Winnie Holzman!!!!!! Do we even need to say more?!?! In a (very very) special bonus episode, Joanna had the chance to talk to show creator Winnie Holzman about My So-Called Life, 25 years after it changed our lives forever. They discuss how the idea for the show came about, how Winnie so perfectly harnessed the inner monologue of Angela (and most o…

Do any human beings ever realize perfect television while they watch it--every, every minute? Somehow we are here, at the final episode of My So-Called Life. Brian is going to write a letter, Jordan is going to hang out with Patty, we are going to remember all the flannel of episodes gone by, and of course, WE ARE ALL GOING TO CRY BECAUSE WE WANT A…

It's the penultimate episode of My So-Called Life, and what better way to celebrate than by finding a pair of handcuffs in Patty and Graham's bed! Let's talk about who the episode tops are, what we think of Patty's origami, and our new ship of... Brian and Rayanne?! It's the one from Danielle's perspective, Episode 18: Weekend! Follow The Boiler Ro…

Ahhhhhh, the amazing Vanessa Bayer is here to tell us all about her love for My So-Called Life, her stories about meeting Claire Danes, Jared Leto, and Wilson Cruz, her devastating career loss of the part of Wendy in the 7th grade production of Peter Pan, and her feelings on the musical stylings of 90210's Ray Pruit. WOW. Thank you Vanessa, for the…

Angela is "totally over" Jordan Catalano and what's more, she's high as a kiiiiite she just miiiiiight stop to check you out NA NA NA NA!!! It is the episode that takes us on a ride through the lens of Brian's camcorder and into the backseat of Jordan's car, and oh how we ALL wish we could rewind the tape... but alas, we cannot. Goodbye to clocks t…

It is 1995... and no one told Jordan! As we enter into a brand new year we get an *incredible* gym scene between Rayanne and Sharon, a tutoring match up for the ages with the infamous Brain Krakow, and a stuffed bear making the rounds at Liberty High. On a more serious note, Rickie seeks support and safety after being left behind by his family, and…

To ring us into 2020, Kristin sat down with her friend Ingrid Michaelson, who was a massive fan of the show, to talk about dying our hair in the 90s, cheating on tests, sneaking late night phone calls from boys, and, of course, our thoughts on Episode 16: Resolutions! Joanna & Kristin will be back with a full discussion of Resolutions next Thursday…

Rickie is homeless for the holidays, Jordan is lighting candles, Juliana Hatfield is here, and Joanna straight-up *sobs* during our discussion of this episode because... woof. It's a beautiful, heart-wrenching, holiday-themed journey. Let's put all of our ornaments in our hair and close out 2019 with Episode 15: So-Called Angels. Support LGBTQ Home…

Rayanne is 33 days sober and wants to be the lead singer of "Between Names," Patty and Amber have conflicting parenting approaches, and Jordan and Angela have broken up but... have they?!?! Also, Danielle is, as always, keeping it loose. We get into a heated discussion about Tootsie Pops and discover some Sesame Street feelings along the way. Welco…

Joanna spoke with the brilliant Doree Shafrir, who helped originate and popularize the phrase "Generation Catalano," referring to those of us who fall in that hazy middle-space between Gen X and Millenial. We've got generational conversation aplenty, plus Doree's thoughts on the episode "Pressure" and some of the larger arcs of the series! **This i…

Let's talk about sex, baby. Let's also talk about Jordan and the fabled eight-bedroom house that requires entering but no breaking, Rickie's poetic and powerful views on intimacy, Cynthia Hargrove's nose ring, Sharon's beliefs, Angela's overalls, and Danielle's opposition to flu shots. Yes, it is Episode 13: Pressure! Follow The Boiler Room @boiler…

Let's all skip out on geometry review so we can MAKE OUT IN THE BOILER ROOM, huh?!?! Finally, we come to the inspiration point that gave our podcast its name! Meanwhile, Brian is SO MAD, Danielle knows a ton about crustaceans, Graham talks a good risotto game, and Rickie does a great impression of the new English teacher, Mr. Katimsky. OH AND ALSO …

Kristin talked with the lovely Senta Moses Mikan, who plays Delia Fisher!! We hear from Senta about her time on set, that *epic* dance with Wilson Cruz, how her character was informed by Winnie Holzman herself, what she thinks would have happened between Brian and Delia if the series had continued and oh-so-much more! **This interview will contain …

It's time for the World Happiness Dance and for women to do all of the emotional labor! Rickie has a crush, Brian breaks Delia's heart, Graham is great at wallpaper, and Angela melds with the chain link fence outside of the school wondering HOW IS SHE?!?! It's an episode from Brian's perspective that contains more flannel than we've ever seen and d…

This is the one where COULD ANYONE HELP PATTY HANG THE DAMN STREAMERS?! It's also the one where Rayanne overdoses, Graham becomes deeply distressed by the square footage of a turkey in his refrigerator, we learn that Ambah Valone likes appetizers and windchimes a bit more than stability, Patty connects with Rickie, and we all C R Y. Yes, indeed, it…

Rayanne is VAMPIRE and Ricky is BRIAN and Brian's KEYS are in Brian's PANTS and did you know that ghosts are real and there's one named Nicky Driscoll haunting the halls of Lincoln High? Also Sharon is not a rat, okay?!?! We've got pirate sex for the #grahamcrackerhive! We've got Danielle scoring massive use of flannel points! We've got the best. c…

Joanna sat down with the INCREDIBLE Devon Odessa, who plays Sharon Cherski! We hear from Devon about her time on set, teenage (and adult!) body image, her love for the brilliant Winnie Holtzman, and of course what songs *she* thinks Sharon would be listening to on her walkman. **This interview will contain spoilers!** We also made you a Sharon Cher…

Sharon's dad has a heart attack, Graham contemplates the value of his life, Angela hides behind her own fears and the sheepskin'd shoulder of Jordan Catalano, and Rickie tells it like it fucking is. Oh, and Lauren Karen Klein brings us a brand new jingle for, what else, that quivering Angela Chase chin! It's S1E8: Strangers in the House! Follow The…

He was going nowhere, going nowhere fast, and everything looked black 'til he found her... That's right everyone, and he called her "Red." Buckle up (GET IT?! BECAUSE RED IS HIS GODDAMN CAR), because Jordan is about to hum his way through a museum field trip, find Angela's five page love letter, and let us all know that he wishes he could be one of…

Liberty High has a new substitute teacher by the name of Vic Racine who is shaking things up by mismatching his socks and allowing some very sexy haikus (that are not actually haikus) to be printed in this year's Liberty Lit. Sharon and Rayanne are secretly bonding in the bathroom, Jordan is finally awake in class, and Angela is taking a stand agai…

*Minor Spoilers for MSCL in this episode!* Hello! We have an extra episode for you this week where we talk with our listener Kate Vlasek — who is also a My So-Called Life super-fan — all about her thoughts on The Zit! Kate tells us about her deep love for the show and this episode in particular, Kristin reveals that she has had a recent dream about…

Angela's life feels just about as clogged as her pores and meanwhile *both* of Sharon's boobs made the infamous Top Sophomore Girls list. Rayanne excitedly touts her listing as "most slut potential" which gives us a lot of feelings), Rickie explains to Brian why he wears eyeliner, and Patty is sewing floral dresses for the mother-daughter fashion s…

Rayanne and Rickie think Graham is *the best* dad, but Angela disagrees — meanwhile Patty's dad thinks women can't do the jobs of men and we all scream "What the fuck, Chuck?!" Oh, and did we mention that Joanna is seducing her college professor on the train with Ernest Hemmingway?? It's time to talk about all kinds of dads on S1E4: Father Figures!…

The rumors about Jordan and Angela are flying, Crystal is distraught about her soda, Rickie faces bullying in the hallways of Liberty High, and we look at how 25 years has changed the conversation around guns in schools. All that, plus we have a new jingle created by Lauren "Karen" Klein?! Get your raincoats on, because today we are discussing S1E3…

It's time to talk about our first kisses! It's time to figure out why Brian is putting a mouse inside of a glass beaker! Graham will kiss Patty so hard that Joanna will coin the hashtag #GrahamCrackers! AND?! We will begin a new segment to crown the very best flannel in the episode. Oh, and Angela will tell Jordan that she was TALKING, goddammit. W…

Angela dyes her hair Crimson Glow, Rickie does his eyeliner in the girls' bathroom, Rayanne drinks too much but thinks Angela is so beautiful that it hurts to look at her, Jordan leans, Brian reads in a tree, Danielle does a handstand, and Patty & Graham are Patty-ing & Graham-ing all over the place. It's the pilot episode of My So-Called Life, and…

Welcome to The Boiler Room: a weekly, episodic discussion of My So-Called Life between Buffering the Vampire Slayer’s Kristin Russo and A Cast of Kings’ Joanna Robinson, coinciding with the show's 25th Anniversary! Follow The Boiler Room @boilerroomcastFollow Joanna Robinson @jowrotethis Follow Kristin Russo @kristinnoeline Theme Song by Chris Farr…