 Tread Merrily 2021 concludes with, of course, Doctor Who and a story Justin didn't think would happen: "The Husbands of River Song." When the TARDIS materializes in a 52nd Century human colony, he is immediately mistaken for a surgeon. The mistake only gets compounded when he discovers River sent for medical aid. Or, at least, something very much like it. She does not recognize his new face as one belonging to her Time Lord husband ... and it seems she's married to King Hyrdoflax, the "Butcher of the Bone Meadows." Is it all another one of her schemes? And can she really not recognize The Doctor in their new regeneration cycle? Erik reveals his dislike of the TARDIS "desktop" getting a new design with each Doctor. He also reveals the masterplan in saving "The Husbands of River Song" until he and Justin watched all the River Song episodes over on the Patreon-exclusive show, The Full Peril. It's not a pitch for new Patrons, honest. Justin appreciates the romance on display in the episode. The Batman story "Mad Love" becomes a key point of discussion. Joanna Lumley becomes the 13th Doctor What. The Doctor's original lie gets teased and Justin comes up with the best description of Hydroflax ever. 

Tread Perilously

Tread Perilously -- Doctor Who: The Husbands Of River Song

Tread Merrily continues with The X-Files' own "How The Ghosts Who Stole Christmas." Lacking anywhere to go on Christmas Eve, Mulder convinces Scully to join him at an abandoned home in Baltimore. Legend tells a pair of young lovers ended their lives there on the night before Christmas 1917. Since that time, several couples have also turned out dead. But when Mulder and Scully find the house is occupied, will the tenants' spot-on diagnoses of their problems lead to meaningful change or will the FBI agents also enter into a murder-suicide pact? Erik explains why his tastes have become more escapist. The fascination with Kingpin and Vanessa continues. The film Snatch gets surprised praise. Justin outlines his relationship with The X-Files. Miggs dictates a novel. Hard Eight proves to be the best P.T. Anderson film. The pair discuss the peril of TV writers claiming they have a plan. Tamale Watch gets its only 2021 update. Erik recalls his favorite moments of Dante's Peak. Gerd Shockley gets to endorse a new product. Mulder and Scully's gift exchange gets high marks. Erik and Justin debate whether or not they watched a bottle episode and Chris Carter's reputation gets examined.

Tread Perilously -- The X-Files: How The Ghosts Who Stole Christmas

Tread Merrily continues with a trip to Cabot Cove for the Murder, She Wrote episode called "A Christmas Secret." Its Christmastime in Cabot Cove, and this year, the well-to-do Forsythes are welcoming their soon-to-be son-in-law Charlie to their clan. His appointment to the local real estate firm rubs some people the wrong way. though. Charlie also has a secret, and one of the town hall secretaries aims to black mail him. Or does she? Either way, when she turns up shot, Charlie becomes the prime suspect and it's up to Jessica Fletcher to clear his name. Will she unwrap the Christmas Secret in time? Erik and Justin immediately get lost in the Mainer accents. Jason Scott Lee gets stuck in Justin's mind. The Batman returns, once again, as a villain. Bane also resurfaces as the people's champion. The George Clooney sitcom, E/R, once again factors into the proceedings. Erik totally gets mid-1970s Elliott Gould. He also tries to understand late 80s "Firm Culture." Stephen King ends up becoming important. The pair envision Brian De Palma's Batman. CW actors get credit for working impossible schedules. Erik confirms his allegiance to giallo lighting and Justin imagines Charlotte Rae in The Handmaid's Tale.

Tread Perilously -- Murder, She Wrote: A Christmas Secret

Tread Perilously enters the annual "Tread Merrily" festivities with the thoroughly British spy series The Avengers and its Christmas-infused episode, "Too Many Christmas Trees." It's the night before Christmas Eve Day and John Steed has been having disturbing dreams about a fellow in the Intelligence section, Father Christmas, and his own reflection. Emma Peel expresses some concern, but invites him to a party at the manor home of famed Charles Dickens collector Brandon Storey. Little does she realize, though, that the source of Steed's problems awaits them at the party. Will a night dressed as Sydney Carton and Oliver Twist lead to an experiment with telepathy? Justin pitches his own stylish 60s spy series with a low-key name: The Conversationalists. Erik proves to have better knowledge of Dickens than Justin. He also reveals the unlikely origins of The Avengers. The British Empire takes a beating. Geography Corner takes on a culinary tone as the pair both praise local eatery The Hat and warn against what it does to their stomachs. The Bond connection gets mentioned, as does The Avengers feature film. Justin ponders the unintentionally horrifying Father Christmas mask in the episode and the nature of the telepaths leads to "the slowest way to kill someone."

Tread Perilously -- The Avengers: Too Many Christmas Trees

 Tread Perilously delivers on one more promise with The Facts of Life Reunion. The globetrotting Edna Garrett decides to spend Thanksgiving 2001 with her girls from Eastland. Of course, their lives have changed since she last minded them in the 1980s. Children, husbands, careers, and boyfriends occupy their minds. Nevertheless, they are all making an effort to travel to Blair's Peekskill inn to celebrate. But will Natalie's dueling beaus, a plumbing problem, the sudden disappearance of Jo, and their family dramas spoil the Thanksgiving spirit? Erik keeps his promise to not inflict another 7th Heaven episode on Justin, but breaks a promise to guest Paul Pakler (of Paul and Corey Cross the Streams) by forcing him to watch another TV movie. The mystery of Jo's disappearance is explained. Erik advocates for Laserdisc. John Wayne's The Conqueror becomes a discussion topic. Paul theorizes the film has an important place in post-9/11 discourse. He also points out the dynamic is off without Jo. Justin compliments the surprising attention of detail and the apparent callbacks to the original series. Mrs. Garrett gets recast as Master Splinter and the girls become another TV sitcom quartet. Paul pitches a remake of Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia with Jo as the lead and the hackey Seinfeld impression makes a surprise return. 

Tread Perilously: The Facts Of Life Reunion

 Tread Perilously keeps yet another promise by finally watching Small Wonder, but will an episode called "The Suitor" change Erik or Justin's opinion of the series? When Jamie's nerdy classmate, Warren, catches sight of Vicki, he's immediately smitten. And thanks to Jamie's primer on mushy romance, she reciprocates -- or at least as much as an emotionless "child identicant" can. Will Jamie be able to program her with a tactful way to let Warren down or will the nerdy kid end up in tears? Also, will anyone punish Jamie for his behavior and racially insensitive impressions? Erik and Justin enter the heart of darkness with one of the worst sitcoms ever recorded. They go over the premise -- both the one cited by the show itself and the one Justin sees buried just underneath. Gambling, the Tyrell Corporation, and Pakistan become important. Justin offers a few thoughts on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. A surprising examination of Regan Era media and culture breaks out. Erik has a hard time believing actor Dick Christie was a nerd in high school. Denis Villeneuve gets compared to Ridley Scott and Justin learns whether or not he must endure an episode of 7th Heaven next week. 

Tread Perilously -- Small Wonder: The Suitor

Tread Perilously keeps another promise as Justin finally gets a chance to watch the Doctor Who story called "City of Death." When the randomizer lands The Doctor and Romana in Paris, 1979, they soon experience a time slip. It leads them to the Louvre, where a plot to steal the Mona Lisa is more than just a plot to steal a priceless painting. Shortly thereafter, a detective named Duggan joins their band as they learn the truth behind the plot, the fabulous wealth of Count Scarlioni, and the origins of all life on Earth. Drew Siragusa of Fanbase Press joins Erik and Justin for a story he's wanted Justin to watch for many years. The old io9 Doctor Who story rankings re-emerge as "City of Death" rates quite high. Justin discovers on air that Douglas Adams mainly wrote the episode. He also reveals his favorite companions. Tom Baker's revised costume gets reviewed. So does Romana's costume. Drew tries to determine when The Doctor started dropping names of historical figures. Chandler's Law gets invoked. Julian Glover receives nothing but praise as Count Scarlioni. James Bond connections abound. Duggan proves to be a good companion for Romana and Erik mispronounces "Scarlioni" throughout.

Tread Perilously -- Doctor Who: City Of Death

 Tread Perilously starts a month of "promises kept" by finally taking a look at Highlander: The Series with the low-rated episode called "The Zone." Duncan and Charlie make their way to "The Zone" when Joe alerts them to a possible Immortal organizing the homeless in the economically depressed part of town. Charlie reveals he grew up in the Zone, but it's very little help as the fully human Canaan cultivates a world of crime and inequality despite speaking words of equality and revolution. For Duncan, it suddenly becomes personal and he vows to bring Canaan down. Erik and Justin review why The Highlander was the romance approved for cis-het boys in the 1980s. They get lost in a conversation about masculinity, action hero quipping, and 80s genre movies in general. The accents of the Immortals also come into question. Erik explains the loss of the "Drunken Idaho" moment in Denis Villeneuve's Dune. He also offers a few thoughts on Eternals. Justin points out the startling similarities between Highlander and the Buffyverse. The pair suggest some different casting decisions for Aliens and Streets of Fire. Colin Salmon gets praised despite not being in the episode and Michael Shanks makes a surprise appearance. 

Tread Perilously -- Highlander: The Zone

Tread Perilously's "Creatures of the Night" month concludes with the annual visit to Supernatural. But it stays on theme as Sam and Dean face vampires in an episode called "Bloodlust." Still grieving their father, the Winchesters hit the road once more. Dean suspects reports of beheadings and cattle mutilations in a Montana town means a nest of vampires. His suspicions are confirmed when they run into Gordon, another hunter who specializes in bloodsuckers. But can he be trusted? And will Dean's sudden need for a father figure lead him to miss critical clues about Gordon and the nest he's tracking? Justin realizes he made a happy accident thanks to the presence of Sterling K. Brown as a guest star. He and Erik immediately get lost in the "Then" of it all. Their inability to recall the name of the handsome actor who plays the Winchester father calls down technical difficulties from the heavens. Along the way, they evaluate the oeuvre of Steven Soderbergh. Fred Krueger turns out to be a good tipper down at the murder factory. Erik admits his Supernatural "song" is the War of the Angels. Pepper Potts once again gets high marks and the pair try to cast a good therapist for the hunters.

Tread Perilously -- Supernatural: Bloodlust

Tread Perilousy's "Creature of the Night" month moves to the swamps of True Blood for its reviled series finale, "Thank You." As the Hep-V continues to ravage Bill's body, he asks Sookie to use all her faerie powers to end his life. Sookie, of course, needs to think about this for a number of reasons. Jessica and Hoyt tell Bill about their rekindled flame and it leads to an impromptu wedding. Jason, somehow, does not sleep with Hoyt's ex-girlfriend. Meanwhile, Eric and Pam plot their final move against Mr. Gus and pronounce final judgment on Sarah Newlin. Erik once again watches the last episode of a series first. Will his opinion line up with True Blood fans? Justin tries to recall relevant details about the characters, but also recounts his own viewing habits when the series was on the air. Who's The Boss's Tony Micelli gets re-framed as a serial killer. Deborah Ann Woll and Carrie Preston turn out to be the episode MVPs. Justin tries to outline True Blood's original sin. A brief discussion about The Batman trailer breaks out. Bill's accent gets explored. Justin attempts to re-imagine True Blood with a different tone and liquified sugar-free gummi bears come into play.

Tread Perilously -- True Blood: Thank You

Tread Perilously's "Creatures of the Night" month brings Erik and Justin to Mystic Falls for an episode of The Vampire Diaries called "Bring It On." Still reeling from the death of her brother, Damon convinces Elena to switch off her emotions. But instead of calming her, Elena now gives in to whims and impulses, like trapping commuters so she can feed. Stefan suggests it might be time for her to go back to Mystic Falls High, but that also proves troublesome (as Caroline soon learns). But is all of it just a wind-up so the emotionless Elena can escape from the Salvatore mansion? Meanwhile, Klaus and Damon launch separate searches for Katherine. Erik and Justin get lost in the Nina Dobrev of it all. Justin immediately deduces that the series is "horny Twilight." A long James Bond digression occurs. Stefan ends up becoming "goofus" but it's tough to call Damon "gallant." Justin tries to cast Ian Somerhalder in a show with Jensen Ackles. Erik declares Scanners to be the best X-Men movie ever made. Klaus fails to impress Justin. The pair attempt to cast a Highlander remake and, despite not appearing in the episode, Justin learns who plays Katherine.

Tread Perilously -- The Vampire Diaries: Bring It On

Tread Perilously launches into a vampire-infused Horror Month called "Creatures of the Night" with its first ever episode of What We Do in the Shadows -- the low-rated "Ghosts." When Lazlo discovers symmetrical book-stacking of his sacred writings, Nadja declares a ghost is present. She organizes a seance only to discover the ghost is the latest incarnation of her often-reincarnated lover. The discovery of a true ghost leads the others to question if they themselves have ghosts since they are technically dead. A second seance provides the answer and a launchpad for comedy as the housemates discover their own disembodied souls. Erik braves the first of four vampire weeks despite his well-known dislike of the character type (Aro notwithstanding). A new theory about Parks and Recreation emerges. Justin comes through with all the key factoids about What We Do In The Shadows and vampire fiction. Erik reveals some of his controversial opinions. An Alternative Factor moment conjures up memories of Bane and a reason for his disappearance. The new Babylon 5 gets briefly discussed. Erik does find things to like, though, and the vampire roots of Tommy Wiseau come back into play.

Tread Perilously -- What We Do In The Shadows: Ghosts

Tread Perilously's annual Star Trek month winds down with the Star Trek: Enterprise episode called "Azati Prime." While using one of the Insectoid pods they recently captured, Enterprise discovers a sphere being built under the ocean of a world in Xindi-controlled space. All agree a suicide run is in order to destroy the sphere, but Captain Archer insists on doing the mission himself. Even a quick jaunt to Enterprise-J will not divert his plan. It, of course, goes poorly and the now-captured captain tries to talk to one of the Xindi leaders about peace. Back on the ship, T'Pol's attraction(?) to Archer leads her to make some bad decisions. Erik openly doubts Enterprise will be featured in next year's Star Trek month. Justin doubts "Azati Prime" had a beginning or end. Both doubt this is really the third best episode of the series, as voted on by users of IMDb. The 9/11 or War in Afghanistan parallel in Enterprise's third season comes off as ill-advised. It leads, of course, to a History Corner. Land of the Lost gets added to the list of shows and Justin offers a behind-the-scenes look at The Full Peril. Erik's war on Tom Paris continues. He also makes a reference to Star Trek Day. The pair feel for Jolene Blalock's tough circumstances on Enterprise and Connor Trinneer once again proves to be the MVP.

Tread Perilously -- Star Trek ENT: Azati Prime

Tread Perilously's annual Star Trek month returns to Star Trek: Voyager for an episode called "Message in a Bottle." When Seven of Nine discovers a seemingly disused communication system which stretches back into the Alpha Quadrant, she spots an experimental Starfleet vessel. Because a holographic message will not degrade across the vast network, the Doctor is sent along to the U.S.S. Prometheus. Unfortunately for the Doctor, the ship has been commandeered by Romulan agents and his only help is a "Mark II" version of the Emergency Medical Hologram who happens to look an awful lot like 1990s comedian Andy Dick. Erik and Justin disclaim the presence of Andy Dick. Erik notes stronger Voyager episodes seem to revolve around the Doctor. Justin admits the episode's premise is stronger than the final product. Erik is convinced the Prometheus bridge is the Enterprise-A bridge redressed within an inch of its life. B'Elanna Torres turns out to be a big Frasier fan. A discussion of the Marvel Cinematic Method breaks out because of course. Erik completely fails in an attempt to plug an upcoming book. Tom Paris's subplot gets dissected and Justin determines the secret history of the two Defiant class ships featured late in the story.

Tread Perilously -- Star Trek VOY: Message In A Bottle

Tread Perilously's annual Star Trek month continues with a rare visit to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Unfortunately, it's for one of the program's worst hours: "Let He Who Is Without Sin..." Dax and Worf's vacation to pleasure planet Risa is disrupted by Bashir, Leeta, and Quark deciding to come along, Worf's bad attitude, and the extremist Essentialist Movement who believe places like Risa are making the Federation "soft." When Worf reads one of their pamphlets, he conflates his current personal problems with Dax as an element of the phantom menace proposed by the Essentialists. Will he help them cause ecological harm to the galaxy-famous vacation world? Erik is stunned to discover Gerd Shockley is, indeed, in the episode as the leader of the Essentialists. A scene of The Emissary and Odo chatting at the Replimat leads to a surprisingly long digression. The Duras Sisters start an OnlyFans page. The Warriors gets praised while its unfortunate Director's Cut gets panned. Worf's behavior leads to a discussion about jealousy and negative emotions. Lloyd Dobler's Disease gets outlined and Justin once again lauds Cobra Kai. He also reveals one of the reasons for this DS9 episode failing while still holding his favorite Star Trek TV writers accountable. Gerd's opinion of Bajor becomes clear and Erik declares Ross from Friends is the only other character who could screw things up as badly as Worf does here.

Tread Perilously -- Star Trek DS9: Let He Who Is Without Sin...

Watching the worst episodes of popular shows, hosts Erik Amaya and Justin Robinson attempt to determine if they would continue to watch the series based on its most off-key moments. TV shows regularly tread upon include Doctor Who, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and 7th Heaven. From family dramas to well-loved but brief sci-fi series, Tread Perilously examines how a show sustains itself even in its worst moments.

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Tread Perilously

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