The Trio Simpatico Podcast

5/20/2020 This week David Tavolier and Joshua Witsaman return with a jam packed episode!  Starting things off is part 2 of their co-host personality quiz!  Get to know the maniacs you're listening to! Topics discussed this episode include Mad Max and the upcoming Furiosa prequel.  Seth Rogen's An American Pickle.  The eventual Avatar sequels and their recent set photos.  The saber tooth anchovy which was recently revealed by science.  Casting rumors for the second season of the Mandalorian.  And the series finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars!  All this and much more, so listen now!

5/13/20 Guess who is back to discuss another week of pop culture and entertainment?  It's David Tavolier and Joshua Witsaman! This week the co-hosts are taking part 1 of an ersatz personality test which is left to the listeners to interpret!  They ask the question "Who is Rothgar Deng?"  Briefly touch on the best bounty hunter in Star Wars.  Discuss the insanely entertaining (or insane and entertaining) Godziban (sponsored by Lawsons?).  Talk about Mongolian metal band, The HU.  And bring up the newest DLC for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Go check it out!

The Simpatico Podcast dishes out a BONUS episode this week! During a recent recording session David and Joshua (mainly Joshua, as usual) just couldn't shut up about Star Wars! The recording had to be trimmed down drastically BUT we swept up the cutting room floor to bring you this additional conversation! Listen to hear the co-hosts discuss Star Wars Battlefront 2, the game's recent update, and the abrupt conclusion to this underdog Star Wars title. Plus Josh and Dave talk about previous Star Wars video games and the possibilities for Battlefront's future!  

5/6/2020 David Tavolier and Joshua Witsaman return with another update of their weekly entertainment endeavors. Listen this week to hear about Dave and Josh's musical knowledge (or lack thereof).  Also is Snowpiercer a sequel to Willy Wonka?  More video game discussions - Pokemon Sword/Shield, Animal Crossing, and Dead by Daylight - PLUS new late night talk show filmed within Animal Crossing: ANIMAL TALKING with Gary Whitta.  All this and more!

4/29/2020 Co-hosts David Tavolier and Joshua Witsaman return to discuss their weekly entertainment endeavors. The topics coming at you this week include but are not limited to: authenticity of pop culture opinions, David Lynch and his lack of interest in the upcoming Dune film, What We Do In the Shadows, Toast of London, Insecure season 4, Star Wars: the Clone Wars, and a plea for Disney+ to stream the Ewok Movies.

4/22/2020 Co-hosts David Tavolier and Joshua Witsaman return to discuss their weekly entertainment endeavors. This week the topics range from Film Criticism VS. Fandom Expectations, the recent set photos revealed from the upcoming Dune film, Trolls World Tour, Sam Raimi confirmed to direct Doctor Strange sequel, and the unexpected disappearance of Murder She Wrote.  

A New Beginning!  Co-hosts David Tavolier and Joshua Witsaman kick off a reformatted version of the podcast formally known as Trio Simpatico. Trio no more - The Simpatico Podcast will be a weekly pop culture journal.  The hosts will discuss their latest endeavors in entertainment and make suggestions for their listeners.      

***  SPOILERS  *** Trio Simpatico returns for further discussion of STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER In this episode DAVID TAVOLIER and JOSHUA WITSAMAN return to further dissect the latest installment of the Star Wars saga and cover more of the intricacies not discussed in the recent reactions episode. The co-hosts are joined by, Star Wars enthusiast and aspiring Sith Lord, GABE IRWIN!  Aside from breaking down TROS make sure to listen in as the Trio outlines their new slash fic INTERFORCE! All this and more on this episode of TRIO SIMPATICO!

**SPOILER WARNING** TRIO SIMPATICO returns at long last to discuss the newest (and current final installment) of the Skywalker Saga. That’s right DAVID TAVOLIER and JOSHUA WITSAMAN are back to share their initial reactions to STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Once again the Star Wars fandom has been divided by the release of a new Star Wars movie into the franchise.  Even our co-hosts are divided on the subject, not divided amongst themselves but divided amongst their own personal opinions about it!  With so much going on in this movie and eight films building up to it, it will undoubtedly take years to fully come to terms with this gargantuan Star Wars finale! However during this episode of the podcast Dave and Josh try to figure out exactly how they feel about the Rise of Skywalker as they discuss the prelude, initial viewing, and their reactions to the film.  And make sure to check back over the next few weeks as the show delves further into The Rise of Skywalker as well as The Mandalorian, and Jedi Fallen

Halloween is right around the corner and your TRIO SIMPATICO co-hosts DAVID TAVOLIER and JOSHUA WITSAMAN are ready to discuss it!  And we don’t mean the holiday! That’s right, this episode is all about IT: CHAPTER 2! TRIO SIMPATICO is kicking off its annual horror theme by chatting about the climactic finale of this popular Stephen King film adaptation! Once again the trio is reduced to a duo as the podcast remains without a guest.  However Josh takes this opportunity to interrogate his co-host Dave, who just so happens to be a Stephen King aficionado, regarding all of his lingering questions about the movie.  During the conversation Dave uses his knowledge of King’s work to deftly explain these otherworldly inquiries and catch us all up to speed regarding some of the important differences between the film and the novel.  Needless to say there are SPOILERS littered throughout this episode!  If you haven’t had the chance to watch IT: CHAPTER 2 this may not exactly be what you want to listen to first!  But if y

David and Joshua are back for another episode of TRIO SIMPATICO! The trio is down by 1/3 however because there is no guest this episode. Lately the co-hosts have been keeping themselves busy with their real-world pursuits and decided to take some time to catch up! And as it just so happens JOSHUA WITSAMAN recently ventured to WALT DISNEY WORLD in Orlando, Florida and visited the newly opened STAR WARS: GALAXY’S EDGE at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Although Josh is not a Disney Parks expert (which is quickly made apparent) he IS something of a STAR WARS know-it-all and was eager to share a few of his experiences at this newly minted STAR WARS mecca! So listen in to hear some first-hand accounts of this immersive STAR WARS experience, as well as a few other tidbits from Josh’s Disney World trip!

The year is 2261, the name of the place is Babylon 5! The Aboods have returned!  JEFF & NICK ABOOD are back to discuss another season of the science fiction television epic, BABYLON 5! This time your co-hosts DAVID TAVOLIER and JOSHUA WITSAMAN are discussing season 4, the penultimate chapter of this 90's classic!  There is a lot that happens during this season of B5 and every episode seems jam packed with details, storyline, and character development! As done with the discussions of the previous seasons the group chats about what makes season 4 different from the rest of the series and which episodes are their favorites.   We also take some time to discuss Jeff's impressive collection of Babylon 5 memorabilia, including screen used props and several behind the scenes elements from the show's production.  (Check out TRIO SIMPATICO's various social media accounts to see some images of the items discussed!) There's still much to talk about as we approach the end of our BABYLON 5 theme, so tune in and join th

The year is 2260, the name of the place is Babylon 5! For this episode of TRIO SIMPATICO, the trio is a quartet!  Joining your co-hosts for this BABYLON 5 conversation are returning guests JEFF & NICK ABOOD! Continuing the theme of BABYLON 5 the podcast has reached season three of the sci-fi epic, which many consider to be the best of the series.   In this season of the show A LOT of exciting and varied story threads are pulled together as the tapestry of BABYLON 5 begins to reveal the exquisite masterpiece that it truly is! Attempting to draw new viewers to this old series, the guests and co-hosts do their best to avoid spoilers for the major overarching plots of the show while ruminating on their favorite moments of this climactic season!  Season three of BABYLON 5 marks the first season to be entirely written the show's creator J. Michael Straczynski and there is much to digest and discuss among these twenty-two episodes!     

The year is 2259, the name of the place is Babylon 5! Co-hosts DAVID TAVOLIER and JOSHUA WITSAMAN are back to discuss the second season of BABYLON 5!  Also returning this episode is TRIO SIMPATICO legal counsel BRIAN ASHTON to continue his conversation about this sci-fi epic! The second season of the show picks up where the first season left off, yet some major changes have already taken place and several mysteries remain to be explained! The most noticeable difference is a change in command.  Due to vaguely explained circumstances Commander Sinclair is gone, mysteriously reassigned to a new post.  Taking his place is Captain John Sheridan!  But what exactly happened to Sinclair?  With so many changes in leadership of the Earth Alliance, can this new captain be trusted? The trio talk about the differences between the first and second seasons, the evolution of the shows overall story, and choose some of our favorite episodes of the season to discuss in detail! PLUS a special message from the Orange Growers Cou

The year is 2258, the name of the episode is Babylon 5: Season One! TRIO SIMPATICO returns with the next installment of our BABYLON 5 theme! DAVID TAVOLIER and JOSHUA WITSAMAN are once again joined by TRIO SIMPATICO legal counsel BRIAN ASHTON to discuss the inaugural season of BABYLON 5! As with most television shows during their first season, BABYLON 5 has its share of growing pains to work through as the series works to find its groove.  However that is by no means any reason to bypass these episodes when starting your own BABYLON 5 journey! Listen in as the trio discusses just why season one is important and why the station's original commander, Jeffrey Sinclair, deserves your attention! Dave, Josh, and Brian discuss what separates BABYLON 5 from other sci-fi shows, how season one is different from upcoming seasons, and talk about their top 3 episodes of this season. PLUS we've got a brand new commercial and so much MORE on this episode of TRIO SIMPATICO, so listen NOW!

Babylon 5: It's the Star Trek of our generation! For this episode your co-hosts DAVID TAVOLIER and JOSHUA WITSAMAN are joined by returning guest and TRIO SIMPATICO legal counsel BRIAN ASHTON! As promised, the topic of BABYLON 5 is finally being explored in greater detail.  Initially this episode was only going to be a part of our discussion regarding season one of BABYLON 5.  However as we often do, things ran a little long and we decided to make this section its own episode! So if you're completely new to the show or just want to refresh your knowledge of this wonderful sci-fi series this is the episode for you! We cover a little bit of everything from the shows creation, the in universe history, and breakdowns of the major alien races of the series! So let's get started on our deep dive into BABYLON 5!

TRIO SIMPATICO is celebrating it's three year anniversary! Co-hosts DAVID TAVOLIER and JOSHUA WITSAMAN have been putting out these half-assed episodes for THREE YEARS now, continually working their way up to whole-assed episodes! As the show progresses Josh and Dave thought it might be a good idea to reintroduce themselves AND reintroduce the main premise of the podcast, so any new listeners might have a place to jump on! And this episode has EVERYTHING! Joined by returning guests MARY CLAIRE WILLIAMS and LAUREN WITSAMAN the episode begins with a favorite segment, THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T SUCK, followed by our reintroduction to the show, and finally ending with a discussion of our upcoming episodic theme of BABYLON 5! PLUS if all of that wasn't enough this episode also has calls from two of the shows past guests DANIELLE RANDLES and TRIO SIMPATICO legal counsel BRIAN ASHTON! AND throughout the episode we re-visit the commercials from some of our favorite sponsors through the years! So this is definitely one epis

This is quite possibly the most ambitious installment of TRIO SIMPATICO to date! On this episode, co-hosts DAVID TAVOLIER and JOSHUA WITSAMAN head out on the highway for their first TRAVEL SIMPATICO! To celebrate Free Comic Book Day AND Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you!) Josh and Dave travel between four local toy shops in their region to partake in the festivities and the deals: The Toys Time Forgot, Classic Plastics, Adam's Action Figures and Comics, and Apple Jax Toys! THEN your co-hosts sit down and discuss NEO-TACC, the Northeast Ohio Toys and Collectibles Club, including interviews with several members of the group regarding collecting and their personal collections. PLUS! As if all of this wasn't enough there is a brand new SPECIAL OFFER revealed in this episode, available exclusively to TRIO SIMPATICO listeners! So put down your dolls and action figures and tune into this episode of TRIO SIMPATICO!

Reporting from STAR WARS CELEBRATION once again, DAVID TAVOLIER combines this month's theme of Toys and Collectibles with the weekend event he and his companions have just celebrated. With STAR WARS CELEBRATION comes plenty of merchandise and memorabilia available for purchase, and who better to give his thoughts on the matter than known Star Wars collector ALEX ZAK?! And returning to the podcast once again is NICK ABOOD to tell us all about his ever-growing collection of toys and memorabilia, which may very well be the largest of any of us! Take a listen to hear all about their thoughts on what they like to collect and what it means to them.

We now interrupt our currently scheduled monthly podcast theme to bring you the following BONUS EPISODE! STAR WARS CELEBRATION CHICAGO has come and gone, and co-host Joshua Witsaman has missed out once again. Thankfully our other co-host, David Tavolier, was there in the Windy City doing a damn fine job of representing TRIO SIMPATICO among the STAR WARS fandom. For this episode David is joined by friends and fellow Celebration attendees, ALEX ZAK and returning guest NICK ABOOD!  Together via Skype these three help Josh get up to speed on all the STAR WARS news and events that took place at this year's Celebration! From one Great Lake to another this episode of TRIO SIMPATICO spans the Midwest to ensure that all of our listeners are in tune with the Force!