On this week’s Water Cooler podcast, we review the new Hulu on FX limited series Love Story. Created by Connor Hines and executive produced by Ryan Murphy (among others), Love Story looks at the tabloid-fodder relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. Is this a series worth exploring, or is it a cheap tabloid-fodder knock-off? And what’s to be made of Naomi Watts as Jackie Kennedy Onassis?

Then, we revisit the 2026 Best Supporting Actor Oscar contenders. Is it Stellan Skarsgård’s to lose? Or is there something to his omission at The Actor (formerly SAG Awards)? If it’s not Skarsgård, then who could take home the Oscar? Could Sinners co-star Delroy Lindo surprise on Oscar night?

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Click here to listen to our audio podcast. Our video podcast follows below.

Podcast Music:
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Track: Here We Go! by cinematic alex
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The post It’s a ‘Love Story,’ Baby, Should You Say “Yes?” appeared first on The Contending.

Clarence returns to the Water Cooler, but sadly Megan’s under the weather this week. So, he and Joey tackle the major Super Bowl commercials without her and see what stuck with us the day after. Was it Ben Affleck’s Good Will Dunkin’? Was it Sabrina Carpenter romanticizing some Pringles? Or was it Lady Gaga waxing poetic about the Pokemon Jigglypuff? We give our classic Siskel and Ebert “thumbs up / thumbs down” on the 2026 Super Bowl commercials.

But first, the Directors Guild of America handed out their awards for the best direction of 2026 across film and television. As expected, Paul Thomas Anderson received the award for his work on One Battle After Another. The 2026 director Oscar race may be over, but what does it say about Best Picture? We briefly chat about the awards race and about upcoming awards to watch out for.

We’re deeply appreciative for your shares, likes, and positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Click here to listen to our audio podcast. Our video podcast follows below.

Podcast Music:
Royalty Free Music from Tunetank.com
Track: Here We Go! by cinematic alex
https://tunetank.com/track/802-here-we-go/

The post Were There Any Super Super Bowl Commercials? [VIDEO] appeared first on The Contending.

Help! Clarence is deserted on a remote island–someone save him! Or, perhaps, Megan and Joey are talking about Sam Raimi’s Send Help and he’s a little under the weather. Even an S.O.S. can be dramatic.

If you follow Megan on any social platform, you will notice how much she loves Raimi’s latest, which finds Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien butting heads and slaughtering boars after their plane crashes on a business trip to Bangkok. McAdams’ Linda has the survival skills, but O’Brien’s Bradley thinks he’s still in control. How does Raimi fare when giving this workplace hierarchy dark comedy his trademark bloody twists?

A few new trailers dropped this week, and Joey and Megan give their instant reactions to The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. Is the lighting that bad for Miranda Priestly’s return? Will the Ryan Murphy produced limited series be more in line with the quality of The People vs. OJ Simpson?

We’re deeply appreciative for your shares, likes, and positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Click here to listen to our audio podcast. Our video podcast follows below.

Podcast Music:
Royalty Free Music from Tunetank.com
Track: Here We Go! by cinematic alex
https://tunetank.com/track/802-here-we-go/

The post Sending Up a Flare: The Water Cooler Survives ‘Send Help’ [VIDEO] appeared first on The Contending.