This week, Dan and Adrian limp across the finish line on approximately one functioning brain cell and somehow end up having one of their most honest conversations yet. What starts as tech issues, Bluetooth confusion, and convention-road exhaustion spirals into a surprisingly thoughtful discussion about toxic fandoms, gatekeeping, nostalgia, reboots, and why people get so weirdly territorial about the things they love.

From Star Wars and Star Trek to Battlestar Galactica, Critical Role, Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, and even the infamous 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie, the guys unpack the strange cultural cycle of fandom outrage, ragebait grifters, “lazy writing” discourse, and studios weaponizing criticism against audiences. Along the way, they explore the difference between healthy critique and toxic gatekeeping — including Dan confessing to accidentally gatekeeping Star Wars from his own kid in a Disney gift shop over a Bespin Cloud Car toy.

Also included:

• Hayden Christensen redemption arc discourse
• Why the Acolyte conversation got poisoned from every direction
• The political correctness panic around Star Trek: Voyager
• Peter Pan reboot fatigue
• Why toxic fans and corporate media deserve each other sometimes
• And the eternal truth:

This week on The Con Men Show, Dan and Adrian somehow begin with tabletop roleplaying games, detour through cosplay discourse, spiral into Moulin Rouge appreciation, take an unexpected international food tour, and eventually land on the question: what terrible movie ideas somehow became billion-dollar franchises? Along the way: D&D nostalgia, Robotech memories, Shadowrun chummers, Paris travel stories, and the realization that the LEGO Movie absolutely should not have worked as well as it did.

The guys break down cinematic long shots like Pirates of the Caribbean, Clue, Phone Booth, The Purge, Fast & Furious, and Roadhouse while trying to invent the perfect “bad” movie concept that Hollywood would still greenlight immediately. There’s also a heartfelt defense of Mission: Impossible, a discussion about why Paris feels uniquely Paris, and an important public service announcement about not flying overseas just to eat at McDonald’s.

Also in this episode:

* Slug Killer Leia

* Fast food convention pitches

* Why Tim Curry makes everything better

* Why cars absolutely cannot run in space

* Why “family” apparently can

* And one deeply concerning ogre roleplaying story involving roadside bandits and cannibalism

This week, The Con Men Show opens where all serious cultural criticism should begin: with action figures, shelf math, and the adult collector’s sacred distinction between “playing with toys” and “building dioramas.” From GI Joe displays to Star Wars figures, from still-carded Star Trek toys to one wounded LEGO Shuttle Discovery, Dan and Adrian stumble directly into the real topic hiding in plain sight: nostalgia. Because comic cons, collectibles, celebrity guests, autographs, and the stories we keep carrying around are all part of the same weird little emotional ecosystem.

From there, the guys dig into the big question: is nostalgia saving pop culture, or slowly eating it from the inside like a very sentimental xenomorph? Star Trek, Star Wars, Picard Season 3, The Matrix sequels, Mortal Kombat, He-Man, Power Rangers, Disney live-action remakes, and the endless parade of reboots all get pulled into the conversation. Sometimes nostalgia gives us exactly what we wanted. Sometimes it gives us almost what we wanted. And sometimes it hands us a thing we used to love and says, “Here, now be disappointed in HD.”

Nostalgia can flatten originality, sure — but it is also the warm blanket we reach for when new stuff asks us to pay attention with our whole tired adult brains. The guys land somewhere between “please make new things” and “yes, obviously we’re still watching the He-Man movie,” which may be the most honest answer available. Nostalgia might be choking the industry, but by golly, it’s still got a comfy grip.

This week, The Con Men wander through the stars before landing squarely on the convention floor. What starts as a deceptively simple question—which era of Star Trek would you actually want to live in?—turns into a thoughtful (and occasionally ridiculous) breakdown of technology, comfort, danger, and the strange appeal of frontier living versus utopian polish. From smoky-jacket Original Series vibes to the clinical precision of Next Gen—and yes, the chaos of Deep Space Nine—it’s the kind of debate that only gets better the longer it goes on.

But as always, the road leads back to conventions. Drawing from real-world experience on both sides of the table, Dan and Adrian dig into the unspoken rules that make or break a con experience. From the golden rule of “cosplay is not consent” to line etiquette, vendor respect, and the simple-but-somehow-necessary reminder to practice basic hygiene, this episode doubles as a field guide for first-timers and a reality check for veterans who should know better by now.

Along the way, the conversation detours through pop culture’s take on conventions—from Galaxy Quest to Community—and why those portrayals hit (or miss) the mark. Whether you’re planning your next con weekend or just here for the ride, this episode is equal parts fandom philosophy, practical advice, and the kind of conversation that feels like you just pulled up a chair at the table. As always: be kind, be courteous… and don’t be a jerk.

This week the Con Men roam free through the pop culture wilderness—favorite podcasts, Star Trek legends, celebrity panels, forgotten comedy bits, Mountain Dew flavors, and the strange joy of media that sticks with you for decades.

Along the way, Dan and Adrian trade stories from conventions, movie theaters, fandom life, and the kinds of random conversations that somehow become the best conversations.

And in a heartfelt turn, the show pauses to remember a friend and fellow podcaster—because sometimes the things we make with people become the things that remain.

Dan and Adrian enter the arena this week with a surprise deep dive into the strange golden age of video game movies. From Street Fighter and Super Mario Bros. to arcade glory days, console wars, and the beautiful nonsense of 90s pop culture, the guys revisit an era when every cartridge eventually became a questionable screenplay.

Along the way, they give flowers to Raúl Juliá, debate who their true fighting-game mains were, and unpack why nostalgia hits different when you’ve got some miles on the tires. It’s goofy, thoughtful, and exactly the kind of side quest this show was built for.

Then the action shifts to the convention floor, where Dan shares stories from another packed weekend of celebrity wrangling, fan chaos, and behind-the-scenes moments with some beloved names. As always, the destination matters less than the ride.

This week on The Con Men Show, we somehow start with StreamYard sabotage and a typo-born “hoyman” identity crisis, then slingshot straight into Artemis, moon missions, pale blue dot philosophy, claustrophobic space toilets, and why humanity probably ought to keep doing hard things even when the payoff isn’t immediate. Because apparently this episode came with actual feelings hidden inside the nonsense.

The conversation stretches out into bigger questions—why we explore, what it costs, and whether doing something just because it’s hard and worth doing is still enough of a reason. It’s equal parts awe, skepticism, and lived-in philosophy, landing somewhere between “we gave her the moon” and “maybe what matters most is the few feet around you.” It’s the kind of detour that sneaks up on you mid-episode and leaves a mark whether you signed up for it or not.

From there, the conversation drifts into horror trailers, blockbuster buzz, and adaptation skepticism with talk of Backrooms, Supergirl, Masters of the Universe, The Odyssey, Harry Potter, and more. It’s wonder, weirdness, and wandering conversation held together by two guys who can’t stay on topic — The Con Men

This week on The Con Men Show, we go full kaiju mode—digging into Godzilla, the wild world of niche conventions, and the kind of fandom rabbit holes that start innocent and end with you pricing flights to Chicago for G-Fest. From classic rubber-suit chaos to modern takes like Shin Godzilla and Minus One, we unpack what makes the King of the Monsters stick around for 70 years—and why sometimes all you really want is a flying dropkick and a guy in a suit smashing cardboard buildings.

Along the way, we zoom out and take a bigger look at convention culture itself—how massive comic cons became the “big tent” events, and why these smaller, hyper-focused shows might actually be where the real magic is happening now. Whether it’s kaiju fans, trading card diehards, or something way more niche, there’s something oddly compelling about a room full of people who are all exactly into the same weird thing you are.

And because this is The Con Men Show, we absolutely take a few left turns—detouring through South Park nostalgia, old-school toys, and the kind of pop culture tangents that somehow still loop back around (eventually). It’s part kaiju deep dive, part con culture breakdown, and part “how did we get here?”