Explore every episode of the podcast Plot Patrol

On this episode of Plot Patrol, host Duncan McCauley is joined by Mick O’Connell, retired Senior Constable from the New South Wales Police, to chase down George Miller’s high-octane Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). With society reduced to dust and gasoline, what does policing even mean when there’s no law left to enforce? Duncan and Mick break down Max Rockatansky’s credentials as a cop-turned-wanderer, the chain of command in a warlord’s wasteland, and whether traffic offences still count when your car has spikes and a flamethrower guitarist strapped to the bonnet. Expect pedal-to-the-metal banter, cultural insight from Australia’s own policing landscape, and a verdict on whether Max remains a copper at heart—or just another road warrior with a badge-shaped shadow.

This week on Plot Patrol, host Duncan McCauley is joined by Tommy Ford, retired Detective Constable from the London Metropolitan Police, to dissect Edgar Wright’s action-comedy classic Hot Fuzz (2007). Together, they dig into the film’s overzealous hero cop Nicholas Angel, the sleepy village hiding sinister secrets, and just how far real policing strays from blockbuster gunfights and swan chases. With Tommy’s decades of on-the-ground experience and Duncan’s cheeky wit, the pair separate authentic procedure from cinematic parody—and decide whether Angel is the model constable or simply the best-trained paperwork machine in Gloucestershire.

In the debut episode of Season 2 of Plot Patrol, host Duncan McCauley teams up with retired island police sergeant Angus MacLeod to put the cult classic The Wicker Man (1973) under investigation. From missing girls and pagan rituals to the infamous fiery finale, they dig into what the film got right—and hilariously wrong—about real police work in Scotland’s remote island communities. Expect sharp insight, cheeky banter, and a verdict on whether Sergeant Howie’s investigation would stand up in the real world… or go up in flames.