Welcome to the world of tomorrow!

In this jumbo comeback edition of the show, Ash, Dan and Gareth are back in the saddle and ready to fill you in what they've been up to for the last four years while offering zero explanation for their extended absence.

The show itself has emerged from stasis unchanged, so expect the usual answers to your questions, a rundown of what we're playing and a quiz inspired by Gareth's universal currency of choice. Rather embarrassingly, it's been so long since our last recording that we completely forgot that the Great Debate topic is EXACTLY the same as the previous episode's. Whoops.

(Also, contrary to Jazz McVoiceover's claims in the intro, Simon Chong doesn't appear in this episode. Sorry.)

Simon's back! Sort of. We catch up with our transatlantic absentee Alan via 'live' satellite linkup, and discover how life is for our LA-ex. (Spoiler: enviably great.) We also delve into some excellent Getting To Know Us questions, including casting our dream game-to-TV series. Plus! The world's most successful arcade games form the basis of our quiz Play Your Cabs Right. And, to honour the passing of Konami code creator Kazuhisa Hashimoto, we discuss your--and our--favourite cheats.

We skirt dangerously close to highbrow territory this week, as we discuss which games introduced you to hitherto unknown periods of history or works of fine art. Hopefully it's only a blip. Elsewhere, Gareth's love of Fortnite is reignited, Ash explores post-apocalyptia on a land boat, and Dan slowly unravels in a quiz custom-built to break him.

Who's your Best Gaming Friend? After last episode's rather downbeat discussion, we bring the mood back up with a chat about those special someones that you can always depend on to be up for a game. We also cover old franchises that we'd love to see revived, including Timesplitters and obscure Sierra gem Manhunter: New York, plus there's a tricky quiz on Academy Award-winning film titles in other languages. Oh, and there's some soup chat.

More hot chat about the games and entertainment we're in thrall to, including Ring Fit Adventure, Griftlands, Borderlands 3, Clash Royale (yes, again), Good Omens and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Plus, an air of melancholy hangs over the team as we discuss our tragic gaming tales, from deleted saves to sad cancellations. It's not all doom and gloom though, as Dan introduces his daughter to the podcast for the first time in his quiz Orlawatch. Can you guess which Overwatch characters she's renaming and describing?

Do you know your DIMPS from your GIMPS? Your Hipster Whales from your Hipster Fish? Then Gareth has just the quiz for you. Before you test your knowledge of obscure devs, listen to us talk through our favourite--and most hated--games and films of recent weeks, including Clash Royale, My Friend Pedro, Blasphemous, The Endless, Knives Out, Downsizing and the first 20 minutes of Marriage Story! Plus! Gareth's tale of dough woe and your--and our--memories of gamer rage.

We'd love to say we've spent the last 12 months painstakingly resculpting and honing our dormant podcast into a resplendent new beast, but, if anything, you should probably consider this a regression. In this unplanned, unscripted and un-unedited new era of ExAlPod, we get up you up to speed on our challenging 2019, gush over games and a great year for TV, and even find room for a quick game of 'Name That Film Score'. It's good to be back.

Our Christmas special isn't late--it's just really, really early. International animation superstar and Alan alumnus (Alanmnus) Simon Chong returned to the UK for the first time since departing for a new life in LA, so we ended our hiatus to find out just how much he regrets leaving us behind. (Spoiler: not at all.) Lots of the usual chat returns, including a fun new game where we gauge SiChong's eligibility for permanent residence in the US.

True to form, promises made in the previous show have been broken. This is not the takeover show we teased, but another hot three-way between Dan, Gareth and Nick. So, kind of like being promised a donut, but getting a brownie instead, i.e. you still win. This time, we get exasperated at Battlefield V sexism, excited about a dedicated Switch Pokémon, effervescent in our praise of Cobra Kai and engrossed in debate about the merits of review scores.

Against the soundtrack of a life support machine’s rhythmic beep, The Explosive Alan Podcast’s eyes finally flicker open. Weakly, it attempts to rise from its prolonged slumber, limbs limp, head heavy, throat parched. A passing nurse spots this unexpected recovery and rushes over, immediately guiding the straw within a nearby cup of water to its cracked lips. It takes a short sip, then mutters something barely audible. “I’m sorry, can you say that again?” ExAlPod motions for the nurse to come closer; he duly obeys. With the nurse’s ear now inches from its mouth, it quietly repeats itself: “We’re back, bitches.”