Welcome to Level Seven

The MCU's Phase 4 begins HERE! With a quirky black and white sitcom??? Ben, Samantha, and Stewart are here to talk about the first two episodes, with discussion items that include: Old sitcoms that inspired the series The moment that Ben almost cried Speculation on what the heck is going on And a post credit […]

“Previously on the MCU” was never actually said, BUT that's what this “docuseries” is, and it's actually a very well done presentation of Wanda and Vision's arcs in the Marvel Cinematic movies. In this episode, we also cover some of our expectations and feelings about the upcoming Disney+ series!

Disney made lots of waves with their Investor's Day announcements. How does that affect the MCU? How does it all affect the movie industry? How does is all affect this podcast? Find out here!

Ben and Samantha binged the entire Hulu series Helstrom in order to talk about it before Halloween! This conversation starts with a SPOILER-FREE review, to see if they recommend it and who they recommend it to! So was it good? Is it even MCU? Is it worth watching? We talk about it here! For Ben, […]

So. Much. News. We've got casting news…Shooting news…Scheduling news…Business news…Streaming news… The BIG news is what's happening with Disney and Disney+ (and other streaming services and theater chains).

The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. finale is here! This extra length episode took a long time to get prepped for release, but the Welcome to Level Seven team had a lot to talk about! Is it a good ending? Did Fitz' absence have a worthy pay off with his return? Do the characters we've spent years […]

Ben rides solo on this episode, taking a look at the dynamic Kora brings, the plot elements that are set up for the end of the season, a quick look back at the different romances of the show (and proof that he IS a romantic when it comes to a certain stringed instrument playing love […]

Everything needs a gimmick, and this episode of WTL7's gimmick is that it was literally recorded in the minutes leading up to the next episode of Agents of SHIELD. A gimmick necessitated by out of our control circumstances, but it did make for some interesting conversation elements. Featuring:* Almost no talk of Fitz* Some forecasting […]

Wow! A lot happens in this episode! And then it happens again! And then it happens again! And again! And then . . . other things happen. Things like a sad death. Things like strengthened relationships. Things like hints to where Fitz might be. (OK, not hints . . . but it does refer to […]

This season has had some of the best episodes of the series! Unfortunately, this episode is not one of them . . . But we do still get some interesting background for Yo-Yo, as well as a resolution to her power blockage. And we get some new information about Daisy's family! And we get a […]

It's the 80s! Ben records alone this episode, and sort of tries an experiment. Can an episode of this podcast be done commentary style? Without extensive preparation? Solo? Well, it can be tried anyway. So he does.

It's still the 70s! General Stone is upset because he's not in as much control as he thought he was. May is upset because she can't get upset. Deke is upset because he saw Enoch doing something upsetting and Simmons is upset because Deke stopped Enoch. Mack is upset because his “meet the parents” plans […]

The final season continues! This time, the time travel takes us to the seventies, and this time the timeline has been changed. What does this mean for our time hopping team? And what's going on with Jemma? And where's Fitz? So many questions. So few answers! Here is the link to Melissa's gluten free bakery […]

Season 7 just keeps getting better, at least according to Ben who thinks this may be the best episode of the series! (Can they keep this up?) While they embraced the time travel tropes and have some fun discussions about changing time vs. keeping the status quo, this episode commits to it's noir inspirations!

As season 7 embraces its time travel plot, we continue getting some glances and glimpses into SHIELD's past. This time? Area 51 and a familiar face from the Los Angeles office! But really, the title says EVERYTHING . . . you know what you're getting from “Alien Commies from the Future”!

The final season continues and the team continues their journey into the past to save the future! And Ben and Stew continue to talk about the show, exploring the ideas of time travel, LMD relationships, Yo-Yo's powers, Daisy's bad decisions, Deke's newsie wardrobe, and more! Post credit discussion is about Anson Mount playing Captain Pike […]

Agents of SHIELD is back! Coulson is back (sort of)! And we're back! We're back to talk about artificial intelligence! Time travel theories! Cool title cards! Period pieces! Basically, we're back to have some fun talking about our favorite show!

Ben is joined by Agent “Dandy” Daniel Butcher to talk about the MCU in general, but mainly to talk about expectations for the upcoming season of Agents of SHIELD!

Ben and Samantha recorded this episode about the final episodes in season two of Runaways:2×11 – Last Waltz2×12 – Earth Angel2×13 – Split Up The biggest question is: does it make for a good season finale? But there are other questions, like why did they hide Leslie's pregnancy for a few episodes and then make […]

Ben and Stewart return to the recording booth to take a look at four episodes in Runaways' second season:2×07 – “Last Rites”2×08 – “Past Life”2×09 – “Big Shot”2×10 – “Hostile Takeover” This bundle of episodes changes a lot of the dynamics, from Jonah's relationship to the Pride to the corrupt cops who work for the […]

We finally get to the end of Cloak and Dagger! And what an ending it is! Of course, we didn't know it was THE ending when we recorded this episode…

Season six of Agents of SHIELD draws to a close and we see the final fate of Sarge; the fates of the rest of the team, although not final; and a glimpse at the new normal for next season . . .

In season six's penultimate episode, we take a look at “The Sign” as the story of Sarge comes closer to an end!

Things are coming to a close for season 6, as the team closes in on Izel and as Izel's plan comes to fruition!

Ben and Stewart take the leap to explore the backstory of Sarge, or at least the backstory that was presented to him. With a cool final fight, a sad death, and a lot of exposition, they examine the heavy exposition of this bottle episode.

All the moving pieces come blasting on their collision course, providing a lot of resolution for all these loose threads. But ultimately, everyone is on a collision course to a big reunion for our team, as everyone is finally on earth! But then there's that cliffhanger . . . Join Ben as he explores this […]

There's people on a course, and those courses are about to collide! We've got part of our crew coming from space, part of our crew are rolling with Sarge, and part of our crew are flying in with SHIELD. And everyone is heading in the same direction.

Sarge: he's large and in charge. He's the man with the plan, just like Coulson, but his moral mathematics are very different. Ben and Stewart explore the space gambling, the Deke shenanigans, and the head to head/mano a mano between Mac and Sarge. Also: fire breath.

Spider-Man swings across Europe with his classmates, some SHIELD agents, and two super idiotic teachers. It makes for a great summer vacation, but does it make for a good movie? Ben, Samantha, and Stewart talk about the ups and the downs. Also, we talk about the news that Agent of SHIELD will be cancelled after […]

What is this episode? A bottle episode? A flashback episode? A budget saving episode? An episode that is one of the best of the entire series? This episode's hosts, Ben and Samantha, might say “all of the above.” Go back to Fitz and Simmons roots and take a deep dive in their psyche with us!

Three threads come together as May brings in the truck and Daisy brings in the spaceship to join Mack in the Lighthouse in an episode that gives us some backstory on the Shrike and some flashbacks to Coulson. World building and backstories are front and center in this episode! And in post-credit, Ben talks about […]

What's Deke been up to in the last year? Well, if you guessed running a start up tech company . . . you are either very lucky or much more intuitive than most people! We also get some body horror and more answers about Sarge! Next episode: probably Cloak and Dagger 2×10 . . . […]

Ty and Tandy are on the hunt for Andre! Andre is on the hunt for that elusive blue note! Mayhem is on the hunt for answers! It's the next to last episode of the season! Post credit – Ben talks a little bit about the new Swamp Thing series on DC Universe.

And so we get a comedy episode as Agents of SHIELD references Star Wars, Hunter S. Thompson, Terry Gilliam, and more, as we spend more time in space. Ben and Samantha discuss this newest episode of Agents of SHIELD. Next episode: Cloak and Dagger episode 9!

A tale of four crews: Daisy and Simmons' crew, Fitz's ship full of xenophobes, Sarge's team, and the SHIELD crew. This episode has twists and turns and a really awesome fight scene. Also, a post-credit quick review of James Gunn's Brightburn.

There's a lot of transactions happening in this episode: Tandy playing video games for Tyrone's life; Evita getting a new “relationship” in exchange for a new role in life; Adina trading a confession for a favor from Delgado, who's turning around his life; Mayhem and Brigid making a bargain to merge into one life; and […]

The mystery of the “dark place” (or “infinite black”) deepens as the motivations of Connors comes front and center, while we have some thoughts about the nature of art and how it affects us. Ben and Stewart have a fun conversation about it.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is BACK!!! And with a new season, we get a new normal! Some agents are in space! Some agents are on missions! Some agents are new! Some agents are old! And then there's the return of an old, familiar face . . . Ben and Samantha take a look! Next episode: Cloak […]

Ben flies solo as he discusses an episode where Tandy realizes that she's NOT alone.

Ben and Samantha jump into this episode, and it's full of surprises! Betrayals that may not be! Lies that sounds true! Truths that sound like lies! And if we know who the Farmer is meant to be . . . who is the Viper??? Next episode: Cloak and Dagger episode 6!

The biggest movie of all time is here. It's huge. And we talk about it. Because that's what we do. Because we love the MCU. This movie has one job: wrap up a series of movies going back ten years, with 22 installments. Does it succeed? Find out what we think here, and please let […]

Cloak and Dagger continues as we get a glimpse of what's inside the “cloak”! Connors and Mayhem are trapped inside and Tandy is going in to get them, while Tyrone needs help outside when the gang he help bust finds out who he is! Post credit discussion: the book THANOS: TITAN CONSUMED by Barry Lyga, […]

With the SUPERSONIC Pod Comics Kickstarter in full swing, here's something we hope to be relevant to your interests: a short preview episode written by Ben! This is a story that serves as a kickstart itself — a short story setting up the style of stories that SUPERSONIC Pod Comics will features, while also introducing […]

In episode 3, we see what kind of mayhem that Mayhem has been up to in the last eight months. And we also see a LOT of dualities! But we are united on one single idea: we like what we see. Ben's new superhero project still has its Kickstarter going on and it can be […]

Cloak and Dagger have returned! And the season is off to a great start! Join Ben and Stewart as they talk through episode 1 together, and then Ben explores episode 2 on his own. Ben's new superhero project can be found here:http://welcometolevelseven.com/supersonic

They keep burying another . . . truth . . . emotion . . . friend . . . They just can't be open and honest, except Jonah who starts out the episode REALLY open and honest. Ben and Samantha talk about it. Ben also talks about his new project: http://welcometolevelseven.com/supersonic – a superhero audio […]

The new friend the Runaways made has revealed his true colors, and we get to see what's down in the pit at the dig site . . . “rock bottom”, if you would. Next episode: Runaways episode 6!

Captain Marvel has come to theaters and she brought Nick Fury and Agent Coulson with her! She also brought some controversy, unfortunately. And she brought some 90s style girl power! And Ben, Stewart, and Samantha talk about it!

The story is moving forward, but before Frank can do anything he needs to resupply! So the search is on for more guns and ammo. There's some cat and mouse and there's a big car chase and, of course, there's some Odd Couple shenanigans! And Ben and Stewart are here to talk about it!

Flashbacks! A naked guy tied to an office chair! Philosophies of torture! All this and more in the newest episode of The Odd Couple! Also, we get to see the mission they talked about in Daredevil season 2! And more literature references, this time a poem you possibly studied in high school literature!