Was Our Attention Arrested By L.A.'s Finest?

Dave: [0:13] This is the Extra Extra Hot Great Podcast, episode 355 for the May 24th, 2025 weekend. I am troubling Toblerone dick, David T. Cole. And I'm here with bullet cam Sarah D. Bunting. Sarah: [0:37] Squalt. Dave: [0:38] And body glitter victim, Tari Ariano. Tara: [0:42] It's so sparkly. Sarah: [0:48] Hello, welcome to another episode of Extra Extra Hot Great. We are so glad that you are here. Thank you so much for your support. One of the perks of that support, in case you didn't remember, is Forsenings, in which you, dear listeners of the Patreon, make us, dear panelists of the podcast, watch some television of your choosing. Maybe something bad, maybe something good and a delightful discovery. Spoiler, not this time. Because this week we are contemplating the pilot of LA's Finest. Sarah: [1:23] L.A.'s Finest was thrust upon us by Diatho way back in 2023. Reached for comment on why this was put into the forcing pool, Diatho shrugged that, quote, it's just absurd and a poor use of both of the leads. Can't really disagree there. L.A.'s Finest was a spinoff of the Bad Boys sequel. Featuring Gabrielle Union's character, DEA agent Sid Burnett, the Martin Lawrence character's sister, known informally as Bad Girls, LA Finest also starred Jessica Alba as Sid's partner, Nancy McKenna, with Sid having moved to LAPD's robbery homicide unit. No, there is no Bosch crossover, much to my chagrin. It also stars Ryan, Captain Awesome from Chuck, McPartlin as McKenna's husband in ADA. Sarah: [2:10] Sophie Reynolds as Izzy, McKenna's Daria meets Cher from Clueless Stepdaughter, Dwayne Martin and Zach Friday Night Lights Guilford as Sid and McKenna's colleagues, both named Ben, and Ernie Hudson as Sid's estranged father, with occasional appearances from Alba's actual brother as her character's brother. Not sticking around to find out about that. But after a somewhat tumultuous road to air, NBC basically commissioned this and then was like, nah, and then Spectrum Charter took it on as semi-original programming. And after a second season that had to be postponed from a planned premiere date of June 2020, for probably obvious reasons involving protests nationwide against police brutality, the show was finally canceled in October 2020. You can find it on Tubi, but before you bother, let's do the Chen check-in. Dave, should our listeners watch LA's Finest? Dave: [3:06] First of all, no. Second of all, I resent that it's not called Bad Girls. Tara: [3:12] Yeah, that's just dumb. Dave: [3:14] Right there. Like, who's your marketers? But anyways, no, don't. Sarah: [3:18] Okay. Dara? Tara: [3:20] Yeah, definitely not. Sarah: [3:21] Yeah. The plot of the pilot is overly complex and involves Sid not playing by the rules to solve a cartel hostage problem. It also sets up a season-long investigation arc in which Sid is trying to avenge herself after an op in the movie left her for dead, in a question mark. And then there's the past not staying past for McKenna and any number of other cowboy cop show tropes. I actually was keeping track of them with TVTropes.com open. And then once I filled a piece of paper, I was like, I'm going to stop doing that. But brief list of low lice includes mismatched partners, one very single, one very domestic, the taking it too far, but getting results, Jack Bauer interrogation, the good cop, bad cop, and the bad cop, worst cop, the we're out of time for due process slash we have a quirky gray market character to service from the films, and come in perimeter cops who get no lines. I said, come in. Oh, no, duck. So I'm not going to do a plot summary. We're just going to talk, I think, pretty briefly about this pilot. Tara, on a scale of one to Fargo, how would you say how successful would you say this is as the TV show ending of a film? Tara: [4:42] I mean, if you're really into the Bad Boys movies, and God bless if you are. Dave: [4:48] And you want everything at a smaller scale because Bad Boys was too intense for you. Tara: [4:52] And with ladies and with no swears. Actually, maybe there were swears. I don't even remember. This is so forgettable. Sarah: [4:59] There were very performative swears. Tara: [5:01] Okay. It was a situation where you get three fucks, so use them judiciously. Sarah: [5:07] I don't give any of them, so use them in good health. Tara: [5:10] Yeah. Yeah, it has the same problems as the movie, such things as like no one is obeying due process. People are living in crazily gigantic houses that no one should be able to afford on a public servant's salary. So if those are the things that you like about the movie, then you might also like this. But I feel like the people who are super into bad boys probably don't want to see a spinoff of the bad boys universe that's about ladies. On a scale of one to ten, I'm going to say four. Sarah: [5:40] Yeah. Same question to you, Dave. Dave: [5:43] It's not hard to score because it's a one. It's not exactly supposed to be an adaptation. It's supposed to be from the files of Bad Boys comes Lady Police Squad. As a solo show, it's also very boring and cliched. So either way, it doesn't get points for trying to be an adaptation or an in-universe version of something. It is. Like when you're describing the cliches, we could have got on for another couple minutes. The boy hostage, the little boy. At the start of the episode, I thought it was going to be like a 911 type of thing because it really felt like a 911 scene where there is a SUV careening down near Venice Beach, smacking into all the cars and like doing dangerous moves and all that kind of stuff. And the cops are right behind. Sarah: [6:33] Also a cop show trope. Dave: [6:35] And they finally get the SUV to stop and they open the door and that little boys drive in the little boys like five or six. How is this boy driving? It turns out he's trying to get the hospital because the nanny got shot. And, you know, we find out in moments she is dead, but he was trying to get her to the hospital. That whole setup felt like the start of a 911. I'm like, OK, like maybe this is like a weird sort of embryonic version of a Ryan Murphy. Oops, something's wrong. First responders to the rescue show. It wasn't. No. And that was probably the most hopeful I was for this after reading Diatho's reasoning. Poor use of both leads. Like, it's the forcing pool. It's your right to forcing us with whatever you want. But I'm just saying, if that is your justification, think of David T. Cole before you hit that return button. Tara: [7:26] Yeah, I'm going to second what Dave said. You know, the forcing pool, it's a forcing. We're not necessarily supposed to like it. but I feel like this is more if something is bad, you want us to see something that's interestingly bad not generically bad. Dave: [7:40] Which is what this is I want the world of David the Gnome I don't want LA's finest, which had no gnomes imagine how good it would be if at the end of the episode by the way, I don't think we touched this Sid and Nance Sid and Nancy if they solved the case And then drove out to Calabasas And then turned into trees, I'd be like You guys won't fucking believe what happened In LA Finest These motherfuckers Episode 1, they turned the leaves into trees It was an excellent David the Gnome homage The. Sarah: [8:16] Gnomes are the cases we solved along the way Come on You know, I've seen a lot of cop shows I have a higher tolerance than David T. Cole For this kind of like Generic, trying-too-hard garbage And I still was like, it's bad. And he's right that both elites are wasted here. I have a clip in which Gabrielle Union is bringing more shading than she has to to this conversation with her partner's stepdaughter. Dave, if you can play clip two. I've got a prosecutor dad and a cop for a stepmom. It's. Sarah: [9:21] Marcus has always had my back and your parents are always going to have yours. There's some other good cast here. Evan Handler is playing their captain in the pilot, victim of some really bad ADR that was not repaired. I'm not sure that was even him in a couple of those voiceovers before the cut. But there's a lot of pretty good creative firepower here. The episode director has worked steadily. the pilot co-writers worked on the blacklist and co-created national treasure franchise and stuff like that these people know how to do this do you think that there is a good show in here or was this just flawed in its inception tara. Tara: [10:01] Not really once you get past the connections to the bad boys franchise and they are so so tenuous there's there's just nothing here i mean generically bad I already said it like there's there's nothing particularly special about this to make it stand out it doesn't have enough of a hook to distinguish it from other cop shows in this category at this I'll say budget level because I feel like subsequent episodes are even worse once they are only working on a spectrum originals budget but I also I would be curious to know how Gabrielle Union feels about this now, because she has been very outspoken, certainly since 2020, about cops and policing and things like that. And then I wonder if she would say this isn't a part she would do again for that reason, because it's so copagandistic. Like, it's like that's if anything distinguishes it, it's that. I mean, you already brought up the Jack Bauer interrogation where she like threatens to drop a car on a guy. And seems like she would have if Nancy hadn't like quickly kicked a jack under it. Sarah: [11:09] Yeah. Tara: [11:10] She's acting extra traditionally all over the place. Like this is not, this does not seem like it aligns with the values I know her to hold as a public person. I'll say that. Sarah: [11:20] Right. And then at another point, she's smoking a material witnesses pot to get this witness, a sex worker to open up and then later she has sex with the sex worker and then kicks the sex worker out of her apartment the same way she did another partner at the beginning of the episode ha? Dave: [11:41] She just knows what she likes. Pot no commitment sex. Tara: [11:45] Yep. Sarah: [11:46] I mean, it's interesting, too, because when you look into English speaking television history for the shows that are about two women partnered together who are like in the title, Cagney and Lacey, Scott and Bailey, Rizzoli and Isles, like all of the rest of them, Rizzoli and Isles, like, I don't care, but I think it was well done for what it was. And this is like, I don't even want this in the list of canonical bad girls shows or whatever. Yeah, this was not a success. And I kind of, I really struggled to keep paying attention to it long enough to be like, why is this not working? Why are we talking about this? So thought experiment over? Tara: [12:32] I've certainly exhausted my thoughts about it. Dave: [12:34] I got a thought experiment for you. When somebody describes a dick pic as a big Toblerone, what exactly is that dick like? Tara: [12:44] Yeah. Dave: [12:44] Because it feels like one of those animal kingdom dicks where like you put it in, but it don't come out. Sarah: [12:51] Crenelated phallus corp. Tara: [12:53] Yeah. Dave: [12:53] It's like, oh, the duck corkscrew dick's got nothing on the Toblerone guy. Sarah: [12:57] Or is it like Toblerone orange where you slam it on the ground and you get a surprise? Dave: [13:01] That's why you haven't seen Gladys in two weeks. She got fucked by the Toblerone guy and they can't figure out how to separate. Tara: [13:06] That's Terry's, not Toblerone, but yes. This guy doesn't need a date. He needs a doctor. Help him. Dave: [13:12] Yes. Shit just got real. Dave: [13:23] All right, well, anyways. Diatho's banned from the podcast, I guess. Anyways guys this theme means it's time to cleanse the palate with a little thing we're late called ask ehg We'll be right, except of course for giato who can no longer ask those questions because he's no longer part of the podcast oops he's dead now just joking all right let's get to the ask ask ehg's we have and there's more than one because we were like somebody knocked on door and says you guys forgot to do the judgment for one of them from the past so we're like that never happens and then we looked at the letter sheet we're like okay it happened that. Sarah: [14:12] Totally happened yeah. Dave: [14:14] First one comes from L Triple B. If you remember, they asked, which TV cliffhanger or unanswered question would you most want to see resolved? Tons of answers on this one, so let's go through the highlights. Smopsuchus, what happened to Dr. Samuel Beckett from Quantum Leap? He had a cliffhanger on that one, and then the new show didn't even touch it because Scott Bakula's like, no thanks. So they're like, all right. Kevin C demands elf closure on behalf of his five-year-old self. Leslie and Elon with baseball pics of A League of the Roan and Pitch. Hayden Haymaker, best out-of-context-sounding entry, comes from them. Santa Clarita Diet's unresolved story will haunt me forever. What the heck really happened to Joel? And where are Ball Leg's other legs? Tara: [15:03] All right. Dave: [15:03] I don't want to know because the version of my head's got to be better than what was on screen. Sarah: [15:08] Yeah, agree. Dave: [15:09] Beezo or Laura trying to grease the sticker wheel with the answer, glow. Of course, a good answer, but I think that was the one everybody was expecting for this crowd. A lot of people were chiming in on Star Trek stuff, which I didn't remember happening. Frankly, didn't quite understand what they were saying, but I stand in solidarity with you for whatever that was about the Starfleet people that were aliens in disguise or something like that. Lots of good entries, lots we can't get into, but our winner by tyranny of the masses, by the most votes we had on the page, that's how I'm going to do it this week. is Lee in Chicago. Lee in Chicago's pick was Pushing Daisies. They asked, how did Lily and Vivian react to Chuck being alive again and finding out about Ned's power? Also, did Emerson and his daughter make Lil' Gumshoe a reality? Lee in Chicago, if you want that sticker, and I know you do, please DM me on Discord. I need your mailing address and I will get you that lickety split. All right, that's number one. Number two. Sarah: [16:11] Yes, we're getting in the time machine for the Ask Ask EHG question from episode 349. It was from me, and I asked, if you name your cars, if you don't, why don't you slash please start? We have to make our own fun in this life. Tell us your car's names with backstory, if applicable. Tara, Dave, any input here? Dave: [16:31] We had a light green car that Tara bought solo in LA. We found out later it used to be part of the LA Metro fleet of cars that just like middle managers drive around the city. It was a Camry. And we named that one Minty Burns after Monty Burns. And then our next car is a compact dark green. And I don't know if we ever named it. Did we? Tara: [16:56] I don't think we did. Dave: [16:57] I don't think we did. So maybe we should name it right now on the podcast. It's small, extremely dark green to the point where a lot of people don't believe it's green. Tara: [17:06] I got it. Dave: [17:06] Okay. Tara: [17:07] Chris Pine. Dave: [17:08] Chris Pine. Yeah. Sarah: [17:10] All right. Actual listener answers. First of all, you are all extremely clever. I loved hearing these stories and reading about how all our minds do and don't work in the same goofy ways. Finding out that Suli doesn't do this and didn't do it for his stuffed animals, like of all people, to just call teddy bears teddy bear, that's amazing to me. I'd like to also give a hat tip to the three different listeners who named their blue Subarus, Blue Beru. I live for that shit. My brother's Subaru back in the day was the Roo. And then when I had to rent Malibu while my own car was being repaired, that was the Boo. I'd also like to shout out Monty for naming his car pal Foot Foot, because sure. Another hat tip to Kimberly and Karisandra for getting Barenaked Ladies Million Dollars stuck in my head. they know why and what they did. And another honorable mention to Aw Nuts' friends who not only named a giant gas guzzler Barb, but had a celebration of her life when she died and did a little like singing circle at the mechanic. Brilliant. But our winner today is Santiago. Sarah: [18:20] Quote, I've named two of my cars. My Nissan Versa was named Donatella Versa. Yes. My Ford contour had a more fitting name for this audience after a horrible crash i named her buffy the deer slayer as it were santiago i hope you emerged from said crash unscathed and able to enjoy your sticker please dm dave on the discord to collect and everyone else fasten your seatbelts while it's still the law in this country xo all. Dave: [18:52] Right let's get to your questions for us This week, LNF is first. They ask, West Wing has done it. Frasier has done it. Now, which current show needs an episode in which a character has a poorly timed root or woot canal? Sarah: [19:08] Woot canal. Dave: [19:10] All right, Tara. So we got to pick a current show and then insert a woot canal. Tara: [19:15] So the dentist is apparently Hollywood code for plastic surgeon. So I'm going to say hacks. Dave: [19:22] Okay. Tara: [19:23] Sarah. Dave: [19:23] Wow. Something that works perfectly in the universe for a show and the writers could use today. You're welcome. Sarah: [19:30] This is not my least favorite comedic trope, but it's probably in the bottom three. So it's tempting to stick it in some show where I'm never going to see it like Tracker. Dave: [19:39] Oh, you'll see it. Sarah: [19:40] But now that I had that thought, Elsbeth could probably make that tired shit work, at least for an episode. Failing that, Tulsa King. Not sure it would even register as a difference in Stallone's delivery in the second place, so perfect. Dave: [19:55] This isn't how we used to play root canal back in the day. These pussies, now with Novocaine. Sarah: [20:05] I wish you all could see how Dave was creating this effect. Dave: [20:09] Do you like the addition of the empty tin can to really bring the Stallone out? Mine, I got two answers. One is this feels like the setup to a start of an episode of poker face because she doesn't have any money but her to her that feels like it's very poker face i can. Sarah: [20:28] Sit i consider that. Dave: [20:29] Uh this could be bad news for anyone on the gilded age or the chosen for that matter unless you know jesus steps in and fires off some of his magic pixie dust to make it all better but one of those two bad news all right dr calhoun how do you feel about eurovision sarah eurovision how you feel. Sarah: [20:47] I am very happy for people who are super into it. I count on the people in my life who are super into it to inform me when or whether to care. But mostly I do not care. Vaguely positive vibes that have nothing to do with me. Dave? Dave: [21:03] Yeah, it's sort of like Dungeons and Dragons. I don't really understand how it works. I don't have the time or inclination to learn, but I'm happy for you and that you get something that you enjoy. I just don't want to hear about it. Also, there seems to be an equal chance to meet an elf in either one of those. Tara: [21:21] Yeah, more for you. I can't imagine a situation in which I would want to watch it. But I mean, I'm happy for you that you have it if this is something that brings you joy. Dave: [21:30] Also, I'm really glad it's Eurovision and not World Vision or North America Vision or something like that. Because I feel like if you lived in Europe and you didn't like it, this would be like having a mini Olympics every year to deal with. Tara: [21:43] But it's not only Europe. Israel is in it for some reason. Dave: [21:47] But I'm just saying feels like a lot. It feels like an Olympian sort of like unignorable thing for a little bit each year. Evil Dolphin, what TV event deserves to be recognized as a national holiday? This was tough. You know, I was thinking of just like big moments or big deaths or something like that. But eventually I went with because I want this to be a celebration of failure. And it's funny that the person at the center of it is still alive so they can enjoy the holiday every year. And that is the opening of Al Capone's vault should be a national holiday for Al Rivera every year. It's like, oh, fuck. God damn it. Why? Why, people? Why? So that's my choice. Tara? Tara: [22:33] I've said this before and I'll say it again. The day after the Super Bowl should be a national holiday. And I kind of don't know why it's not. Dave: [22:40] Why? Tara: [22:41] Because everyone indulges, gets drunk, stays up late watching the game. And then whatever wonderful programming follows the game that we're all so excited about. People have parties. It's like, it's a big, you know, it's a big social day for some, not for us, but I would still take a day off. Sarah: [22:58] Yeah, really. On May 12th every year, we will hereby recognize it as a day of action in honor of the successful Donna Martin Graduates movement originating May 12th, 1993. Dave: [23:11] Our next question comes from Redacted because they're no longer part of this podcast. Paramount is running low on cash and realize the easy way to make money is to sell fortnite skins but since most contracts have digital rights now the shows must be from the 80s or before what shows get fortnite skins oh the. Tara: [23:36] A-team of course that's the. Dave: [23:38] First thing. Tara: [23:38] I thought and i couldn't top it dave. Dave: [23:40] All right well the problem is with the a-team and stuff like that is that you are skinning an existing, well, most of the time in Fortnite, you are skinning like a character who has a face that's already established. Sometimes they do full like Darth Vader's roaming around in Fortnite too. But if you're talking about basically just the clothes of the character, I wanted to go big with the costuming so that you could identify who they were. Because if I'm responsible for this, I want it to be a success. And if I'm getting a piece of the action, I also want a lot of people to buy them. So I'm going to go with HR Puff and Stuff skins. Very deep bench of very unique characters. But if I was going for like a Taurus style answer, let's do it. I would say the odd couple skins. I find that very funny for some reason, that absolutely zero fucking percent of the people playing Fortnite would know what these skins are. You kind of in your mind, you're like, oh yeah, one's like a sports slob and the other one wears suits. But those suits he wears are often like quite dated. Some stripy suits and stuff like that. They're kind of ridiculous. I'm here for that. I'm here for the befuddlement of today's youths. Sarah: [24:50] Yeah, that's why I went with the Brady Bunch. Let's put some bell bottoms in there. Why not? Dave: [24:54] All right. Randy, would you rather follow up for me? You may remember there is a, I think it was a, would you rather have Jeff Probst live in your house? Tara: [25:04] Yes. Dave: [25:04] And something else, but we're all going on about how terrible. Tara: [25:07] Or live in this, or live in the big brother. Dave: [25:09] That's right. And Jeff Probst did not appeal to me at all. So anyway, this is a follow up. If you did have to have someone criticizing your poops, Jeff Probst style. I think that was one of the scenarios that I maybe brought up. Would you rather have Adam Driver give you a good poop A-OK sign every time you do a good poop? Or the Soup Nazi saying no poop for you if he doesn't approve of your poop? First of all, I have a question. Is this something Adam Driver is known for? Sarah: [25:40] Yeah. Dave: [25:41] It seemed to be based on something that's happened in real life, but I didn't really quite understand that. If it was Adam Driver, every time I had a good poop going outer space, I would be like, yeah, of course, no question about it. But I'm also going to go with Adam Driver in this scenario when he says good poop, because I feel like he has to actually come to my house and do it. And that would sort of be annoying for him because most of my poops are good. So he's going to be busy. I don't want the soup Nazi to be yelling at me when I do a bad poop. So, like, I'd much rather have Adam Driver give me affirmation than the soup Nazi admonish me. Sarah: [26:22] He was in the armed forces. He is used to, like, pointless busy work jobs. Sure. Dave: [26:27] Joe Viljent, what's a current show on air that you actually think could do a good musical episode? Sarah. Sarah: [26:34] I think it's the studio. I think the creative team has the chops and that everyone involved would absolutely commit to the bit 100%. Tara. Tara: [26:43] I'm going to say my Around the Dial show from this week, which is overcompensating. It's sort of just teetering on the verge of being cartoony anyway. So I think having them sing their feelings would not be that big of a stretch. Dave. Dave: [26:56] Yeah, I thought about the studio as well. I think that feels plausible. I ended up going with, first was, I was thinking Poker Face again. I feel like they could probably work that into Poker Face. But I will take, my actual answer is anything but the bear. because I actually couldn't take that amount of beariness when they actually introduced musical taste on top of food stuff. Sarah: [27:18] That's too berry. I agree. Dave: [27:20] No, thanks. Oh, although that really dull doctor show called Doc, that could work too because she has head trauma, right? So we could do a whole episode where she imagines everybody singing. Sarah: [27:30] Oh, yeah, true. Dave: [27:31] Yeah. To Pickles, our favorite Falken artisan, what is your go-to potluck dish to bring and what is your favorite thing to see at a potluck? Well, now, as of a couple of weeks ago, my easy thing to bring to a potluck is going to be my new copycat Torchise Tacos Queso. Tara: [27:48] Hell yeah, it's so good. Dave: [27:50] It's really good and it's so easy to make and it tastes like Torchise Queso, which is the only thing that Torchise makes that's any good anymore. Although I heard they changed the formula and not even that. So this is a copycat of something you can't even get anymore, apparently, because they totally Cisco foodified their menu because they expanded too fast and whatever. We bought a $15 little mini crock pot just to make queso. So you just put in all the ingredients and there's four of them. You melt it and you're done. It's fucking delicious. I could put the recipe up, I suppose, because it's very short. And as far as what I like to see at a potluck, I'm never mad at homemade hummus and I'm never mad at a good tabbouleh salad. But be very happy with those things at a potluck because potlucks are generally a dangerous place for a vegetarian to be, unless it's a vegetarian potluck. Sarah? Sarah: [28:39] My go-to is a rotini with creamed spinach, red onion, garlic, and cherry tomatoes. It has fairly broad appeal. It is super easy to prep, and it is good hot, and it is good cold. And my favorite thing to see is a sheet cake. Love a sheet cake. Dave: [28:56] Oh, wait. I meant to see my favorite thing to see at a potluck is Tara. Okay, Tara, go ahead. Tara: [28:59] Oh, my go to from now on, maybe the dupe Philadelphia dill pickle cream cheese dip that I found a recipe for and made for the last potluck event that I actually did go to and got good reviews. I feel like I could do it better a second time if I food processed the pickles instead of trying to dice them into teeny tiny bits by hand, which was not so effective. But what I have typically brought in the past is also very easy to prepare and generally pretty crowd-pleasing, which is fruit salad with just strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, fucking, you better goddamn believe no melon, but also no bananas, no apples. They'll just take up space. Sarah: [29:40] Oh, apples. Tara: [29:42] If nectarines are in season, they're perfect. I would do those over peaches because of the fuzz. Dave: [29:46] Just the good stuff. Tara: [29:48] Just the good stuff. Dave: [29:49] Do you bring a whip? Tara: [29:51] I do bring a whip with a recipe, quote unquote, that I borrowed from your sister, which is one part cool whip, one part vanilla yogurt. Just gives it a little bit of tartness. Dave: [30:01] But you're supposed to also smash a score bar into it. Tara: [30:04] And smash a frozen or chilled Heath bar if you're in America, score bar if you're in Canada. But that's optional, I would say. Sarah: [30:12] We just score here. We used to. Tara: [30:14] I never see them. Dave: [30:14] Freeze it, smash it with a hammer, and you put all the little powdery bits in the whip. It's delicious. I think that's necessary. I'm just going to say, if you tried to give me that and then I knew Skor should have been in it, I would be like, I'm so upset you're at this potluck now, Tara. I take back everything I said before. But also, can I get a ride home? Tara: [30:34] As for what I'm most excited to see, I'm going to do this off-menu style and say Nanaimo bars because I haven't had one in a donkey's age. No one here knows what they are. They can't make them. Could I make them myself? I've tried. It's too hard. I can't make the base. Don't yell at me. It used to be deviled eggs, but now I know that you can get them in H-E-B in like a little teeny tiny platter of six just for like the tiniest party you are having with yourself. Sarah: [30:58] Yourself. Uh-huh. Tara: [30:59] Those are less exotic to me now. Dave: [31:01] Yeah. Dixon Chance, you have to reboot a series with a completely gender flip cast. What do you choose? Tara. Tara: [31:11] This is going to be the show that I'm obsessed with right now. Uh it was a hallmark plus original or whatever it's the that platform is called but now they're airing it on properly hallmark channel it's the chicken sisters wonderful show about two competing chicken businesses in a little tiny town margo martindale is the narrator owners of the stores are wendy malik and leah thompson and oh my god i know it's really good sounds amazing super corny it's based on a book anyway it's now going to be the chicken brothers for no reason i love the original but i would love to see that version too sarah i. Sarah: [31:48] Love charlie's angels i'm not totally sure why i also think the outfits should be the same which is how you get holloway josh holloway like you know braless on a skateboard. Tara: [31:59] Sure because. Sarah: [32:01] Who doesn't want that dave it's Handmaid's Tale. Dave: [32:05] Guys, obviously. Sarah: [32:07] Yep. Dave: [32:08] Mopsuchus, do you collect magnets and what's your favorite, Sarah? Sarah: [32:13] I don't collect them mostly because it's one of those things like mugs that by the time you get to a certain age, you really never have to buy them yourself ever again because they're such a reliable in-joke gift for everyone in your life. But my favorite magnet, with honorable mention to the D'Onofrio Noth vote for both classic from TWAP days or was it TWAP days or previously.tv. Tara: [32:38] Don't remember. Dave: [32:39] I don't remember that at all. Sarah: [32:40] My favorite is absolutely the Heather Locklear in aerobics gear that was part of a set of Heritage Locklear magnetry that I received from Tara Ariano for a birthday long ago. Dave: [32:53] Well, Mopsuchus, you came to the right person. I have a lot of rules when it comes to magnets. I'll put a picture of our fridge. And this is probably, the picture I have handy is years old. It is completely covered in magnets, which isn't hard to do if you buy shitty magnets. But if you have magnet standards, and God knows you should, so you just can't buy like those shitty square magnets that are just like, here's a photo on a square and then there's some lamination over it and they sell for a dollar at wherever. You can't get the bespoke magnet. You have to get one that is speaking to what it is. So if you're like driving in Northern California, you have to get a burl magnet, you know, of a sculpture of some sort. Maybe it's a tree or you saw something like that. If you're a tourist overseas, you got to make sure you get the Eiffel Tower magnet that is actually like a mini sculpture. It's just not a picture of the Eiffel Tower. You have to get something, you know, hand painted or actually vintage or something like that. Particularly unique. You know, you go to Venice Beach. So you buy the magnets, got like the little sand in the bottle. The bottle's also a magnet. You put that in your wall. All these sort of magnets, all we accept. Dave: [34:14] So there are times, you know, and people know this, that I love magnets on the fridge and I'm very particular. So Tara's parents have got into the habit of going on these big cruises and they go all over the world and Tara said to them, like, you know, well, bring Dave back some magnets. And they generally know the directive of. Tara: [34:35] Yeah. Dave: [34:35] Very generous. It's a giant box of magnets. And I have to like, these ones belong on the front of the fridge. These ones pass the sniff test. These other ones, they have to go on the side of the fridge where we don't really look at it a lot. Sarah: [34:50] Because they're not bad. Dave: [34:51] But they're just not museum quality tourist magnets, which is what I'm after. So I have a lot of rules for the magnets. Tara: [34:59] Okay, what is your favorite though? Dave: [35:03] I'll be right back. I'll go look. Tara: [35:05] Okay. While he's doing that, I mean, it'll guess it'll be fun to see if we both pick the same one. But mine is, I think, a burl, what he was talking about from Northern California, it's like a burl pine tree. Sarah: [35:16] Ooh. Tara: [35:16] And it's a little bit tall, but it's very narrow, so it doesn't take up too much space on the front of the fridge. And it's just a very handsome-looking magnet. Looks good. Dave, while you were gone, I said what my favorite was, so let's see if we pick the same one. Dave: [35:28] Well, I brought it. It's the one I mentioned already. Sarah: [35:32] Okay. Tara: [35:33] It is! Dave: [35:34] The burl tree that's. Tara: [35:36] My favorite too. Dave: [35:37] Yeah so it's from it's uh made out of california native wood obviously that's where we were we're up in uh what the hell was the name of that town starts with an o oh i can't pull it but i have a picture of it anyways it's you know it's up by the auric yes it was just outside of auric there's this guy that's all he sells he just like we also bought that um stout little bear uh made of burl and we got this magnet california native woods, Oh, it's right here on the label, Oric. Tara: [36:06] I just want everyone to know that was in my notes before Dave said, mentioned anything about Burl and his ramp up to his answer. Dave: [36:13] Yeah. So this magnet is like. Tara: [36:15] That's really funny. Dave: [36:16] It's the length of my whole hand plus a little bit. Yeah, it's great. I love it. It was also, that was a great day. So it's, you know, it's full of memories. Tara: [36:24] It was a good day. Dave: [36:25] All right. Let's move on. Last question for us comes from surprising trombone music. What is the worst TV-related gift you've received? Not quite sure this fully qualifies, but I think enough that we're going to allow it. It's definitely the foam TV Bravo gave me. The first day we came into Bravo after the acquisition of Television Without Pity, it literally is like a two-inch HDTV, which was relatively new back in the day. And it was like it's like a stress foam kind of toy which was as it turns out kind of apropos but i was like thank you i mean whatever they already said it with cash but this is what this is the thing this is the trinket that you bought it's so bad i still have it but every time i look at it's like those fuckers anyways that's mine. Tara: [37:18] They were for imprint certain that that would be a great gift. Dave: [37:22] There's like two imprints certain. At most. Tara: [37:26] I forgot about that, but I couldn't remember any bad ones. I only remember the good ones, which are, we have a very cute St. Clair statue on a little stand. She's holding a remote control. A vintage TV salt and pepper shaker set that when you turn the dial, the shakers pop up out of the top of the case. It's got little feet and everything. Obviously, lots of DVD box sets, various ones that I requested. But yeah, those are the only good ones. No negativity here. Sarah. Sarah: [37:56] Yeah, this was surprisingly tough. I mean, I have received a few TV show related. Sarah: [38:02] Books that were bad, like Compendia on IRL Law and Order Cases, but they weren't bad gifts. They were just not well written. even my late mother who bless her heart gave me a pretty proportionally pretty high uh number of here's the thing i think you should like because i like it gifts but she uh you know bless her heart but she never did that with like tv-centric stuff she stayed out of it that i could recall so yeah no no real bad ones. Dave: [38:32] All right well sorry for that two middling answers and one great one, overwhelming positivity here is your ask ask ehg question for this week it comes from to pickles they're back this is for you to answer dear listeners which tv show villain is the least scary dangerous or threatening to you personally go to the ask ask ehg channel under discord plop your answer there and we will pick a winner and they will get that coveted cake sticker that everybody's talking about, but only if you have. Dave: [39:07] It is time for the Tiny Something. Let Beezorlora explain. Hi, Extra Hot Great. This is Beezorlora, and I'm submitting something for consideration into the tiny pool. Sarah: [39:24] Can probably guess what I'm going to suggest. No! As probably all of you can as well. No! Sarah: [40:05] The second helicopter that has come into contact with him and done damage. And I am choosing to submit this into an entirely brand. Tara: [41:07] No, go ahead and go back to that. Or Dave, feel free to add it here. But i think we can all. Sarah: [41:18] Imagine it at this point i wish so greatly i had been in the writer's room when this was brought up paul mccrane. Tara: [42:02] Of dr romano getting smushed by the helicopter and consider that for induction into what i've called the. Dave: [42:10] Monacanon thanks all right thank you bezoar laura now we got order of business here before we actually talk about the er romano getting squished by a helicopter of it all which is this monacanon business either this is to me the tiny full circle canon in which is a celebration of something that makes that comedic journey terrible, or not just a journey in general, of something that seems terrible, but then in the end, you come to quite enjoy it, which is kind of a conceptual canon. Or, and I'm making a case for this, this is simply another tiny death canon, because I'm listening to her saying that in the end, this was something that she quite enjoyed for being what it is. And the fact that it starts off as something that seems terrible. But at the end, you realize it's good. At the end of the journey, you were talking about something that you are putting up for the canon and that this whole canon and no next stuff is you just hedging your bets and not having the courage of your convictions, Beezor Laura. Dave: [43:13] So first of all, we need to talk about this. What exactly should this category be? And I think we've already established that we have wiggle room to change the category because we've already done this at least once i'm here to say i'm rejecting the no knack a con non as something that you could put something up for because here's another reason she didn't even mention like what the thing is like is it death probably but having the no knack a non as like its own category feels like bad mojo that feels like we're going down a path we shouldn't go down guys. Sarah: [43:47] I think that's correct. Dave: [43:48] Okay. Sarah: [43:48] I mean, I re-listened to, it was episode 136, in which we talked about this, and I decided that it was no-knack worthy, but Dave's argument was that it was too enjoyable and legendary to be a no-knack episode. But really, the problem was, we were really only talking about that one moment, and not like Donald Logue getting a chunk of metal stuck in his spleen and making Susan Lewis realize she still loved him or whatever the fuck. Sarah: [44:16] So this should have been tiny something all along. But when I think back on the only analog that I think we have just off the top that it should have just been a tiny canon, and it was, is this because I'm a lesbian from Law and Order? That's where that belongs is the tiny canon, because it was unbelievably rando and stupid and delivered with extreme seriousness by one of the more, what's the word I want? Let's just go with bad actors elizabeth rome of the franchise and even her scene partner was like completely baffled whether by the character or the actual writing it's like he was not told in advance that they were going to do this and he's like no making that argument for that episode which i did and i believe it got in the rest of that episode is actually pretty cringe that moment full-on broke the Television Without Pity forums, and for that reason, I felt that the episode or the moment belonged in the canon. And I think the same here. So I'm going to concur with Dave that this moment is ridiculous. Sarah: [45:31] Like that this chopper is seeking vengeance against Romano, that this was the only way a professional writing staff could find to write off this character, is deranged. I mean, I actually watched it again, and it just is like, oh my god, what is happening? Sarah: [45:48] It's, I mean, it's canonical, I feel. So, yeah. That's where I come down on it. Dave: [45:53] Okay. As you go through your thoughts, Tara, also think about if you agree what exactly the tiny blank should be, what the blank is here. Okay, go ahead. Tara: [46:03] Right. I mean, I do think it's the death canon. I agree with you about that. I don't know. I do think there could be an argument to be made for establishing the no-nackin'-on, because I do think there are moments like this where they're like right on the line. I mean, anything we would ever produce about 90210 or Melrose Place is probably in that category. Like where if I were to do the breakup canon, let's say for I Choose Me, is that a canon or a nonac? Like it's definitely something. It's certainly an iconic moment in television, but is it the best or the worst example of something like that? it's kind of both at the same time. Sarah: [46:48] Well yeah but i guess i feel that like the baseball hall of fame like it's a hall of fame not a hall of boy scouts kind of thing so i don't know like if it is legendary and has entered the culture then i think you have to say that it's just canon that you have to class it as a positive it's just my just my take. Dave: [47:10] If you're talking about i choose me or ripped off her wig or i. Sarah: [47:14] Hate you both never right. Dave: [47:16] Then you're talking about a moment that is so bad that it's good right and the no knack is usually like here is something bad that was birthed by something good and i feel like all those examples are things that go around where it's like yeah i've acknowledged that these are off model but they bring me so much joy right and they became such a part of pop culture that they actually transcend the disparity between where they came and what they are to, you know, be the goofy god at top of Mount Olympus. He's like, right, right, right, right, right, but he's still a god, guys. I feel like that's where I'm at on these. And I, the splitting of it so it can be like both things. I know we did it for that one just because it was fun but like to have a new category that is the tiny is both things schrodinger's canon it fills me with dread and. Sarah: [48:14] All these moments will end up being classified like that so that people don't have to commit. Dave: [48:18] In their presentation. Sarah: [48:19] To one or the other which i think is a bad precedent okay. Tara: [48:23] You convinced me on slippery slope grounds. Dave: [48:25] Okay all right so now that we established we are talking about the tiny death cannon. Let's get to the actual event. Romano, after getting his arm cut off by a first helicopter, in this episode, beats his doom at the hands of a second helicopter as it falls off the roof of the hospital and crushes him, as you may have heard. Sarah: [48:46] He's in the ambulance bay because he had gone up to the helicopter pad with Neela to give a patient back their watch that they forgot. He just could not make himself get out of the elevator. He's like panic attacking his way, like post-traumatically down to the first floor and out into the elevator bay to get some fresh air. Like legit. I forget if he yells at Morris for smoking dope before or after this, but still. He's in the ambulance bay because he was freaking out about the helicopter. And then the helicopter's like, not so fast, low pockets, and just falls on him. So there's that. Like, this helicopter is not going to rest until he's a grease spot. And it didn't. Dave: [49:27] Exactly. The only thing they could have added to that scene is if the helicopter had the ticking watch of Captain Hook inside of him, like the croc when the croc comes back. Like, that is the only thing they could have done to make this even more ridiculous. Ridiculous and it is extremely ridiculous but it is one of those er but it's the first thing i think about when i think about er there's two things romano getting crushed by a helicopter and the two doctors stabbed on the floor from that one episode of the first two things that popped in my head whenever somebody says er but the romano at his first to go. Tara: [50:04] Against myself from 2016 uh i honestly a different person really in most respects but. Dave: [50:09] This is one of the symptoms of long COVID, whatever about face Tara's going to make. Sarah: [50:14] Okay. Tara: [50:15] Wow. Don't say that. I still have never had COVID. I'm very proud of that. If we're looking at this as an isolated moment in the tiny death canon, it is a canonical death of a tiny man. It is so funny. And whether that was what they were aiming for or not, that's how I choose to receive it. And so for that reason, I would say yes. Dave: [50:35] Do you think our love of it is intentional? Like, I'm sorry. Do you think like what is on the screen is intentional that they wanted us to love it in this way that they did understand the Peter Pan crock of it all? Tara: [50:48] Yeah, maybe. I mean, like, I think it's certainly possible. I also don't think it's out of the realm that, you know, Paul McCrane was like, all right, if you're writing me out, make it make it very good, you know, and it is like it's it's it's it's extremely memorable. Dave: [51:03] He's got two all-timer deaths in his pocket. He's got this one, and he's got the goo windshield guy from Robocop on his TV. Tara: [51:11] Floppy fingers. Sarah: [51:12] Yeah, and he died in a sword fight in Fame the movie. He didn't. Tara: [51:17] No. Sarah: [51:18] His performance was very wonderful, though, and he had a full head of hair. It's really something. He plays it straight, though. Like, the choices that he makes in the split second before Chopper 2, Revenge of Chopper, falls on him. It's like, whatever he thinks about it and whatever he asks them to do, he is, he's not, like, winking. Tara: [51:39] Yeah. Sarah: [51:39] Like, that no is very heartfelt, so. Tara: [51:42] Right. There's no cheating to do, like, a Jim from the office take about, here we go again. Yeah. Sarah: [51:49] And think of the hours that we as a podcast have spent talking about this. Tara: [51:54] Yeah. Sarah: [51:54] I think that alone qualifies it. I mean, should we vote on this or what? Dave: [51:58] Yeah. All right. Let's make this official. Let's do the vote. So to remind everybody, this vote is now for induction into the tiny death cannon. I'm definitely going to put a yay vote for this one. Sarah D. Bunting, what say you? Sarah: [52:11] I say yay. Dave: [52:12] And Tara? Tara: [52:13] Yay as well. Dave: [52:14] It's too bad nobody was voting no because you could have done it. I was just going to say. Sarah: [52:18] Yay! Dave: [52:19] Yay! All right, so... Romano's helicopter meeting from ER. You are hereby inducted into the extra hot, great, tiny death cannon. Dave: [52:33] Americans love a winner. Yep. And will not tolerate a loser. Nope. It's time to discover who are our not-quite-winners and losers of the week. I will go first with our first winner. It is Ryan Kira Armstrong. She has been cast as the new Slayer in the Hulu sequel. I only know her because she was one of the leads in Skeleton Crew, the Star Wars show with all the little kids. And she was pretty good in that. So I feel a little hopeful about this. I mean, I don't really know if the show needs to exist as a whole, but she can act. Let's put it that way. So I guess that's good. What do you think this new show is actually about? Do you think there's going to be vampires? Tara: [53:12] Probably. Dave: [53:13] And then our Not Quite Loser of the Week is The Bondsman with Kevin Bacon. Cancel that Prime video after one season, and I only mentioned it so I can play this. Go, kiddin'? This goes for a celebration. I'll get some donuts. If you understood that clip, you're my kind of person. All right, Sarah D. Bundy. Sarah: [53:34] My not quite winner is Yellow Jackets. It has been renewed for season four at Showtime. Like I know they had said they had a five season plan, but I think I thought that Showtime also had this plan and that that was like a done deal. I have completely fallen off of season three and I keep meaning to catch up and then not doing it. So maybe I've quit the show. Tara, are you still in on this or no? Tara: [53:57] No, I haven't watched it this season at all. Sarah: [53:59] I think that's wise. I don't think I'm missing anything. Not quite loser is Shark Tank, which lost Mark Cuban with the season 16 finale. And also, I guess Mark Cuban, because I thought he had left Shark Tank like four years ago. Tara: [54:15] I think he comes and goes. I don't think he's like a permanent seat. But, you know, as we've discussed, this is a show I only watch in hotel rooms. So I certainly don't know. Sarah: [54:23] Same. So for us, it's like he never left because we'll just be watching old episodes and it's fine. Tara: [54:28] We'll still see him on CNBC. My not quite winner of the week is Dr. Odyssey. No, don't get excited. It's not because it's renewed. However, it did get an unexpected renewal endorsement from the latest episode of last week tonight, including the line, what if sick but boat? Which is basically, yeah. Yeah, except, I mean, it did kind of indicate that John Oliver doesn't actually watch the show or he would know what if pregnant but boat, which is what most of the season has turned out to be about for some reason. My Not Quite Loser of the Week is every star of the CBS show SWAT, who is not Shamar Moore because they're doing a very bullshitty sounding spinoff called SWAT Exiles. But it sounds like they just fired everybody except Shamar Moore. He's the only one coming back for it. And instead of getting some media training for how to talk about this in a way that doesn't make him seem like a fucking asshole, Shamar Moore is individually also a not quite loser of the week for me by being quoted saying it's bittersweet that all of his co-stars lost their jobs, but, quote, I'm the Tom Brady of SWAT. It's a fact. Sarah: [55:40] Oh, God. Dave: [55:44] Joke's on you. We're going to chisel that into your gravestone when you die. Tara: [55:49] So yeah happy news i guess for the swat heads out there, Tara: [56:00] We welcome in our grandpas. And we just want to say after our reappeal in the main episode last week, we do have a number of new listeners. And of course, we're thrilled you're here, but we want to tell the grandpas. As of this recording, we are a mere $42 away from hitting our next campaign milestone. So if just a tiny handful of you joined, I'm not going to do that math in my head because that's not my job. We would get there and unlock a bunch of new perks, commentary from stephanie green and carrie race and of course the one-off drunk dave collin show so you know if you have three extra dollars to spend on us every week you could help us achieve that gold and we'd love to have you to hear the the full show today's extra credit topic comes from me it is power ranking the season one cast of gray's anatomy our taping date marks the 20th anniversary of Grey's Anatomy's first season finale. So it felt like a good time to look back at its original series regulars and rank how they're doing today. So many of them are still on the show. So that's definitely going to be part of it. Sarah: [57:10] I know, shocking. Tara: [57:10] But we're going to be going through just the nine stars that were series regulars, not the recurring people who were introduced in that season. So I'll start us off. Number one on the list, of course, Ellen Pompeo, who played Meredith Grey, she will not stop talking about how she stays on the show because they pay her crazy money, and I, for one, respect it. She's said things like, why would I let other people profit from something I've built? She's right. She should stay on for the bitter end, however many episodes they want to let her do, however few. Keep a toe in there because otherwise you're on that Natalia Grace thing that was on Hulu that no one really liked from the sound of it. It's not the sort of prestige you want to do in your off hours, just saying make some better choices. But I'll also say she uses her platform and her power to advocate for female peers of color. And I think that's great. She's been very consistent in that. She's a good ally. So I have her ranked third in this lineup with seven points. And just to clarify, the person we've ranked number one gets nine points. Last ranked person gets one point. And at the end, we'll do a harmonized ranking from all of our numbers. Sarah, where did you rank Ellen Pompeo? Sarah: [58:22] I ranked her at number two with eight points. I respect, as you do, her commitment to securing the bag and to being very forthright about that, that she's like, my craft, fuck off. With that said, she also seems to work as much as she wants to and do exactly what she wants. And she absolutely could have a career in true crime prestige shit. Like, as you said, nobody really liked that. I am a true crime person, and I still haven't gotten around to watching it. But ever since she was basically a copyright compliant homolka on Law & Order, I've thought, like, this person is undersung in this particular sector. In previous era, she would have been on sweeps, miniserieses about real cases every time. And I respect that. I think that she is doing it right and business, business, business, businessing it. And I respect that. So, yeah, number two. Tara: [59:19] The miniseries we're referring to on Hulu is called Good American Family, by the way. Sarah: [59:23] Yes. Tara: [59:24] Dave. Dave: [59:24] I am in agreement with Sarah on the ranking. I put her at number two as well for pretty much the reason everybody's saying. She is the titular character on a 20-season show. She is filthy rich, and I feel like she doesn't have to do anything else, and her filmography tends to reflect that. So good on her for just banking it. You know, if power is defined as the freedom to fuck off and do whatever you want in your life, she is definitely number two for me. Tara: [59:54] All right. Moving on. Next is Sandra Oh, who played Christina Yang. I have her ranked number one with nine points. She's an Oscar nominee. She works constantly in all kinds of different things. She was excellent in The Sympathizer last year on HBO. Great as a voice in Turning Red. She played the mom. Quiz Lady, a Hulu movie that she did with Awkwafina that was like surprisingly really funny. It's still there. You should watch it. She's hosted awards shows. She slays. We used to have a concept on Fame Tracker that I don't think we really explored that much. But the idea was like that some celebrities are unhatables. And honestly, if I heard someone didn't like Sandra Oh, I would find them highly suspect. So she's number one with a bullet for me. Sarah. Sarah: [1:00:38] Exact same ranking and for the same reasons. Even if it's not high-profile shit that I watch, she is always in something every quarter. I wish Killing Eve hadn't turned out as overrated and running out of gas silly as it did, but that wasn't her fault. She's inevitably the most compelling, interesting, sexy person of almost anything that she's in. Your eye goes right to were. She apparently is a dream to work with and write for. So yeah, number one. And it wasn't particularly a difficult choice. Dave. Dave: [1:01:11] Yeah, absolutely. I guess we already have our number one in the bag. Not even close. Like there's a big gap between number one and number two here because she is doing everything. She's doing really big projects. She is in demand as an actress and she is doing well as an actress doing a lot of stuff that we enjoy. So that is icing on the cake. So absolutely Sandra out number one with a bullet. Tara: [1:01:31] Great. Next, we have Katherine Heigl. I have her ranked fifth with five points. She burnt this Grey's Anatomy bridge to an absolute crisp when she very publicly declined to submit herself for the Emmys one year, saying it was because she didn't think she got the material to warrant it. Writers from other shows are still talking about that. Like I've heard her brought up when I listen to podcasts that have like TV writers, they're like, not to the degree of like this bitch, but to be, this is something that puts a bad taste in people's mouths and makes them perhaps not want to write for you in the future. She produced Firefly Lane, a show we didn't like, but you know, it had two seasons. It ran on Netflix. She's about to be in something called That's Amore playing a character named Patty Amore. So that bodes ill. Boats ill or eel. Sarah: [1:02:22] That's a more a Dave. Tara: [1:02:25] And she's doing poise ads now, so that's not necessarily an Estee Lauder level of endorsement that you want to get. Dave: [1:02:33] Poise, a maxi pad or a diaper? Tara: [1:02:35] Poise is a pad or an underwear for bladder. Sarah: [1:02:39] It's a pad and tea. Tara: [1:02:41] Yeah. Anyway, she's in the middle for me. Number five, Sarah. Sarah: [1:02:45] This was a tough one because I didn't want to punish her for the industry's slash society's misogyny and how this like boomeranged on her. And it's not like she hasn't been working, but I feel like the lead in the obit is going to be the difficult thing fairly or not. And rumor has it, it might be fairly. I don't think she's good enough. Like as my grandmother once said about some kid having a tantrum in Strawbridge's, that child is not attractive enough to be acting a fool. So, I mean, brr, Louise, don't be a locust. But also, yeah, I think Heigl did not play this especially well. And for whatever ways in which she might have been at effect in that situation, you know, can't change the outcome. So she's number seven, three points for me. Dave: [1:03:36] I went a little higher than you guys. I went number four. And my reasoning is, despite all that, she's still, for some reason, getting major lead roles in shows that last for a season or two. Like, despite everything and despite all the writers hating her, she's still getting work and she's still getting work relatively high up the food chain. She keeps getting chances to be America's beautiful bowl of oatmeal and she's taking advantage. So she's at number four. Tara: [1:04:05] Okay, next. Justin Chambers, who played Alex Karev, he left under real murky circumstances, and it seemed extremely abrupt. People had a lot of questions about it at the time. And he basically, other than playing Marlon Brando, LOL, in The Order, he has not been on screen since he left Grey's Anatomy. Dave: [1:04:24] Justin Chambers is a name of a really oatmeal-y detective from an airport novel series. You know, it's by James Fatterson presents Justin Chambers, P.I. Tara: [1:04:38] Mm-hmm. Sarah: [1:04:39] Uh-huh. Tara: [1:04:40] Yeah. Anyway, I have him ranked eighth with two points. Sarah. Sarah: [1:04:44] He is 100% the Z-ring of this cast. It seems like he could work more if he either wanted to or hadn't been blacklisted for something. He does have that skeptical detective in the cold open who is probably responsible for whatever face. He's only going to have that face for so much longer. And then he's going to have Brando face. And it's not I don't think he's enough of a thespian to overcome that. So number nine for me. One point. Tara: [1:05:15] Whoa. OK, Dave. Dave: [1:05:16] Well, first of all, Justin Chambers is also the person that definitely has a brother or cousin named Hunter. So I'm going to just put that out there as well. I put him number eight. My note is who? Tara: [1:05:29] Yeah. Yeah. Sarah: [1:05:31] Pretty much. Dave: [1:05:32] I have a bunch that are who? And then I had to like figure out exactly how to separate the who's. Tara: [1:05:38] Sure. Dave: [1:05:38] And I went with him because he's the whoiest that didn't have like, you know, something bad on his Wikipedia. Tara: [1:05:45] We'll get to that one. But not yet because our next up is T.R. Knight. He is still a working actor. He does fairly prestigy stuff like The Genius and fun goof-em-ups like The Flight Attendant. Dave: [1:05:58] Goof-em-ups? Tara: [1:05:59] Yeah. That was a goof-em-up, I felt. He's maintained good enough relations to pop back up on Grey's on occasion, which is wise because apparently the show is not cancelable and you might as well keep it in your back pocket in case you need it in the future. Sarah: [1:06:13] Get that bag. Dave: [1:06:15] Yep. It's like renewing your AAA membership. You never know when you're going to need it. Tara: [1:06:18] That's right. Right. Better to have it and not need it, both AAA and being a Grey's Anatomy cast member. Anyway, I have him ranked fourth with six points. Sarah. Sarah: [1:06:29] That's where I had him too. This is not somebody that I'm confident I could even pick out of a lineup to tell you the truth, but that's not a bad thing. He has done some prestigy stuff, 11-22-63. When we rise, he shows up on King properties, like the good wives. He gets voice work. This is the kind of guy who's like, he just is working steadily. He's not a huge star, but he's not trying to be, he's just working. And there is a slot for dudes like that. What's the line in Bring It On about the sister? She's teeny and easy to toss, and she doesn't give lip. And he's been really smart about his career, it seems. So that was good enough for number four here, I felt. Dave. Dave: [1:07:11] I put him just below that at number five for exactly all the reasons you just said. He is on those shows, but also is getting steady multiple episode arcs on those shows. So it's just not one here, one there. He seems to get a couple months worth of work, and then he's set. Some good stuff there. Flight attendant, good wife, a lot of forgettable stuff, but he seems to be working and, you know, settling. Tara: [1:07:36] Next, we have Chandra Wilson, who plays, oh my God. Miranda Bailey. Sarah: [1:07:41] Miranda Bailey. Tara: [1:07:42] Thank you, Miranda Bailey. She has basically only done this since she started, but she's still young enough to do other stuff if the show ever ends, which, you know, as we say. Sarah: [1:07:52] It won't. Tara: [1:07:53] It won't. And she's also parlayed her role in this into directing. She's done a number of shows, but 26 episodes of Grey's, which is very impressive, honestly. So I have her ranked sixth with four points. Sarah? Sarah: [1:08:06] Same ranking, same pointage. I was really surprised that this and Station 19 were kind of it since Grey's started. I mean, nothing wrong with that. I just remembered her as doing way more in the quote off season, just because it seems like she's the most beloved on the show of the lifers that said that can cut both ways when your show has been on since the 1840s so i assume that she has exactly the career and the job that she wants how that translates to a power ranking is you know arguable but this is where she was and also this is one of those rankings that's like you have an obvious number one and then there's a bunch of sevens maybe so it's true She is at six for me. Dave. Dave: [1:08:47] Yeah, she is in my triple who batch. So I have reasons why she is in the middle of it here at number seven for me. More memorable than Justin Chambers and his cousin Hunter. Tara: [1:09:01] True. Dave: [1:09:02] But less memorable than the pick above her, which you haven't got to yet. Tara: [1:09:05] Okay. Next, we have James Pickens Jr., who plays Dr. Richard Weber. Dave: [1:09:10] Let me just insert myself here because that is the person above her. So James Pickens Jr., Dr. Weber. The reason why I put him, and this is very marginal, slightly above Miranda Bailey, is that Richard Weber, going by his CV, seems to be the character they use to anchor all the spinoffs and all the in-universe stuff they do around Grey's Anatomy. So he seems to be like the go-to Grey's Anatomy TV ambassador, which means that he is going to have work for as long as he wants it there. So he is set. Like, does that translate into like power power in Hollywood? Probably not much. But since we're dealing with such slight degrees here, that's the reason I'm putting him as king of the who's. Tara: [1:09:55] Okay. So four points for him if he's got it. Okay. Yeah. He has basically only done this and it's been off since he started, as Dave says. But he's an older gentleman and this may essentially be his like semi-retirement, which is fine. He also ropes horses in his spare time, which means he's probably crossed paths with Oba Babatunde on the black cowboy circuit. And I just love imagining them hanging out. So I have him seventh with three points. Sarah. Sarah: [1:10:21] I have him fifth. So that's five points. Most of his juice with me comes from before Grey's. So I struggled with where to put him. And I probably, in this list, like him more than anyone except Sandra Oh. And he's in the coasting part of his career, and bless his heart. And I'm not a crackpot. If he wanted to be eating Keith David's lunch at this point, he could. He just has other things to do. And I, for one, would watch whatever the version of the wine show is with him and Oba Bamba Tunde roping horses all day, every day, cheerfully, for free. Tara: [1:10:55] Next, we have Isaiah Washington. He famously got fired from the show for calling T.R. Knight the F-slur before Knight was even out to his family. He claimed in 2023, this was after he had like kind of a comeback with The 100 and Blue Caprice, that he was fired to cover up castmates' toxic behavior, specifically Patrick Dempsey's, and that Ellen Pompeo took a $5 million hush money payment, which none of that, I believe, has been corroborated. He had a travel and cooking show on fox nation he is basically. Sarah: [1:11:30] Like too. Tara: [1:11:31] Crazy even for our current political climate so i have him dead last with one point sarah. Sarah: [1:11:38] I clearly ranked him too high but since we couldn't have an 11th he's an eighth two points i mean it definitely feels like he could have worked a lot more if he hadn't just outed himself as a crazer which can you believe that was over a decade ago because it seems much more recent. Overrated as an actor anyway. I watched Blue Caprice. It was interesting, I guess, but he was just kind of fine. But, you know, he's radioactive. So best I can do is two points. Dave. Dave: [1:12:08] Yeah, it's always nice when you could rank the homophobe zero. It's a power ranking. So, you know, if he happened to be and then he got into the Trump scene and everybody loved him and gave him work and now he owns his own studio, you're Well, fuck, what am I actually going to do here? But that didn't happen. His latest credit is God's Not Dead 5, in God we trust. Tara: [1:12:27] Yep. Dave: [1:12:27] So, you know, he's got as... Sarah: [1:12:31] Produced by Nick Searcy. Dave: [1:12:32] Yeah, he doesn't got a lot of power here. So I'm delighted to tell you that I was able to rank him last. And it's his fault. Tara: [1:12:41] It sure is. Sarah: [1:12:42] Yeah. Oh, yeah. Tara: [1:12:43] He's fucked himself, for sure. Dave: [1:12:45] Yeah, exactly. Tara: [1:12:46] Finally, we have Patrick Dempsey. somehow a sexiest man alive in People Magazine in this decade. He's having a decent high-low career with Ferrari. He was in Thanksgiving, the slasher movie a couple of years ago. He's in the new Dexter show. He's doing an assassin slash memory loss show with Liam Neeson next. Not bad. So I have him ranked number two with eight points. Sarah. Sarah: [1:13:10] I put him at number three with seven points. He probably should have bailed on Grey sooner, but it was a it was a renaissance for him anyway like everyone forgets about all this like 80s and 90s shit that probably should have been fatal and was for a lot of up-and-coming cuties of his generation he seems to work the amount he wants to in the things he wants to he probably should go after tr knight in terms of like i don't know frequency of roles but he is hotter and has more casting range as a lead or a guest lead so yeah number three Dave. Dave: [1:13:43] He also has the one nickname everybody knows from the show, and that's not right. He's McDreamy, correct? So that counts for something. I think he's in the meme culture of years past. So I think that counts for a little power. Sarah: [1:13:58] Even for people who didn't watch the show, they would know that he was on it. Dave: [1:14:02] He's also a car racer, I learned. Over half of the length of his Wikipedia page is all the rankings he's done as a car driver in all these races and he's got some ones that are like he got fourth or second or third so he actually isn't just like a jason priestly he seems to actually know how to race and actually places very well and has his own whatever you call racing teams i don't know what kind of racing it is if it's f1 or a wooga or whatever i don't know so there's that so he actually has that something else is happening oceans 11 power right right he's playing poker with all those people right he he he knows brad pitt's character there he's sort of into that sort of behind the scenes stuff he's you know kind of rat packy in that way i'm also giving him points for playing a character called jack quant q w a n t and bridget jones baby sure he sure did not insisting that that last name be rewritten. Tara: [1:15:04] Right. Dave: [1:15:06] He's a humble man. Oh, sorry. That's third. Tara: [1:15:09] Third with seven points. Okay. We have our official rankings. Here we go. At number nine with four points, Isaiah Washington. Dave: [1:15:17] Boo. Tara: [1:15:17] We hate him. Number eight with five points, Justin Chambers. I don't even, not enough to hate him, honestly. Number seven with 11 points, Chandra Wilson. you. Dave: [1:15:33] Less who, but still who? Tara: [1:15:36] Number six with 12 points, James Pickens Jr. The anchor. The anchor. Coming in number five with 14 points, it's Katherine Heigl at fourth place with 17 points, T.R. Knight. Dave: [1:15:51] Table row knight. A little joke for my HTML people out there. Tara: [1:15:55] And on the little winner's stand at the Olympics, getting their medals, getting the bronze, Patrick Dempsey, ranked third with 20 points. Dave: [1:16:04] Room for him. Tara: [1:16:06] At Silver, Ellen Pompeo, second place with 23 points. And of course, we all knew she would end up here. Number one, nines across the board, it's Ms. Sandra Oh. And I think we did that perfectly. Dave: [1:16:19] Yep. Sarah: [1:16:20] I think we did too. Dave: [1:16:24] Well, guys, that is it for another episode of Extra, Extra Hot. Great. We took umbrage with the word finest in this month's four sitting pool selection by redacted before answering your burning ass ESG questions like who's getting a root canal and what show needs a complete gender flip. Beezer Laura didn't exactly get what she wanted, but she did get Romano's helicopter smoosh into the tiny death cannon. We celebrate those who weren't quite the best and worst of the week and wrap that all up with a power ranking of the cast of Season 1 of Grey's Anatomy. Next up is Pee-wee as himself on the next Extra Hot Great Prime. Remember, we're listening. I am David T. Cole and on behalf of Tara Ariano. Tara: [1:17:15] No! Dave: [1:17:16] And Sarah D. Bunting. Sarah: [1:17:18] Is this because I'm a helicopter? Dave: [1:17:20] Thanks for listening. and we'll see you next time right here on Extra, Extra Hot Great.