{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Stranger Things Farewell and Our Biggest Hype Picks for 2026","description":"Episode Summary Frank and Jonathan are officially back for 2026 after a hectic but fun holiday break, including the Geek Freaks Network Christmas party and a little self-awareness about how often podcasters say \u201cyou know.\u201d From there, they hand out their personal \u201cbest of 2025\u201d picks across movies, TV, superhero projects, and games, plus run through the community poll winners. Then it\u2019s full speed into 2026 hype: a family-friendly movie calendar, the big \u201cadult list\u201d blockbusters (including the absolute chaos of Avengers: Doomsday and Dune 3 landing the same day), and the TV slate they\u2019re most excited to keep on the radar. They close with a spoiler-heavy talk on the Stranger Things finale and what the show stuck the landing on, especially character growth, the goodbye energy, and how cinematic the final battles felt. Timestamps and Topics 00:00 Welcome back, holiday break recap, and the Geek Freaks Network Christmas party 01:45 \u201cBest of 2025\u201d picks: movies, TV, and what surprised them 04:26 Superhero movie and superhero show poll results (plus some spicy takes) 10:16 Game of the year voting and falling back on comfort games 11:38 Best villain debate and why Pennywise took over the conversation 14:50 2026 family movie calendar (kid-friendly theater picks) 20:22 2026 blockbuster calendar: 28 Years Later, Project Hail Mary, Ready or Not 2, and more 26:43 The \u201cevent day\u201d problem: Avengers: Doomsday and Dune 3 on the same date 28:22 2026 TV hype: The Boys, Game of Thrones spin-offs, Star Trek, One Piece, Lanterns, and more 38:46 Stranger Things finale review: the goodbye, the battle, and what hit hardest 47:15 Dungeons and Dragons sidebar and why they need binders like Stranger Things 50:01 \u201cMost cinematic finale\u201d talk and the Abyss\/Dimension X discussion Key Takeaways Sinners was Frank\u2019s clear movie of 2025, with major praise for the craft and the left-turn genre surprise. Superman won the community superhero movie vote, but Thunderbolts got real respect for performances and exceeding expectations. Andor is still the \u201ctell your friends they\u2019re missing out\u201d show, even if Stranger Things owned the bigger pop culture moment. The superhero show vote was tight, and the conversation around Daredevil: Born Again came with real critiques about structure and payoff. 2026 is stacked across both \u201ctake your kid to the movies\u201d picks and big-ticket IMAX events. Stranger Things earned its goodbye, especially by bringing the focus back to friendship, growing up, and the reality that life moves on. Memorable Quotes \u201cYou realize how much you say \u2018you know\u2019 when you\u2019re podcasting.\u201d \u201cIt felt like a finale divided in two.\u201d \u201cThis is about friends and not just this big brand fight.\u201d \u201cDon\u2019t let Disney brush it off. Watch it and enjoy this fresh idea from Marvel.\u201d \u201cAs much as they\u2019re saying bye to each other, they\u2019re saying bye to us as well.\u201d Poll and Discussion Highlights Mentioned Best superhero movie vote: Superman took the top spot (with Thunderbolts close behind in their personal debate). Best superhero show vote: Daredevil: Born Again edged out Peacemaker in a near tie. Game of the year vote: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 came out on top. Best villain talk: Pennywise (Welcome to Derry) dominated the conversation, with shout-outs to other standouts. Call to Action If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the show and leave a quick review. It genuinely helps more people find us. Share the episode with #GeekFreaksPodcast and tag us so we can shout you out. Links and Resources GeekFreaksPodcast.com (source of all news discussed on the podcast) Follow Us Twitter: @geekfreakspod Instagram: @geekfreakspodcast Threads: @geekfreakspodcast Facebook: Geek Freaks Podcast Patreon: GeekFreakspodcast Listener Questions Got a take on the Stranger Things finale, or a most-hyped 2026 movie pick you\u2019re already planning your opening weekend around? Send it in, and we\u2019ll read and react on a future episode. Apple Podcast Tags: Geek culture, Pop culture news, Stranger Things, Stranger Things finale, Movies 2026, TV 2026, Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Andor, Superman, Thunderbolts, Avengers Doomsday, Dune 3, Gaming news, One Piece, Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, The Boys ","author_name":"Geek Freaks","author_url":"https:\/\/geekfreakspodcast.com\/","html":"