Bang-Bang Podcast

• Andor (2025), Season 2 Ep. 10–12 + Rogue One (2016) w/ Matt Duss and Paul Adlerstein | Ep. 34

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.bangbangpod.comIn this finale to our Andor series, Van and Lyle are joined by returning guest Paul Adlerstein and—making his first appearance on the pod—Matt Duss, former foreign policy advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders and current executive vice president at the Center for International Policy.The conversation spans the closing arc of Andor Season 2 and Rogue One, treating them as one long meditation on revolutionary grief, sacrifice, and strategy. We reflect on Kleya Marki’s backstory, Deedra Meero’s karmic consignment to the labor camps, and the quiet closure of Bix Caleen’s journey from warrior to survivor, cradling new life in a liberated field.We also discuss Cassian’s confrontation with the rebel leadership and his scathing defense of Luthen Rael. Namely, his accusation that those who sit in safety have committed only a fraction of the sacrifice they demand of others. As well as Bail Organa’s (wink wink, nod nod) “May the Force be with you, captain,” sealing the fate of Cassian’s transition from hunted thief to selfless insurgent.In our Rogue One discussion, we note the apocalyptic awe of Krennic’s “Oh, it’s beautiful” as he watches Jedha obliterated, a moment that recalls the real-world language of U.S. reporters and officials after Hiroshima.Further ReadingMatt on TwitterCenter for International PolicyMatt’s other podcast (with Van)Paul’s website“Witnessing the A-Bomb, but Forbidden to File,” by David W. Dunlap“Andor Is the Best Star Wars You Will Ever See,” by David KlionProject Fulcrum: Nemik’s Weekly ManifestoTeaser from the EpisodeAndor Season 2 Trailer

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• The Battle of Chile (Part III) (1975) and Obstinate Memory (1997) w/ Jonathan M. Katz | Ep. 33

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.bangbangpod.comThis is Part III of our three-part series covering the Battle of Chile (itself a trilogy). Check out Part I and Part II!Van and Lyle are joined by journalist and historian Jonathan M. Katz to discuss Patricio Guzmán’s seminal Battle of Chile trilogy—widely regarded as one of the greatest political documentaries ever made—alongside its 1997 epilogue, Obstinate Memory. Our conversation was recorded mostly in the weeks after Trump’s reelection but before his inauguration, and the urgency of that moment colors much of our analysis. At the heart of it: What can the Chilean road to socialism and its systematic destruction teach us about the slow corrosion of democratic institutions in the U.S. and elsewhere? And how might the fates of Salvador Allende, the Popular Unity coalition, and Chilean workers help illuminate the emerging dynamics of the global far right?We dig into the paradoxes and possibilities of the Allende years: the failed balancing act between revolution and legality; the coordinated resistance from business owners, professionals, and the military; the question of whether a peaceful transition to socialism was ever possible. We examine how The Battle of Chile dissects the infrastructure of counterrevolution—economic pressure, street violence, parliamentary sabotage, and media warfare—and what it means to rewatch these films in our current moment. And we talk about the strength and tragedy of mass mobilization, the unarmed marches and factory occupations, and the fateful decision not to arm the people.Further ReadingThe Racket, Jonathan’s newsletterGangsters of Capitalism: Smedley Butler, the Marines, and the Making and Breaking of America’s Empire, by Jonathan KatzAmerica, América: A New History of the New World, by Greg Grandin“Defending Allende,” by Ariel DorfmanTeaser from the EpisodeBattle of Chile Trailer

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• The Battle of Chile (Part II) (1975) w/ Jonathan M. Katz | Ep. 32

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.bangbangpod.comThis is Part II of our three-part series covering the Battle of Chile (itself a trilogy). Check out Part I!Van and Lyle are joined by journalist and historian Jonathan M. Katz to discuss Patricio Guzmán’s seminal Battle of Chile trilogy—widely regarded as one of the greatest political documentaries ever made—alongside its 1997 epilogue, Obstinate Memory. Our conversation was recorded mostly in the weeks after Trump’s reelection but before his inauguration, and the urgency of that moment colors much of our analysis. At the heart of it: What can the Chilean road to socialism and its systematic destruction teach us about the slow corrosion of democratic institutions in the U.S. and elsewhere? And how might the fates of Salvador Allende, the Popular Unity coalition, and Chilean workers help illuminate the emerging dynamics of the global far right?We dig into the paradoxes and possibilities of the Allende years: the failed balancing act between revolution and legality; the coordinated resistance from business owners, professionals, and the military; the question of whether a peaceful transition to socialism was ever possible. We examine how The Battle of Chile dissects the infrastructure of counterrevolution—economic pressure, street violence, parliamentary sabotage, and media warfare—and what it means to rewatch these films in our current moment. And we talk about the strength and tragedy of mass mobilization, the unarmed marches and factory occupations, and the fateful decision not to arm the people.Further ReadingThe Racket, Jonathan’s newsletterGangsters of Capitalism: Smedley Butler, the Marines, and the Making and Breaking of America’s Empire, by Jonathan KatzAmerica, América: A New History of the New World, by Greg Grandin“Defending Allende,” by Ariel DorfmanTeaser from the EpisodeBattle of Chile Trailer

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• The Battle of Chile (Part I) (1975) w/ Jonathan M. Katz | Ep. 31

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.bangbangpod.comVan and Lyle are joined by journalist and historian Jonathan M. Katz to discuss Patricio Guzmán’s seminal Battle of Chile trilogy—widely regarded as one of the greatest political documentaries ever made—alongside its 1997 epilogue, Obstinate Memory. Our conversation was recorded mostly in the weeks after Trump’s reelection but before his inauguration, and the urgency of that moment colors much of our analysis. At the heart of it: What can the Chilean road to socialism and its systematic destruction teach us about the slow corrosion of democratic institutions in the U.S. and elsewhere? And how might the fates of Salvador Allende, the Popular Unity coalition, and Chilean workers help illuminate the emerging dynamics of the global far right?We dig into the paradoxes and possibilities of the Allende years: the failed balancing act between revolution and legality; the coordinated resistance from business owners, professionals, and the military; the question of whether a peaceful transition to socialism was ever possible. We examine how The Battle of Chile dissects the infrastructure of counterrevolution—economic pressure, street violence, parliamentary sabotage, and media warfare—and what it means to rewatch these films in our current moment. And we talk about the strength and tragedy of mass mobilization, the unarmed marches and factory occupations, and the fateful decision not to arm the people.Further ReadingThe Racket, Jonathan’s newsletter Gangsters of Capitalism: Smedley Butler, the Marines, and the Making and Breaking of America’s Empire, by Jonathan KatzAmerica, América: A New History of the New World, by Greg Grandin“Defending Allende,” by Ariel DorfmanTeaser from the EpisodeBattle of Chile Trailer

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• Andor (2025), Season 2, Ep. 7-9 w/ David Klion and David Austin Walsh | Ep. 30

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.bangbangpod.comThe Death Star was born in blood well before it ever came into existence. In episodes 7-9 of Andor, we see just how much blood, and why. A false-flag operation to secure critical minerals. A French-resistance style sub-plot involving infiltration by an ambitious order muppet. Genocide of the Ghormans—an affluent middle-power planet. And a Galactic media that pretends to be the arbiter of truth while merely manufacturing consent for empire. These are among the many thrills of a story whose politics evoke our own. You don’t want to miss Senator Mon Mothma’s daring, radical speech on the Senate floor, followed by Andor’s equally daring exfiltration of Mon Mothma to the Rebellion-held planet Yavin, where she comes home to herself. Writer David Klion and historian David Austin Walsh rejoin the pod to discuss episodes 7-9 of Andor Season 2—the most-action packed and emotionally charged arc of not just Andor but perhaps any TV show. Further ReadingDavid Austin Walsh on TwitterDavid Klion on Twitter“Andor Is the Best Star Wars You Will Ever See,” by David KlionProject Fulcrum: Nemik’s Weekly ManifestoThe Romance of American Communism, by Vivian GornickTeaser from the EpisodeAndor Season 2 Trailer

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