Hello! (Yeah!) And welcome to Binge Mode! Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion continue their exploration of the Harry Potter universe by diving deep into Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, chapters 11-14. To help guide you on that journey, here is a map of the eighth episode of Binge Mode: Harry Potter. It’s not quite as detailed as the Marauder’s Map, but don’t fear: The podcast is just as magical.
- Mallory and Jason start their journey, of course, on the Hogwarts Express, providing a brief refresher on what actually happened in these four chapters. Harry learns to duel and that he can speak Parseltongue; he and Ron infiltrate the Slytherin common room to spy on Malfoy; Hermione is paralyzed by the Chamber’s monster; and Hagrid and Dumbledore are removed from Hogwarts.
- They continue by diving into the Pensieve, where they analyze the central theme of this section of the book: identity.
- Next, they sneak into the Restricted Section so Mallory can teach us everything we need to know about Polyjuice Potion, both in Chamber and beyond.
- After reemerging from that section of the library, Mallory and Jason discuss the Seven, where they share their seven favorite insights and observations from this swath of chapters. Here, they look ahead to Prisoner of Azkaban, analyze J.K. Rowling’s sex clues, and more.
- Finally, they award the House Cup to a worthy winner of the four chapters. This episode’s recipient is Tom Riddle, whose plan is working to perfection even if, at this point, he’s acting as a mere memory.
On Thursday, Mallory and Jason return for Episode 9 of Binge Mode: Harry Potter, in which they will break down chapters 15-18 of Chamber of Secrets. For the full podcast, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts, and follow along on Twitter and join the Facebook group, which is just for Binge Mode fans. We await your digital Owl Post!
