The Biollywood Podcast

NCIS: Origins S02E03 - The Edge (2025)

In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense at the Atlantic Council, Dr. Asha M. George, Associate Director for Research, J.T. O'Brien, and Associate Director for Government Relations and Policy, Robert Bradley, discuss S02E03 of NCIS: Origins, The Edge. We are joined by special guest, Patrick Cady, who directed the episode.
Patrick is an Emmy-nominated cinematographer-turned-director known for his visual storytelling on acclaimed series like Bosch and Insecure. He began his career working with legendary filmmaker John Sayles on films like Passion Fish and Sunshine State, and his cinematography credits include the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Girlfight. As a director, he has helmed pivotal episodes of Rectify, Interrogation, and the series finale of Bosch.
Premise: A young Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard arrives at Camp Pendleton from D.C. to evaluate whether the NIS team needs an in-house medical examiner. While the team is initially suspicious of his motives, Ducky helps them solve the case of Mimi Lam, a woman found frozen in a restaurant freezer.
The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense is within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at Atlantic Council. Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here.
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Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org 

Dr. Who: The Waters of Mars (2009)

In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense at the Atlantic Council, Dr. Asha M. George, Associate Director for Research, J.T. O'Brien, and Associate Director for Government Relations and Policy, Robert Bradley, discuss the 2009 Dr. Who special, The Waters of Mars.
Premise: Mars, 2059. At Bowie Base One, an international crew begins succumbing to “The Flood,” a sentient, water-borne infection released from a subsurface glacier. As the base falls, the Tenth Doctor confronts a “fixed point” in history and his own hubris as Time Lord Victorious. 
The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense is within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at Atlantic Council. Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here.
Follow us on X (@Biodefensecomm), LinkedIn, and Facebook for more updates.
Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org 

The Thing (1982)

In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense at the Atlantic Council, Dr. Asha M. George, Associate Director for Research, J.T. O'Brien, and Associate Director for Government Relations and Policy, Robert Bradley, discuss the 1982 film, The Thing.
Premise: Set in a remote Antarctic research station, The Thing tells the story of a group of American scientists who encounter a parasitic, shape-shifting extraterrestrial organism. This organism can assimilate and imitate other life forms with terrifying accuracy. The team must figure out how to identify and neutralize the creature before it can spread beyond their isolated outpost and threaten humanity.
The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense is within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at Atlantic Council. Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here.
Follow us on X (@Biodefensecomm), LinkedIn, and Facebook for more updates.
Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org 

V for Vendetta (2005)

In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, Research Principal, J.T. O'Brien, and Policy Principal Robert Bradley, discuss the 2005 film, V for Vendetta.
Premise: In a near-future United Kingdom ruled by the fascist Norsefire regime, a masked vigilante known only as V seeks to topple the government through theatrical acts of sabotage. He rescues Evey Hammond and catalyzes a year-long campaign culminating on Guy Fawkes Night. As Chief Inspector Eric Finch investigates, he uncovers that the regime itself engineered a deadly “St. Mary’s virus” and released it at three targets to seize power. 
Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here.
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Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org 

The X Files: The Pine Bluff Variant (1998)

In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, Research Principal, J.T. O'Brien, and Policy Principal Robert Bradley, discuss the 1998 episode of The X Files titled, The Pine Bluff Variant (S05E18).
Premise: In The Pine Bluff Variant, FBI agent Fox Mulder goes undercover to infiltrate a domestic terrorist group suspected of possessing a genetically engineered biological weapon. As the plot unfolds, it becomes clear that the group plans to release the agent in a public space, and that the U.S. government may not only be complicit but potentially the original creator of the pathogen. The episode’s title references Pine Bluff Arsenal, a real U.S. Army facility long associated with chemical and biological weapons research and destruction, anchoring the story in real-world biodefense history.
Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here.
Follow us on X (@Biodefensecomm), LinkedIn, and Facebook for more updates.
Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org 

Superman (2025)

In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, Research Principal, J.T. O'Brien, Policy Principal, Robert Bradley, and our new intern, Madi Kim, tackle James Gunn’s Superman (2025), the first film in DC Studios’ new shared universe.
Premise: Gunn’s film drops us into a world where Superman is already an established hero. After stopping Boravia from invading Jarhanpur, Clark faces backlash and is publicly outmatched by the “Hammer of Boravia,” later revealed as Ultraman, a clone orchestrated by Lex Luthor. Luthor unleashes a kaiju in Metropolis as a diversion, infiltrates the Fortress of Solitude with the Engineer, and broadcasts the restored second half of a genuine Kryptonian message from Jor-El and Lara, in which they urge their son to conquer Earth and “take many wives” to repopulate their species—sparking a rapid collapse in public trust.
Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here.
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Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org 

28 Years Later (2025)

In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, Research Principal, J.T. O'Brien, and Policy Principal Robert Bradley, discuss the new 2025 film, 28 Years Later
Premise: 28 Years Later is set in a post-apocalyptic world where a highly contagious virus, known as the Rage Virus, has decimated the population of the United Kingdom. 
Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here.
Follow us on X (@Biodefensecomm), LinkedIn, and Facebook for more updates.
Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org 

28 Days Later (2003)

In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, Research Principal, J.T. O'Brien, and Policy Principal Robert Bradley, discuss the iconic 2003 film, 28 Days Later
Premise: 28 Days Later is set in a post-apocalyptic world where a highly contagious virus, known as the Rage Virus, has decimated the population of the United Kingdom. The story follows a group of survivors as they navigate the dangers of this new world, including infected individuals and other hostile survivors. The film explores themes of survival, humanity, and the impact of a viral outbreak.
Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here.
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Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org 

Mission Impossible 2 (2000)

In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, Research Principal, J.T. O'Brien, and Policy Principal Robert Bradley, discuss the second film in the Mission Impossible franchise.
Premise: Mission: Impossible 2 follows IMF agent Ethan Hunt as he is tasked with recovering a deadly virus known as Chimera and its cure, Bellerophon. The virus has been stolen by a rogue IMF agent, Sean Ambrose, who plans to release it and profit from the sale of the cure. The film explores themes of espionage, betrayal, and the race against time to prevent a global pandemic.
Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here.
Follow us on X (@Biodefensecomm), LinkedIn, and Facebook for more updates.
Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org 

The Last of Us: Season 1 (2023)

In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, Research Principal, J.T. O'Brien, and Policy Principal Robert Bradley, discuss the first season of the HBO show, The Last of Us (2023), based on the hit video game.
Premise: "The Last of Us" is set in a post-apocalyptic world where a fungal infection, known as the Cordyceps Brain Infection (CBI), has decimated humanity. The story follows Joel, a hardened survivor, and Ellie, a young girl who may hold the key to curing the infection. Together, they navigate the dangers of this new world while forming a deep bond.
Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here.
Follow us on X (@Biodefensecomm), LinkedIn, and Facebook for more updates.
Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org