Podlandia: A-O Rewatch with Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein

Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen look back at the Season 2's “Grover.” They begin by reflecting on character inspiration drawn not only from the caverns of their souls but also from friends and people they know. Grover’s “aspirational” parents were modeled after real people in their lives, whose picture was even hanging on the writers’ room wall as they crafted the sketches. They revisit 'Everyone's a DJ', a timeless one since it seems like everyone today really is a DJ. Breaking down Kath and Dave, Carrie explains that her “pone” added to Kath’s rage. Speaking of best friends, Carrie’s dogs, Toby and Cricket, also make an appearance. Fred remembers how they were always around in the writers’ room, on set, and in the Airstream dressing room. Music has always been a huge part of Portlandia, and the DMV hold music bit provided the perfect excuse to make some more. They round out the pod, with Fred sharing the secret to Voodoo Doughnut's success, stories about the Gutterpunks sketch and reflecting on scavenger hunts and the “I’m just a little guy” character, a modern day “short king”.

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Season 2 of Portlandia is when everyone was in the pocket, and “Cool Wedding” is a perfect example. Carrie and Fred explore Iris and Spike’s quest for a nonconformist wedding and rejection of tradition. Meanwhile, in real life, Carrie and Fred were building a tradition of their own by checking in with each other before the writers’ room (AKA Blue Sky). Along the way, they discuss how goats made it into the episode, stop sign etiquette, forgotten cars that became the butt of jokes, grocery bag guilt, why hippies could never be punk rock, and the Netflix DVD sketch.

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Fred and Carrie agree this is one of their favorite episodes and a great place to start if you’ve never watched Portlandia. They revisit the Allergy Pride Parade, introduce Doug and Claire and discuss the art (and agony) of binge watching Battlestar Galactica. They also reminisce about the Artisan Knot Shop, Jeff Goldblum’s genius, gentrification, the S&M bonfire, and how some truly bad tattoos got Eddie Vedder on the show.

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It's the beginning of season two and the source of the podcast's title! Fred and Carrie discuss "A-O, River!", Danger Aaron, restaurant frustrations, and more. A-O Rewatch!

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Director Jonathan Krisel returns for a second conversation with Fred and Carrie. This time, they discuss the period between the end of the first season and the start of the second. Who returned to the show? What upgrades did they receive? And what did they learn from their first season? 

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Batty Batterson started as an improvised line that became a fully animated character. Carrie finds her groove with the mayor, and Fred fondly recalls the Ace Hotel's early days. The season one finale features some major guests, including Ron Funches, Nick Kroll, and Heather Graham.

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Inspired by their years of touring and the unique exuberance and crushing defeat of being a musician at SXSW, Fred and Carrie discuss how Blunderbuss came to life. Carrie discusses her passion for collecting posters, and Fred remembers the video that inspired interpretive canoe. It's one of the most guest-packed episodes in Portlandia history, featuring Selma Blair, Jenny Conlee, Gus Van Sant, James Mercer of The Shins, Colin Meloy of The Decemberists, and Corin Tucker of Carrie's own Sleater-Kinney.

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We found the mayor, and he's joining us in the studio. Kyle MacLachlan exemplifies everything great about the Pacific Northwest. A brilliant performer, with an eclectic set of hobbies, and gentle humor and charm that ensnared all of us at Podlandia. Kyle discusses how he came to Portlandia, which famous actor-turned-singer inspired his Portland theme song, and whether David Lynch was a fan of the series. 

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Did you hear the mayor is missing? It's another packed episode for Fred, and it's one of Carrie's favorite episodes of season one. This episode is packed with superstar guests. Aubrey Plaza found herself in two separate sketches. Kumail Nanjiani makes his series debut and delivers a performance so hilarious he would eventually become one of the most revisited guest stars in the series' history. We've also got Edie McClurg of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

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Singer, songwriter, and occasional actress Aimee Mann joins Fred and Carrie to recount an entire episode came to be named after her. The trio also discuss life on the road, their favorite songwriters, and the highs and lows of life as a musician.

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It was the best of sketch; it was a sketch we wouldn't revisit in 2026. This episode features two legendary guest appearances: Aimee Man and Sarah McLachlan, who appear in a wrap-around sketch inspired by a real-life story. Plus, what does it mean to sell out? How many times can you repurpose a prop in a single episode? And how bad was the food from the dinner scene really? Join Fred and Carrie as they revisit the best and worst of Aimee.

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Meet the mayor! Kyle MacLachlan makes his series debut in the episode originally intended to be the pilot. This episode features two cult-classic sketches: Put a Bird on It, which helped millennials decide how to decorate their first apartments, and Cacao, which gave rise to a vocal stim that many still use today. 

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Fred and Carrie are joined by their longtime friend and collaborator, Jonathan Krisel. The name may be unfamiliar, but the work speaks for itself. Krisel's credits include writing and directing SNL shorts with The Lonely Island, directing episodes of Tim and Erik, The Kroll Show, and Baskets. If Carrie and Fred are the Paul and John of Portlandia - the face and heart of the group- you can think of Jonathan as the George - the soulful spine supporting the group. He conceived the "Dream of the 90s" sketch, helped them find the visual voice of the series, and even came through with some music suggestions. Portlandia would have looked a lot different without Jonathan's creative direction. Now, if they can just remember what they shot first. 

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The pilot of Portlandia wasn't always called Farm. Originally, it was an entirely different episode. A hilarious examination of the farm-to-table movement, the Dream of the 90s musical number, and the introduction of the feminist bookstore, Women and Women First, perfectly set the tone for the series to come. All of that and we haven't even mentioned Steve Buscemi yet! Join Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein as they reminisce about the evolution of restaurants, discuss how to make Portland look like Los Angeles, and the extra bit of magic Jason Sudeikis brings to a role.

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The dream of podcasting is alive in 2026. It's been 15 years since the cult classic comedy series Portlandia introduced the world to the 90's time capsule filled with wacky characters that outlined the unique neighborhoods that make up the city. Now Carrie and Fred are back, reliving all the weirdness.

To begin, they're starting with all the events that led up to the launch of Portlandia, including Carrie's toast at Fred's wedding, which was secretly an audition for Lorne Michaels; Fred's days as a Sleater-Kinney fan boy; and the wildly inappropriate campaign video they made for John Kerry.

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In the magical world of Portlandia, the dream of the '90s still lives. Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein revisit their cult-classic TV series, which documented the hipster fad of birds as decor, unique bicycles, and intense mustache care that defined the capital of Oregon for an entire generation. During special visits from the Mayor and other beloved Portlandians, Carrie and Fred recount the struggles, joys, and surprises of each episode.

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