TPToA Podcast 462 – Mayday

Mayday

The Cold War gave us many things: geopolitical tension, endless spy stories, and some of the coolest aircraft ever to tear across the sky at ridiculous speeds. This week we’re strapping into the cockpit of Mayday (2026), Apple TV+‘s Cold War action-comedy starring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh. And yes, any excuse to talk about the legendary SR-71 Blackbird is a good one. (We know the movie says Blackbird, but don’t let that stop Quinny from accidentally calling it the “Nightbird” at least once.)

Set against the backdrop of 1980s East-West tensions, Mayday follows hotshot Navy pilot Troy “Assassin” Kelly (Ryan Reynolds) after a top-secret mission goes spectacularly sideways, leaving him stranded deep in Soviet territory. His unlikely saviour is Nikolai Ustinov (Kenneth Branagh), a former KGB operative with an unexpected fondness for American culture. Explosions, espionage, squeaky-bum escapes, and russo/american banter ensue. Whether this one sticks the landing or bounces down the runway a few times is something you’ll have to hear us discuss.

Joining the mission are your trusted co-pilots Dion, Jill, and Quinny, bringing their usual mix of movie analysis, historical tangents, and unexpected historical aviation enthusiasm to the table.  So buckle up, engage afterburners, and join us as we find out whether Mayday is a rare Mach 5 masterpiece or simply another aircraft trying to avoid a diplomatic incident.

Official Synopsis (Apple TV+)

Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh team up in ‘Mayday,’ a genre-bending, action-packed buddy comedy that flips the spy thriller on its head. When hotshot U.S. Navy pilot Lieutenant Troy ‘Assassin’ Kelly (Reynolds) is sent on a top-secret mission into Russian territory at the height of the Cold War, the operation implodes, leaving him stranded behind enemy lines. Discovered by Nikolai Ustinov (Branagh), a gruff ex-KGB agent with a penchant for American culture, Troy thinks he’s toast, but could an unlikely alliance between the two lead to Troy’s rescue and a bond neither saw coming?

https://youtu.be/DHwx28qK9Zg

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