Shat Positives, Negatives, and Some $

Published May 20, 2019 · Updated July 6, 2022

Gentlemen,
I hope all is well with you. Last year I wrote to you at the end of Westworld and you graciously read my comments which were more of a review of you guys than it was the show. I’d like to do that again here.

First, my negatives of which there are only two. In fact, this first one is a carryover from my previous WestWorld email. I have to mention that I think it discourages listeners to write or call when certain writers or callers are favored each week. I mean the fact that I can easily wrap off Ashley Schafly or Ken L.’ s names is a pretty good testament to how often they were featured. Add the fact that before each Small Council you would explain how it was soooo hard to choose which commentators to feature it kinda makes you sound full of it when the same folks always show up. Is their input really that much better than others’? BUT…I do understand. I can think of multiple reasons to favor a commentator: they are monetary donors, the tit-for-tat exposure is good, or maybe their comments really are heads above. So my criticism is not necessarily that it happens; I think it’s that you haven’t done a great job explaining why. And just to clear the air so everyone knows my words are not sour grapes, you guys did feature one of my emails and even dedicated a show to my son, Jack. I was appreciative of the former and cried uncontrollably at the latter.

The second negative is largely pointed at Gene regarding this last Instacast but Dick is a little guilty too. And I quote “Accept that Danaerys has turned. Don’t carry the baggage…into this. Put yourself into the mindset that they did a convincing job of making Danaerys turn into a villain. If you accepted that, this is an exquisite episode.” Earlier in the season you read my comments about forced bad decisions and Dick wrote it off with a “Wellll stuff has to happen and time is short so whatever.” Now, I know that some folks have accused you guys of pandering; I don’t think that is fair. What you do is hard and I have definitely noticed that you guys have done a great job of giving your best shot at an objective analysis while also blending your personal thoughts in. You are critiquing one of the best and most complex tv shows EVER. Unlike some, I do not expect you to burn down King’s Landing even if you did not enjoy this last season as much as you would have liked. BUT…I do not like at all to be advised on how I should view this thing so I can paint it rosier than it is. They DID NOT do a convincing job of fleshing out Dany’s fall (or much of anything else). And b/c they didn’t I do not accept it and so I do not think it was an exquisite episode or season. With that said, I didn’t hate it; but I didn’t enjoy it either. Not the point. Up until this season I have considered GOT to be near flawless television. But this final season was just not good and I can back that up. And that’s all ok. I am a Univ of Alabama grad. This past football season was epic…but they screwed the pooch in the Nat. Championship vs Clemson. It doesn’t mean they didn’t have an epic season…but it does mean it ended in disappointment and no mindset adjustment will change that.

The Shat positives overwhelm the negatives tenfold. The biggest is that you guys and your other co-horts, simply stated, are fun. I get joy out of listening to you and collectively watching a show with the Shat Nation. Like I did with Westworld, I sampled four other GOT podcasts. I could not find one that even barely hung with you guys. You have genuine chemistry and flow that I cannot find in other pods. Pair that with your obvious gratefulness towards your listeners and it’s no shocker why Shat pods are doing so well. I think it is clear you feel a real connection with your listeners and they with you. Your formula is working fantastically. So fantastically that I just submitted my first donation to the pod. I’ll be sending a larger one soon to commission a movie I’ve been wanting to hear you guys do.

Keep up the good work and all the best,
Matt from Bama

Subscribe Now