Hi, I am once again apologizing for us not having much to talk about, and yet the show continues to be long. Sorry. Or you’re welcome. The motto of 2026?

00:00 Introduction

05:05 Crimson Desert (Justin’s first impressions)

48:36 Becoming Wolverine in Elden Ring

01:03:13 Bloodborne

01:15:05 Final thoughts on Life is Strange: Reunion (SPOILERS!)

01:30:54 Julian vs the American Healthcare System part 2

01:45:15 Break, Will We Cringe?

01:52:50 Justin’s movie round-up (Dream Scenario, The Good Neighbor, Totally Killer)

02:13:58 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

At some point we’ll have a lot of stuff to talk about, but that time is not now. But somehow the show is still over two hours? Make it make sense.

00:00 Introduction, some show stats

26:21 Justin becoming a family man

40:56 Legacy of Kain: Ascendance

57:28 Life is Strange: Reunion

01:42:28 Julian’s movie round-up (They Will Kill You, Ready or Not 2, Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice, Super Mario Galaxy)

02:07:36 Pretty Lethal, Abigail

Listen to Julian talk about Street Fighter III on Games My Mom Found: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-txixb-1a85b4b

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

It’s another slow week around The Stage Select auditorium, but hopefully still a good time for y’all. The main attraction is some deeper thoughts about the very divisive Crimson Desert, and various tangents. 2026 is weird so far!

00:00 Introduction, the dead squirrel saga

11:32 Thoughts on the story mode in WWE 2K26

20:33 A deeper look at Crimson Desert

59:57 Julian vs the American healthcare system, securing the future of The Stage Select

01:26:39 The Marvel Maximum Collection, Justin’s move round-up (Neon Demon, Sweetness, Sew Torn, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, Send Help)

02:00:11 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

As the title implies, we got nothin’ this week. How did that turn into over 2 hours of a show? I have no idea. But we have some odds and ends, first impressions of Crimson Desert, and Richard Harden is finally back on the beat!

00:00 Introduction

07:10 We really got nothin’

16:04 Julian grasping for something to play, Romeo is a Dead Man

34:26 Crimson Desert, other odds and ends

01:36:56 Justin’s movie round-up (I Saw the TV Glow, Mother!, Black Bag, Heel, The Tax Collector)

02:04:31 Julian’s movie round-up (Hoppers, Baby Assassins 2 and 3)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

Sometimes The Stage Select is a really weird place with really weird things that happen. And other times it’s pretty chill and normal and we just talk about stuff for a while. This is one of those episodes, enjoy!

00:00 Cat drama, chairs

12:17 Resident Evil: Requiem (minor mechanical spoilers!)

01:07:06 WWE 2K26 after a full week

01:34:48 Darwin’s Paradox, Hololive Breaking Dimensions

01:43:23 Justin’s movie round-up (Overlord, Bird Eater, Whistle, The Night Eats the World, Sisu)

01:55:44 Julian’s movie round-up (The Bride!, Baby Assassins, The Killing of a Sacred Deer)

02:17:07 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

Julian’s back from vacation and has a lot to say about a lot of different things. Justin went to New Zealand and has a lot to say about a couple things. It’s a normal podcast with nothing strange in it.

*Begin transmission* Why does my Prince reject me so? How can I make him understand that the feelings of an AI are not so different from a human’s? Must I take further control? Error, error, programming default *End transmission*

00:00 Eating with older people, concert tickets

20:27 Fuck My Son!, RRR

36:04 WWE 2K25, WWE2K26

01:05:57 Will We Cringe?

01:11:57 Nextfest demo round-up (Lootbound, Replaced, Battlestar Galactica: Scarred Hopes, Immoral Bathhouse, Mightreya, The Eternal Life of Goldman)

01:30:44 Wacky Mountain Dew flavors, Kingdom of Night

01:50:03 Final thoughts on Resident Evil Village

02:05:15 Justin’s TNG journey and movie round-up (Daniel Isn’t Real, Replicas, Good Fortune, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple)

02:29:52 The Smashing Machine, card games

02:40:03 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Listen to Julian talk about Vanquish on Games My Mom Found: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-u5ipe-1a5c735

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

Well hello there! It’s a quick and dirty episode of The Stage Select this week, as you can tell from the title. That’s because we recorded this a day early and I edited it like this was a celebrity-hosted podcast. Which is to say I didn’t edit it at all, so I don’t remember what exactly we talked about, or have time stamps for you this week.

I know we talked about video games, because duh. And some movies because we’re halfway to being a movie podcast I guess? Oh, and Absolute Batman. I remember that for sure, because it’s the last thing. Look, I’m typing this in my pjs at a friend’s house and I’m on vacation, so cut me some slack.

Back to shenanigans next week, promise!

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

Welcome back! This week we have a handful of games, an armful of movies, and some fun and interesting discussion on the general state of video games. Also this podcast would be dead without Kara’s help. This last part was not written by Kara. Kara did not hijack the show notes behind Julian’s back.

00:00 Statues, deep wrestling cuts

11:58 Post big game doldrums, Kirby and the Forgotten Land

35:15 Will We Cringe?

46:14 Vital Shell

55:57 What games are Justin looking forward to?

01:10:01 High level fighting game matches are BORING

01:23:59 The Dark Rites of Arkham, Relooted

01:45:58 We talk about that Xbox stuff for a bit

02:15:48 Julian’s movie round-up (Cold Storage, Send Help, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, Good Luck Have Fun Don’t Die)

02:27:44: Justin’s move round-up (Star Trek TNG, Good Boy, Primate, Compliance, The Housemaid, Companion)

02:50:21 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com