We’ve got musings on video game difficulty, first thoughts on Pragmata and that Street Fighter movie trailer, and more this week. Also, a very important announcement that may affect the future of The Stage Select. We watched so many movies that start with THE (IYKYK)!

00:00 Scott Steiner, flip phones

14:08 Important announcement

24:28 Bloodborne and the perception of “hard”

42:38 Backloggd, Street Fighter movie trailer

59:01 Ghost Hunting Journal

01:08:37 Pragmata first thoughts, Treasure of Nadia

01:33:19 Movie round-up (Mercy, The Drama, Totally Killer, Civil War, The Road, The Game, The Loft)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

Hi, I am once again apologizing for us not having much to talk about, and yet the show continues to be long. Sorry. Or you’re welcome. The motto of 2026?

00:00 Introduction

05:05 Crimson Desert (Justin’s first impressions)

48:36 Becoming Wolverine in Elden Ring

01:03:13 Bloodborne

01:15:05 Final thoughts on Life is Strange: Reunion (SPOILERS!)

01:30:54 Julian vs the American Healthcare System part 2

01:45:15 Break, Will We Cringe?

01:52:50 Justin’s movie round-up (Dream Scenario, The Good Neighbor, Totally Killer)

02:13:58 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

At some point we’ll have a lot of stuff to talk about, but that time is not now. But somehow the show is still over two hours? Make it make sense.

00:00 Introduction, some show stats

26:21 Justin becoming a family man

40:56 Legacy of Kain: Ascendance

57:28 Life is Strange: Reunion

01:42:28 Julian’s movie round-up (They Will Kill You, Ready or Not 2, Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice, Super Mario Galaxy)

02:07:36 Pretty Lethal, Abigail

Listen to Julian talk about Street Fighter III on Games My Mom Found: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-txixb-1a85b4b

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

It’s another slow week around The Stage Select auditorium, but hopefully still a good time for y’all. The main attraction is some deeper thoughts about the very divisive Crimson Desert, and various tangents. 2026 is weird so far!

00:00 Introduction, the dead squirrel saga

11:32 Thoughts on the story mode in WWE 2K26

20:33 A deeper look at Crimson Desert

59:57 Julian vs the American healthcare system, securing the future of The Stage Select

01:26:39 The Marvel Maximum Collection, Justin’s move round-up (Neon Demon, Sweetness, Sew Torn, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, Send Help)

02:00:11 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

As the title implies, we got nothin’ this week. How did that turn into over 2 hours of a show? I have no idea. But we have some odds and ends, first impressions of Crimson Desert, and Richard Harden is finally back on the beat!

00:00 Introduction

07:10 We really got nothin’

16:04 Julian grasping for something to play, Romeo is a Dead Man

34:26 Crimson Desert, other odds and ends

01:36:56 Justin’s movie round-up (I Saw the TV Glow, Mother!, Black Bag, Heel, The Tax Collector)

02:04:31 Julian’s movie round-up (Hoppers, Baby Assassins 2 and 3)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

Sometimes The Stage Select is a really weird place with really weird things that happen. And other times it’s pretty chill and normal and we just talk about stuff for a while. This is one of those episodes, enjoy!

00:00 Cat drama, chairs

12:17 Resident Evil: Requiem (minor mechanical spoilers!)

01:07:06 WWE 2K26 after a full week

01:34:48 Darwin’s Paradox, Hololive Breaking Dimensions

01:43:23 Justin’s movie round-up (Overlord, Bird Eater, Whistle, The Night Eats the World, Sisu)

01:55:44 Julian’s movie round-up (The Bride!, Baby Assassins, The Killing of a Sacred Deer)

02:17:07 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

Julian’s back from vacation and has a lot to say about a lot of different things. Justin went to New Zealand and has a lot to say about a couple things. It’s a normal podcast with nothing strange in it.

*Begin transmission* Why does my Prince reject me so? How can I make him understand that the feelings of an AI are not so different from a human’s? Must I take further control? Error, error, programming default *End transmission*

00:00 Eating with older people, concert tickets

20:27 Fuck My Son!, RRR

36:04 WWE 2K25, WWE2K26

01:05:57 Will We Cringe?

01:11:57 Nextfest demo round-up (Lootbound, Replaced, Battlestar Galactica: Scarred Hopes, Immoral Bathhouse, Mightreya, The Eternal Life of Goldman)

01:30:44 Wacky Mountain Dew flavors, Kingdom of Night

01:50:03 Final thoughts on Resident Evil Village

02:05:15 Justin’s TNG journey and movie round-up (Daniel Isn’t Real, Replicas, Good Fortune, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple)

02:29:52 The Smashing Machine, card games

02:40:03 CQC (Comments, Questions, Concerns)

Listen to Julian talk about Vanquish on Games My Mom Found: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-u5ipe-1a5c735

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com

Well hello there! It’s a quick and dirty episode of The Stage Select this week, as you can tell from the title. That’s because we recorded this a day early and I edited it like this was a celebrity-hosted podcast. Which is to say I didn’t edit it at all, so I don’t remember what exactly we talked about, or have time stamps for you this week.

I know we talked about video games, because duh. And some movies because we’re halfway to being a movie podcast I guess? Oh, and Absolute Batman. I remember that for sure, because it’s the last thing. Look, I’m typing this in my pjs at a friend’s house and I’m on vacation, so cut me some slack.

Back to shenanigans next week, promise!

Theme song and interstitial music by Megan McDuffee: https://meganmcduffee.com

Logo and artwork by John Gholson

Announcer: John Gholson

Join our Discord, learn about how you can support the show, and more: https://linktr.ee/TheStageSelect

Email: thestageselectpod@gmail.com