voldemort’s power grows, it comes to represent all that is good with the wizarding world and the resistance that will never stop fighting. The Burrow is true to itself.

· 29:05 #2: 4 Privet Drive. This is a now brainer. 4 Privet Drive is a tough place for Harry, but it is the place where he grew up and learned about himself and his past whether he likes it or not. Name a more iconic place than the cupboard under the stairs, I dare you. When Harry is saying goodbye to this home in the final book, we realize just how much his childhood home meant to him despite all he went through within its walls.

· 34:42 #1: The Great Hall. This is where the story begins and ends. Harry is sorted here and finds his friends and family. In the end, this is where he has one final duel with Voldemort and claims victory for the wizarding world.

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In this episode, we discuss the TV show's connection to the HBO show 'Succession' and how the filmmakers should take some inspiration from it. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 3:30 Different cinematography. Longer shots, less music, and more personal moments can really make a difference in how we understand the show. Now that the audience in older and has a better handle on the story, a more sophisticated portrayal could go a long way.

· 15:05 Focusing on relationships. Further, how relationships change. Succession follows a business family which is incredibly dysfunctional, and it is the relationships that really drive the story forward. Though Harry Potter isn’t similar in that way, focusing on a relationship driven story could show us more of the characters we think we know.

· 19:56 The day doesn’t always have to be saved. If an episode ends on a huge downer, that might add something to the show.

· 24:23 More on Voldemort’s rise to power. We don’t have a strong connection between Tom Riddle and Voldemort. Additionally, we only really see the inner workings of his life at the final few acts of the story. It is an interesting story we should see more of.

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In this episode, we discuss the similarities of the TV show cast to the film cast and what that might mean for the show. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 2:30 Might point to reduced creativity when making the sets. If they’re recasting the cast, why not just use the same sets. To be fair, the silhouette of Hogwarts is iconic as well as some other places, so those should stay the same. But we will hopefully explore the castle more, so they will be forced to come up with new sets.

· 9:34 Will this be a character driven story? If these characters are the same, they might be trying to explore different parts of the story. But connecting to the characters is why the fandom has lasted this long, so why wouldn’t this story be character driven?

· 16:46 If the TV is the same, what is this whole thing for? With a similar cast of characters, what are we really going to learn? A lot! I think there are a lot of things to be gained from this show even if the cast is very similar to the original. With the hours of time they have, I think it is literally impossible for them to avoid showing us more of the story that we got in the films.

· 22:00 The new actors should play the character, not the actor. The film actors brought these characters to life with their own interpretations. But the books are the original stories, not the films. The TV show actors should build their own versions of the characters.

· 25:53 Actors should act in the moment, not the future. There are no secrets now. Everyone knows what is to come. But that opens to door to explore the story more deeply. However, they shouldn’t rely on the audience’s knowledge of what’s to come to give individual moments meaning.

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In this episode we discuss cameos that should appear in the new Harry Potter TV show. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 2:14 Tom Felton as Lucius Malfoy. If we have a reminder of all Draco went through in the films, we could understand his character earlier on. Perhaps we could make deeper revelations on his character by the end of the TV show compared to the film.

· 11:38 Harry Melling as a background wizard. Dudley’s arc is one of the most heartwarming in the story, despite the fact that he starts as a big bully. If we see him as a wizard, that will show us his evolution as a character. We get a glimpse at what life could have been when he says goodbye to Harry, and I want to keep that at the back of our mind when watching his character from the beginning.

· 18:53 Matthew Lewis as a herbology assistant. Neville grows up to be the herbology teacher at Hogwarts. We can’t put him in as Professor Sprout, but on the side would work well. I want to give the viewer the reminder that Neville has a long arc ahead of him and is headed for greatness.

· 22:55 Mark Williams as Slughorn. Slughorn is very wishy-washy when it comes to the memory, and I want Mr. Weasley to come in and bring some integrity to the character. That would be a great choice to bring some honor to Slughorn.

· 25:15 The reason why I chose these cameos is to remind us where we came from. I want to keep the films in mind when watching the TV show, but we shouldn’t lean on them and use them as the sole point of comparison. The TV show should be another piece to the fandom that will give us another perspective on the characters we think we know so well.

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In this episode, we flip the script and discuss how the story would change if Harry was sorted into Slytherin. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· Listen to episode 285 about the new cast for the trio here!

· 2:13 Harry and Draco are going to become friends. They both have difficult families, and are somewhat alone in the world. They can connect with each other, because the one thing they both want more than anything is a relationship. Harry has no friends or family, and Draco’s family doesn’t care for him. This would create the perfect environment for them to become friends.

· 10:47 Dumbledore and Voldemort’s strategies would have been different. Dumbledore has Harry in his circle in the original story, so it is easy for him to reach out. Voldemort is far removed from Harry and spends his time trying to get at him. If Harry was in Slytherin, Voldemort might try to make a relationship with Harry and Dumbledore would have to work hard to get messages and ideas across to Harry.

· 17:52 Harry would feel more disconnected from his parents. Being in their same house is really how he can feel close to them, but if he isn’t in the same house, that wouldn’t be the case. The people he meets as a Gryffindor can tell him what they were like, but without them, most of his parents is lost to time.

· 23:11 Harry’s relationship with Sirius would be very different. If Harry is basically a Death Eater, he would be thrilled with Sirius when he breaks out. When he learns that that supporter of Voldemort is his godfather, that would be the best day of his life. Learning that Sirius wasn’t a supporter of Voldemort would be a nasty shock. For Sirius, he would be devastated to learn that James and Lily’s son is in Slytherin and part of a Death Eater family.

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In this episode, we discuss the recent casting of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and who should be cast next. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 2:36 The Deadline article said Malfoy, Cho Chang, and Cedric Diggory were more prized roles. Really? Chang and Diggory cover only a few books. Malfoy is an important casting, however. The actor has to understand how little Malfoy understands about himself.

· 10:19 Neville has a long arc, and one that should be thoroughly explored. We need an actor who can show just how much Neville learns, but also how much heart he has from the beginning.

· 14:29 The Weasley family should fall into place now that we have Ron. Every one of them has a big part in the story and we should have them soon. Ginny might even be improved upon because of how fiery she was painted into the story, but how mild she came across in the film.

· 19:09 The Dursley family should be terrible. I want to watch the first season and really hate the Dursleys. In the films, they’re certainly mean, but we don’t dislike them as much as we could. The moment when Hagrid takes Harry to Hogwarts would be so much sweeter if he was escaping from a terrible family.

· 22:38 Voldemort. If the whole first episode is focused on Voldemort, that would be a major victory. He has an ancient air about him that suggests he has been through a lot, and he is willing to kill to achieve his goals. Ralph Fiennes is the perfect actor for this, and we need someone with the same deadly calm.

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In this episode, we analyze the larger implications of Fred's death. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 2:14 Fred is killed in the Battle of Hogwarts in the seventh book. It really represents the death of Harry’s past, and puts into starker contrast the fact that he can never go back. Of course, Harry can’t go back to events that have already happened, but this is just a symbolic death that more absolutely illustrates the finality of this battle.

· 12:34 This is not a game. Fred is light-hearted and full of life and humor. He is a character who we except to live forever. We know that there will be some death, but Fred seems almost removed from this. So when he is killed, it is a shocking blow that really shows us that this battle will not be without blood.

· 15:48 The battle will not be without sacrifice. Voldemort has to sacrifice a lot to get where he is. Killing and making horcruxes is his MO. Fred’s death shows us that Harry and the others also have to make sacrifices in order to win. Those sacrifices will often be in the form of death.

· 23:13 The end of Percy’s arc. He returns to Hogwarts for the beginning of the battle, then witnesses the death of his brother. These are the two major events in the story that mark the end of his arc. He made choices in early books that he may come to regret, and the time he spent with the ministry took him away from his family and gave him less time with Fred. This is the fragmented ending he merits.

· 29:40 It makes it personal for the Weasleys. Seeing some members of the Order dead is terrible. But it’s not quite personal for other people. To see Fred dead in the Great Hall hits right at home for them.

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In this episode, we discuss the Battle of Hogwarts in the TV show. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 2:09 The charge of the houselves. This moment is only in the book, but is impactful. Kreacher has finally found something that he believes in, and it would be a shame if his arc ends without that final resolution of charging into battle. This shows us that everyone is involved.

· 10:21 Fred’s death. This is one of the most shocking deaths in the battle because it represents the death of Harry’s past. Fred was full of life and humor with so much ahead of him, but that all came to an end. We don’t even get to see it in the film, despite the fact that it is a big moment in the book.

· 15:56 Peeves. He is famously left out of the films, but he has been cast in the TV show. Peeves in fighting on the front lines along with all the rest of the students. This is impactful because he was once the thorn in the side of the castle, but know he puts his jokes aside to stand and fight. It highlights just how important this battle is.

· 19:39 The epic final showdown. It is epic in the film, but it’s not the same as the book. As cool as it is to watch, I prefer the sequence in the book because of the symbolic nature of the Great Hall and the more final sense in the air.

· 24:23 Details that we should include, or not. The flying duel in the air is super weird. They crash into the castle and Voldemort squishes their heads together? I’m good. Harry breaking the elder wand in the film is a great detail that should be included in the TV show. I also want to have a more effective explanation for the transfer of ownership of the elder wand, because it was the motivation for Snape’s murder.

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