Episodes
… Oxford! That’s right, just like Weezer, Sleater-Kinney, and the Spice Girls before them, the Nerdette Recaps crew is getting the band back together for the new HBO series His Dark Materials. Starting Tuesday, Nov. 5 — the day after the premiere episode of His Dark Materials airs — you’ll find all new episodes of Nerdette Recaps His Dark Materials with Peter Sagal right here in this podcast feed. And in honor of this auspicious occasion, Greta put Peter in a studio and gloated at him about...
Published 11/01/19
Oh hey there! If you're having Game of Thrones withdrawals, might we suggest a dose of Nerdette?  On this episode, we talk with a woman who administers drugs like LSD, Ecstasy, and psilocybin to volunteers in an effort to learn more about the human nervous system. Harriet de Wit, who runs the University of Chicago’s Human Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory, tells us how those trials go down, how these drugs might be used therapeutically, and what causes people to take drugs in the first...
Published 06/11/19
It’s the end of an era. After more than 70 hours of television and nearly ten years of worrying about the Stark children, Game of Thrones is finally over. Tricia, Greta and Peter got together one last time to reflect on the series..
Published 05/28/19
Game of Thrones is over, and there is a *lot* to process. In this recap of the series finale, Tricia realizes she doesn’t like endings, Peter wants Jon Snow’s head and Greta observes the Valyrian word for Dorne appears to be Dornut. Listen to this recap of Game of Thrones Season 8, episode 6, titled “The Iron Throne.” Then be sure to come back next week for our final recap of the entire series, including a debate on the forthcoming spinoffs and whether or not we’ll truly ever get to read...
Published 05/20/19
That was pretty messed up! The penultimate episode of Game of Thrones has come and gone, and we all just witnessed Dany commit a few thousand war crimes. What just happened? Madness! How are we feeling? Conflicted! But there was some good news if you're a land speculator: Now might just be a great time to buy real estate in King’s Landing. Join Nerdette and Peter Sagal as we consider the super low mortgage rates!
Published 05/13/19
With the Battle of Winterfell over, the Stark clan needs to talk. What do we do about this Dany lady? And who’s making dinner Tuesday night? There are only two episodes left before Game of Thrones concludes, and Peter, Tricia and Greta have convened to discuss this episode's curious events. Consider: Jon decided to play telephone with his bombshell of a secret, Varys openly discussed treason against Queen Dany, and Qyburn once again refused to put on an undershirt (a simple crew neck would be...
Published 05/06/19
Don’t worry, if you couldn’t tell what exactly was going on last night, we’ve got your back. And a lot of feelings to process. The army of the undead finally descended on Winterfell, and it turns out the crypt really was one of the safest places to hide. (At least, compared to the carnage upstairs.) Tricia, Greta and Peter consider the undead, the newly dead and where we go from here on the latest recap of Game of Thrones. Also: Who run the world? GIRLS!
Published 04/29/19
It sure seems like the crypt is the safest place in Winterfell. Anyone want to check it out?  But wait ... considering these folks are about to fight, you know, AN ARMY OF THE UNDEAD, perhaps taking refuge in a crypt of their enemy’s potential allies is a bad idea? To answer just this type of pressing question, Nerdette has once again joined up with our pal Peter Sagal to recap the latest episode of Season 8 of Game of Thrones, titled “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.” Tricia, Greta and Peter...
Published 04/22/19
Game of Thrones has returned with reckless abandon!  Well, maybe not reckless abandon … nobody you know and love died. (Yet.) But whew! A ton of stuff went down: Sansa and Dany exchanged neverending side-eye, Jon got some insight into his family tree and — in what will certainly lead to endless nightmares amongst the wider populace — the piercing scream of a spiralized child-zombie-demon scared the ever-loving hot pie out of everyone.  The Nerdette crew of Greta Johnsen and Tricia Bobeda...
Published 04/15/19
What’s the Night King doing with his ice dragon? Will Tyrion tell Daenerys that Cersei is pregnant? Is everyone on their way to Winterfell? And Hot Pie! Why is no one talking about Hot Pie?! A lot went down in the last season of HBO’s Game of Thrones. To help refresh your memory, Nerdette’s Tricia Bobeda and Greta Johnsen rejoin Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!’s Peter Sagal to recap Season 7. They also take a stab at making their own predictions for the next season, which premieres April 14. Press...
Published 04/08/19
Long time no see! New episodes of Nerdette Recaps Game of Thrones with Peter Sagal are IMMINENT. April 8: Season 8 preview episode April 15: Let's talk about who died last night! April 22-May 28: So on so on so forth ... Subscribe now (and tell your friends). See you soon!
Published 03/25/19
Tricia, Greta, Peter and about 400 wildlings met up in Chicago’s Lincoln Square for one last recap of Season 7. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the DANK House on Wednesday, August 30.
Published 09/04/17
Let’s be real: The true hero of this episode was that shot of Jon Snow’s butt. A lot of action went down in this season finale and not all of it involved those buns. The zombie summit went off the rails a little bit, Sansa dispenses some sweet justice, Theon discovers his super power, and the Night King has a 'Mr. Gorbachev' moment. Nerdette’s Greta Johnsen and Tricia Bobeda review all of that and more with Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!’s Peter Sagal
Published 08/28/17
As expected, Jon Snow’s Mission: Impossible turns into Mission: D’oh, Dany weighs in on her nickname, Arya tries to knock Bran down as the Stark family creep, and the Night King gets a new pet. Nerdette’s Greta Johnsen and Tricia Bobeda team up with Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me host Peter Sagal to recap all of that in more in this week’s podcast.
Published 08/21/17
Family barbecues take on a new meaning in this week’s Game of Thrones, and it may have some major consequences for Dany.  In this week’s recap, Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda, and Peter Sagal chew the fat over the fate of the Tarly family, Cersei’s big surprise for Jamie, Samwell’s late-night library raid, Jon Snow adding “zombie hunter” to his resume, and the return of another lovable bastard. They also answer listener questions and offer their predictions about what might happen in the last...
Published 08/14/17
The only thing that could have made the final scene of this week’s Game of Thrones better is if Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” started playing (but covered by Ed Sheeran).  In episode four’s “The Spoils of War,” we get one of the baddest, most heavy metal scenes with Dany charging into Jaime’s army while riding on top of one of her dragons. So for this week’s recap, we asked Tricia, Greta, and Peter what song they’d listen to while riding a dragon into battle. The trio also weighs in on...
Published 08/07/17
Careful. Spoilers abound. Did Jon Snow take a Concorde jet to Dragonstone? What kind of loan forgiveness can you expect from the banks in Westeros? And did Samwell wash that hand? After a night of spirited brooding, Tricia, Greta and Peter gathered to analyze the latest episode of HBO's Game of Thrones. Feel free to join the conversation by using the hashtag #GOTNerdcaps or call us at 312-948-4687.
Published 07/31/17
What does bad boy pirate Euron do right before battle? Does Daenerys' leadership indicate strength or weakness? And is a large crossbow really a weapon of mass destruction? Tricia, Greta and special Peter-replacement Miles Doornbos analyze Season 7, Episode 2 of Game of Thrones.
Published 07/24/17
If there’s one thing to learn about staying alive in Westeros, it’s never go to a party, ever. Tricia, Greta and Peter toast off the Season 7 premiere, giving their takeaways of bad boy pirate Euron, the Frey dinner party and Sam's library chores. They also share what they see when they look deeply into a fire. 
Published 07/17/17
Where exactly is Bran again? Does Cersei have any kids left? Are Tyrion and Daenerys besties?  A lot went down in the last season of HBO’s Game of Thrones. To help refresh your memory, Tricia Bobeda, Greta Johnsen and Peter Sagal recap the last season and take a stab at making their own predictions for the next season, which premieres July 16.  You can also join the conversation. Just use the hashtag #GOTnerdcaps on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also leave us a voicemail at...
Published 07/10/17
The endgame is set to begin. Is Daenerys' coalition of the willing the squad to beat? What can Cersei do after her conflagratory masterpiece, and is she beholden to the second half of her miserable prophecy? What new brutality can we expect from Those Who Do Not Sow? What of Jon? Littlefinger? Arya? Sam? And will any of it matter against an army that grows as quickly as their enemies fall? Join Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me's Peter Sagal and Nerdette's Tricia Bobeda and Greta Johnsen as they...
Published 06/29/16
Eddard Stark was an honorable man. That we knew. But now that it seems that R+L=J, what does that mean for Jon? What were the whispers that Bran was conveniently too far away to hear? Is the Cersei we knew gone forever, and if so, what is she now? And why is it only the main characters who seem to find the express ships? Join Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me's Peter Sagal and Nerdette's Tricia Bobeda and Greta Johnsen as they analyze the finale of Game of Thrones' sixth season, "The Winds of Winter."
Published 06/27/16
And only one bastard remained. Also, is dragon muscular atrophy a thing? Is smirking becoming its own language? Can a giant finally catch a break? And did we find out just how loyal a hungry dog really is? Join Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me's Peter Sagal and Nerdette's Tricia Bobeda and Greta Johnsen as they analyze "Battle of the Bastards" episode from Game of Thrones' sixth season.
Published 06/20/16
The Mother of Dragons arrives just in time to save her friends and their seemingly doomed city. (Shock!) Tyrion drinks wine, spouts bland dialogue and does nothing. (Gasp!) Arya somehow survives her wounds and the T-1000 that casually pursues her. (Heresy!) Is the show's lack of source material beginning to reveal itself in a not so appealing way? Join Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me's Peter Sagal and Nerdette's Tricia Bobeda and Greta Johnsen as they analyze "No One" episode from Game of Thrones'...
Published 06/13/16
The Hound returns to the screen, but will he also return to his past form? Whom exactly is Arya fighting? Is it as fun to write for indifferent older characters as it is to hear them? And does Davos’ silver tongue make up fully for his desiccated fingers? Join Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me's Peter Sagal and Nerdette's Tricia Bobeda and Greta Johnsen as they analyze "The Broken Man" episode from Game of Thrones' sixth season.
Published 06/06/16