Should You Join The Task Task Force?

Clip: [00:02] Whoa, whoa, whoa. No. What do you mean concessions? Your side fucked itself in the ass with no loop. Own that and fix it. Yeah, thank you. Dave: [00:21] This is the Extra, Extra Hot Gray Podcast, episode 372 for the September 13, 2025 weekend. I am informative baseball cup David T. Cole, and I'm here with unrefined old bitch Sarah D. Bunting. Sarah: [00:42] Fucking retirement. Dave: [00:43] And Summer Tanagir Tara Ariano. Tara: [00:46] Is that a priest? I'm out of here. Welcome to Extra, Extra Hot Great for another weekend. Thank you so much for being here. And thank you especially for pushing us to the next goal in our campaign. Beware, pew, pew, pew. Sarah: [01:06] Woo-hoo-hoo! Clip: [01:07] Yes. Tara: [01:08] If you missed it Wednesday, we did hit our latest campaign goal. That means commentary from Stephanie Green is coming today. Commentary from Carrie Race will be here in a month. The Drunk Dave Collin episode soon. More to come when we hit the next goal. Thank you. We could not be here without you. We are delighted you're here. And we're here to talk lower stone to more somber about Task in which FBI agent Tom Brandis, Mark Ruffalo. Has been taken out of the field following a crisis in his personal life. Garbage collector Robbie Prendergrast, Tom Pelfrey, and his colleague Cliff Broward, Raul Castillo. have been paying very close attention to one of the houses on their route and the sorts of things the residents seem to be throwing out. Before he's ready, Tom is called to head up a four week task Force investigating a series of break-ins at apparent drug houses in Pennsylvania's Delaware County. Dave: [02:05] Why am I laughing so much at that? Tara: [02:07] I don't know. Could these two men's lives be about to intersect? Spoiler, yes. The show comes from Mayor of East Town creator Brad Inglesby. Only the first episode has aired so far, which was this past Sunday on HBO. We got access to the whole season, but we will be careful about spoilers. Let's do the Chen check-in. Sarah, should our listeners watch Task Woo Woo Woo Dave Yeah, I'm kind of on the fence about whether I'm gonna keep watching it. Sarah: [02:32] Force, yes, but Yeah, it was my heh butt, chicken butt, in fact. Dave: [02:36] In theory, yes, in practice, no. Tara: [02:42] It's real bleak, which we'll get into. But I thought the first episode was very well done. So I'm at least going to watch one more. Let's get into it, starting with Dave. Not really a police procedural guy. With Nordic Noir exceptions, as we discussed in the Canon pitch earlier this week, task did not grab you. At the end of it, I was like, That's pretty good. And you were like, Yeah, but If it had been set in Denmark, do you think it might have? And I'm asking you to consider if Carl from Borgen was the garbage man who, at the very end of the episode, picks up a drug dealer's kid and brings him into his own house because he killed a drug dealer. Dave: [03:17] Right. Well, first of all, the Danish would never. Tara: [03:21] That's true, that's Swedish shit. Dave: [03:22] Yeah. Like I liked the premise. There is these guys, they're garbage men, they use their job to case out trap houses. And then later on, home invade them and take the money. That's their whole MO. I'm in so far. Great. I like the cast. They're all doing good work. I like the tone of it. I don't mind that as bleak. I just didn't have the patience for how slow it was. And I know that is sort of like, well, you know, we should all make our big mug of task. Tara: [03:54] Uh-huh. Dave: [03:55] And sip gently from it for the next eight hours. And I'm like, this feels like a two and a half hour thing max to me, the way this is going so far. And I'm sure it's going to take Some twists and some turns have more stuff to insert there, but it also feels again because you sort of know the rhythms of this sort of thing. Like, okay, now we're in the Red Herring territory, now we're in the We're going to zig instead of a zag type of thing. And I just wanted it to move faster to keep me captivated. And the speed wasn't there. And that's why I lost interest. So, if you are not that type of person with all my defects, then I think you might enjoy this. Like, if you don't mind it moving at that pace, then I think you might enjoy it. Tara: [04:39] Okay. Well, Sarah, you were nodding. Was that your butt? Sarah: [04:47] I liked it. I revere Mayor of East Town. And something coming from the same team with these actors is probably a definite go for me. I am going to keep going with this, but The first episode was definitely quite fond of its own scene setting and meditative. Contrast drawing and whatnot, and definitely wanted to make sure that we understood that everybody was pronouncing water ice correctly. Tara: [05:18] Yeah. Sarah: [05:18] Like I've been to some of these places, and it's like Southern Pennsylvania is not unworthy of Being the place as a character mythologized in this way, I guess they failed to mention that Kenneth Square, where the task Borse's house is like the mushroom capital of the world, and there's a museum with a movie. You know, really lean into this. I'm with it. But I agree with Dave that at least in the early going, it was like Either tell us what is going on, like what tragedies befell these people before the cameras showed up. Or don't, but if you're going to be sort of picking at their scabs for us without telling us what inflict The wounds, then it starts to feel a little, not like bleak porn, but just a little self-indulgent. I felt that they're just like, well, these actors can do this, so let's let them do it. I don't know, like on top of everything else, he's a birder. Like, okay, take that thing off, please. Dave: [06:25] Yeah. Alcoholic Birder really is ticking a lot of boxes for the FBI agent pop culture. Sarah: [06:31] Yeah. Dave: [06:32] The other thing they're doing in the first episode too much. For my liking, was no matter where you are on the crime spectrum, you can always be a family man. And there's so much of that in the first episode, and I got it 10 minutes in. And I wanted them to accelerate from that into the case itself because we know we're going to keep on revisiting that theme, and surely we do. Sarah: [06:46] Yeah, yeah, agree. Dave: [06:56] Again, just needed to like put on the accelerator to get to the destination a little quicker. Sarah: [07:01] Yeah. I just and don't involve a kid in it. I hope no dogs show up because it's like with a scene this bleak or a sort of log line this Dark. It's like I'd really rather have fewer kids and pets involved than more. Dave: [07:17] Right. So there's a home invasion and it goes bad. And just as they're leaving, the garbage men. They find out that there was a kid downstairs who kind of slept through it. And so they take him. And that's what that's what you're talking about. Sarah: [07:31] Yeah, but of course, there's the scene later with the cop looking at the kid's stuffed animal that got left behind. Dave: [07:31] Yep. Sarah: [07:37] And it's like, I don't want that anxiety. I just don't. Tara: [07:41] It was also a little much to me, and I suppose people who live in Delco can say, No, that's True to life, but to have him in a like polar fleece eagle's blanket was like, We get it, we know, we know where they are. Sarah: [07:53] Yeah, yeah, really. Tara: [07:54] Calm down. Dave: [07:54] It's the equivalent of having an embassy somewhere in yours that is absolutely just festooned with flags of that country in every little corner, like the recycling box in the corner of the office. Has a McDanistan flag on it. And you're like, oh, I know where I am now. Tara: [08:09] Yeah. Sarah: [08:10] When you step on the pedal to flip the top open, it plays the national aath. Tara: [08:15] Mm-hmm. Dave: [08:15] Yeah, exactly. Sarah: [08:15] Like, okay. Dave: [08:17] Have you guys been to McDanistan? They've good food. Tara: [08:21] No, I've only been to Dick Monald's as of this week. Sarah: [08:25] Dick Monels. Tara: [08:26] Coffee Cafe. Anyway, I digress into a cheerful, more cheerful show. Sarah: [08:28] Oh, God. Tara: [08:31] Speaking of which, I was the one who brought up the bleakness. But when a series premiere is this to me oppressive, what other elements Should ideally be present in order for you to not want to tap out immediately. Sarah, you're not going to. So what are your picks? Sarah: [08:46] I must have known this because I suspect it's part of why I signed on to our talking about it. Tara: [08:53] Mhm. Sarah: [08:53] But like The plimp shows up, and I was like, okay, like she's literally a bright spot, like, she's so blonde. Tara: [08:55] Oh, yeah. Yeah. Sarah: [09:02] And the scene in that office is not doesn't seem like it was shot through a dark bluish brown. Filter and everything is clean and no one's drunk, and it's like, okay, few. Tara: [09:08] Yeah. Sarah: [09:15] But then she's also screaming at someone on the phone as we heard up top. And I was like, this is the shot of Not even acid, but like this is just the bleaching agent that this show needs. I hope there's more. Of her, and I just want there to be more moments. Like in Mayor of East Town, at least you had the occasional moments where it's like sometimes you're not Clear in these shows why anyone involved still knows each other if they're not obliged to work together on a task. Force. And in Mayor of East Town you had the priest in that show and the mom put like playing cards and drinking Manhattan together at the kitchen table. And there were occasionally moments where it's like, oh, these people like are a community and Friendly, and you understand why they know and like each other or love each other. Here, we're not getting that yet. And while Plimpton was a welcome chuckle, at least, and I like that Anthony Grasso guy. Who's definitely that, like, I'm gonna, you know, make a sack The by the time I'm 30 character, but that's fine. He had like a good energy that didn't feel as sad sacky as Ruffalo et al. There just needs to be a little more hope or credible ties beyond the writer's room for some of these characters, I would say, when a show is this dark. Dave: [10:42] Most of the characters live in isolation, which is not helping matters. Mark Ruffalo as the father, the widower, with a daughter that he's semi-estranged from, or at least drunk enough that she's sort of checking out. Even on the other side of the criminal spectrum, all the drug dealers that survived the first episode, same deal there. And then the green team of FBI agents that are brought in. One is just wearing the headphones all the time, one is very quiet, and then the one you're talking about, the go-getter, it's like the one little spark. Amongst that whole group. And I've the third column of that is the garbage man. He is living with his niece because his brother died at a certain point. So everybody has got these sad little silos that they exist in. And I would have said like one of them doesn't need to be that. So at least you can, when you want to, break that mood. Sarah: [11:40] There is a character in the early going who's like, I propose to my gal, and I'm this like alfalfa figure of fun. And then they all go swimming at a quarry, and then the one who seems To have some social ties outside of either being or catching criminals, silo gets killed. Dave: [11:58] Yeah. Yep. Sarah: [11:59] So it's like, okay, well, is there any hope? Dave: [12:03] Yeah. Sarah: [12:03] Not that you necessarily need that to keep watching. I don't mind not knowing where the hope is coming from in The Last of Us, but that show seems often to have a better understanding of like you can't just make it unrelenting all the time. Because people can't take it, especially not in the year 2025. Like, give us something. Thanks. Dave: [12:22] In my brain, that guy was uh fun meth Bobby from Friends. Tara: [12:28] Yeah. I'll also say we we got to see some photos of family members that are not in here in the show anymore. One is Billy, who is Robbie's brother who died, the father of Maeve, the niece that Robbie's living with. He's played by Jack Casey from Claws. And then Tom's wife, who's not around, we don't know yet if they're divorced or if she died, is Marae Enos from the American version of the killing, yes. Dave: [12:51] Oh, really? Oh. I didn't realize we didn't know she died. I just I guess I assumed. Tara: [12:55] Oh, we don't know, I assume, but That's what I was going to say. Dave: [12:56] Yeah. No, you're right. Yeah. Mm-hmm. If you're going to cast her, either we got some big flashbacks coming or Right. Tara: [13:04] This is doing the thing that I is so annoying to me, where it's like, probably episode four is going to be all like back in 2012 or whatever the fuck, and then we'll find out what happened to everybody. Dave: [13:07] Yeah. Right. Mm-hmm. Sarah: [13:12] Yeah, boo. Dave: [13:12] Yeah. Tara: [13:14] I'll also just back to Kathleen, the Martha Plimpton character, for one second. Sarah, I need to know if, in your opinion, she was sufficiently grateful for the gift of tomatoes from Tom's garden. Because she seemed real dismissive of them to me. Dave: [13:26] That's right. He's also a gardener. Tara: [13:29] He's also a gardener. Sarah: [13:29] Yeah, yeah, they looked like good tomatoes. Dave: [13:35] Wait, hang on. Sorry. I know you're a tomato expert, but we don't actually see the tomatoes, do we? They're just in a bag. Tara: [13:41] No, but we see him gardening. Dave: [13:42] Oh, you're right. Okay. I thought maybe Sarah had like a tomato sense, just like the heft of them. Tara: [13:43] Yes. Dave: [13:47] Like, like somebody with three testicles in a sack, and they can just be like, yes, quite. Sarah: [13:52] Yeah, that's a you know best boy testicle. Dave: [13:57] Yeah. Sarah: [13:59] Early girl testicles, they're a little denser. No, they did look hefty and like, you know, Jersey, Pennsylvania tomatoes. Dave: [14:08] Teeming with life. Tara: [14:08] Yeah, like you what, mm-hmm. Sarah: [14:10] Teeming with life. They did do whatever business they had to do. Maybe they used oranges. I don't know. But my backstory that I didn't realize I even filled in about this until now. Is that he has come in late and kind of smelling like popov, but with tomatoes under his arm enough time. Tara: [14:26] Ah mm-hmm. Sarah: [14:29] So she's like got literally the big filing cabinet drawer. Full of tomatoes. Tara: [14:34] Mm-hmm. Sarah: [14:35] And she's just like, fucking God. And like, she doesn't even like them. It's like a texture issue. And she's like, thanks. And then the minute he's gone, she like opens her office window and is like, doink. Tara: [14:46] Yeah. Sarah: [14:46] And Yeah, oh god. Tara: [14:47] Tomatoes is a very intentional choice. People want tomatoes. It's not like he's bringing her zucchini, which no one wants. Don't grow it and don't try to pawn it on off on people. Dave: [14:55] Don't get it. Yeah. Sarah: [14:57] Oh, we'll be talking about that later today. Sure will. Tara: [15:00] I also wanted to talk about all the secret foreigners in the cast because Tom Pelfree, named Pelfree, looks like an English guy. Sarah: [15:05] Uh-huh. Tara: [15:09] He's not. He's American. Sarah: [15:10] Nope, he's from New Jersey. Tara: [15:12] Yes. Sarah: [15:13] Yeah. Tara: [15:13] Went to Rutgers, didn't we find out when we looked him up? Sarah: [15:16] Yeah, he's from a non-town town. He's from like Springsteen country, not Super South. Tara: [15:19] Ah Okay. Sarah: [15:23] Like, he did have to learn an accent, is my point. Tara: [15:25] Okay. Then Lizzie, who's the angry state trooper on the task force, is played by an Irish woman. Allison Oliver. And then Maeve, the niece of Robbie, looks like she could be a third Mara sister like Elizabeth Olson with the Olson twins. Sarah: [15:40] Absolutely. Tara: [15:41] She's English. So just so you know, these are all the people that are lying to you in this show. Sarah: [15:43] Mhm. Dave: [15:47] Every British person is a spy on set. Sarah: [15:50] I think Grasso is a Brit, too. Tara: [15:52] Oh, was he? I didn't look him up. Sarah: [15:54] Maybe. Tara: [15:54] This is going to trick some people into seeking out Rita's water ice. Don't do it. Not even once. EG's forever. Rita's is shit. I had it once when they opened a location in New York near our apartment, and it sucked. One final question, because it feels like we're winding up. Robbie is stealing cash from trap houses at least menacing the people living or working in them, if not worse, in some cases killing them? Is the worst thing he did in the series premiere? Scoop ice cream out of the carton with his hand. Dave: [16:20] Not with his hand, with like three fingers. It was very sexual as well. Tara: [16:24] That's shared ice cream. That's commun that's ice cream for the community. And he's a garbage man. Dave: [16:37] Some say, and I don't agree with them, that this theme is the worst thing, but I say nay, it is in fact the best thing. It is of course the theme to a little segment called Ask E H G. Everybody's going to say task when the thing goes right. Task! Sarah: [16:59] Force I did. Dave: [16:59] Wow, everybody all over the map on that one. Nice force, though, Sarah. That's a good piece of business. All right, before we get into this week's Ask ESG questions, we have two weeks' worth of Ask Ask ESG judgments to give out. Let's see who our judge is going to be this week. Wheel spin, wheels bend, wheelspin, wheel spin, wheels, spin, spin, spin, Slow Slow dink. It is tar. Tara: [17:24] Hello. Our first question from episode 370 came from Bezor Laura, who asked, what is a show that should have ended? on a different moment in its run. I'm sure I've answered this before when a different version of this question has come up, but mine is breaking bad ends with Ozymandias. Perfect, open end, leaves it ambiguous, makes you think. Some of the runners up from our listeners, Kit Kat wrote, any show that streamers called a limited series only to then, surprise, add more seasons when it was well enough received. Agree. Dave: [17:55] Is there a award? Like that would classify as a mini series, right? Tara: [17:59] Right. Dave: [18:00] So what happens if they win the award for that? And then they do a second season. Do they have to do like a award give back walk of shame? They have to go up to the industry building and give their statue back. Tara: [18:11] I know there was some kind of nonsense with American Horror Story because it's an anthology where every season is a different setting. Where that's how they skated on that. Each of them was each season. I believe, I could be wrong about this, was called a limited series, but then You know, they started having more crossovers and they haven't even done a season in a couple of years at this point. So I don't know if the franchise is even alive. So I don't know also if White Lotus qualifies for that. Definitely. The first season was called a limited series because they didn't know if they were going to do more. But now I think there are enough ties between seasons that you can't really say each of them is discreet because. Dave: [18:47] Okay, but that is somebody hedging their bets and trying to save face in advance when they say The White Lotus is a limited series, right? Tara: [18:53] Maybe. Right. Dave: [18:57] So I think like there should be an acknowledgement that you're sort of pussyfooting around it rather than being honest. about what it could be. Tara: [19:05] Mm-hmm. Dave: [19:05] I would say you have to tell what the series is. You have to say what the series is from your best expectations. Tara: [19:11] Right. Dave: [19:12] And you can't do this whole thing where you say it's one thing and then you're like, pull the rug and say, nope, we're going to keep on doing them. Tara: [19:18] Mhm. Dave: [19:18] Thanks for the statue. And then the statue is worth like $10 million each, and they're just selling it and making out like fat cats. Tara: [19:25] Yeah. I mean, in the case of White Lotus, you don't know if Mike White always intended to only do one and then it was such a big hit, he was like, I guess I could do this instead of writing despicable me five, which He did write despicable me for it. Look it up. Monty wrote, and Buffy after season five. A lot of people feel this way. She saved the world a lot. Everybody cries. That's where the story ends. We'd lose some good stuff like the musical episode, but the series gets a clean arc. I see his point. wrote, My answer to this will forever and always be Homeland. That Elizabeth B. Yes. It could have been a brilliant one season show ending with Carrie killing or arresting Brody. then we never would have had to see all the sweaty plotting or the ginger baby. But our winner is Jack Lauren, who writes The X-Files should have ended after season 5, episode 14, The Red and the Black. It wraps the myth arc to that point up in a really satisfying way until literally the last minute of the episode where it introduces new mythology out of nowhere to keep it going. Ending it at this point would have meant missing out on a few brilliant Monster of the Week episodes in season six, but would be worth it for a satisfying end. My God, imagine the X-Files being satisfying. What a world. Dave: [20:37] Yeah, it had many opportunities to end it earlier and better, but that certainly probably is the earliest of them, yeah. Tara: [20:41] It sure did. I think so. Then from episodes 371. Our question was from Vanby, who wrote: What are your favorite gay, straight, and platonic love relationships on TV? Dave added, answer all or some. We'll pick three separate winners. Sarah, you had a submission for this question. Sarah: [21:02] It is a Platonic lady friends who love each other: Molly and Nikki in Dying for Sex, and Maggie and Emma in Playing House, both giving those, you know, walking and talking vibes. So, love them. Tara: [21:14] Well, guess what? My pick for Platonic was Eric without a K, Molly and Nikki on dying for sex have to be in the conversation for Platonic love, so you agree. Straight? Truly by default. I think only two people answered this question for straight pairings, and I support you. Wendy, parentheses, book girl 909, Monica and Chandler, it really seems to happen so naturally. I agree with that. And then for gay pairing, Mike McComb wrote Raymond Holt and Kevin Cosner from Brooklyn 9-9 because it's the closest approximation I've seen on TV of my relationship with my husband. Representation. Hey, we love to see it. So that's a whole mess of people that need to DM Dave to get their stickers. Dave: [21:57] Yes, please do. On Discord, I need your mailing address if you want that stuff. All right, shall we get to questions for us this week? Tara: [22:04] Oh, let's do. Dave: [22:05] First question comes from LBBB. You are a transformer. What do you transform into and what's your name? Tara, roll out. Tara: [22:14] Why did this one take me the longest of all of these 700 questions this week? Dave: [22:17] It I don't know. Tara: [22:19] It did, but I ultimately landed on I'm whoosh the white noise machine so I never have trouble falling asleep again. Dave: [22:20] Hmm. Wow. Tara: [22:27] Sarah Nice. Sarah: [22:28] I transform into a loom with wheels on it, and my name is not Rod. Not Hezeki at the beginning. Tara: [22:35] Mm-hmm. Dave: [22:35] That's pretty good. Tara: [22:35] Mm-hmm. Sarah: [22:37] It's all right, Dave. Dave: [22:38] I transform into a sweet tomatoes restaurant, and my transformer's name is Ruthage. Nora, what is the title of this sitcom? And then Nora linked to a story about the Pope renovating part of the Vatican City stuff. In order to bring some of his papal friends in to become roommates with him. So, what is the title of the sitcom that is generated from that near future scenario, Sarah? Sarah: [23:07] I'm really a little too proud of this one. Here we go. Don't trust the P in apartment holy see. Dave: [23:16] Wow, that's pretty good. Tara: [23:17] That's so good. Sarah: [23:19] That is really good. Thank you. Thank you very much. Dave: [23:21] I can't top it, but I do have two. I've got St. Peter's Square footage and Rome Improvement. Tara: [23:26] Nice. Sarah: [23:26] Yeah, yep. The tit top, babe, you're wrong. Tara: [23:32] I mean, I'm sad that I'm going last because mine is the worst of all, but it's cots and prayers. Dave: [23:38] Very good. Tara: [23:39] Everyone agrees. Sarah: [23:39] That's good new. Tara: [23:40] It is the worst. Dave: [23:41] Damon, Wig Cop is going to series. What type of show is it and who is in it? Tara. Tara: [23:48] I mean, it's a cop show, obviously, and it stars Nicole Kidman, a repeat wig offender, including with hair that looks like her real hair. Dave: [23:57] And with an E for Tara and Dave, how did season nineteen of Task? Master. End up in your overall season rankings or ratings. Who is your favorite on the cast? Tara. Tara: [24:10] I don't rank seasons. Dave: [24:11] No, I don't have time for that. Especially for a show that is in itself, when you take the whole season, 200 different segments. Tara: [24:18] Right. Dave: [24:18] How are you going to how are you going to do that? Tara: [24:19] Right. But I know people do. I'm we are not among them. Dave: [24:22] Yeah. Tara: [24:23] That said, it's probably in the top third of seasons over. Dave: [24:26] No one can't vouch for him. Tara: [24:28] The closest to a dud in the cast was Rosie Ramsey, and that's only if I had to pick a weak link, and she is fine. Dave: [24:34] Yeah. Yeah. Tara: [24:35] In terms of my favorite contestant, with all due respect to my friend Jason Manzoukis, not my friend, Matthew is probably my pick for standout with Fatia as in-studio MVP. Dave: [24:46] Yeah, she was really great in some parts and really super bad in other parts. Tara: [24:46] Dave. Well, that's why I said in studio MVP Fainton. Dave: [24:50] Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. It's a good qualifier. I also picked Matthew Bayton as my favorite. Bainton, I enjoy his energy and his ball sack, to be honest with you. And as far as where this would go in my definitive ranking, which is very potatoey, I would say like top third of the seasons, I think I would be pretty okay with putting it in. Tara: [25:12] That's what I said. Dave: [25:13] Yeah. Tara: [25:14] Mm-hmm. Dave: [25:14] Well, then we agree. Tara: [25:15] We do. Dave: [25:16] All right. Jovial gen, which pair of tasks, Master, contestants would be the best and worst as hosts of the great British Bake Off? Tara: [25:24] I assume he wasn't wanting us to say Sue and Mel, who are both past okay. Dave: [25:28] He did qualify it originally, but I assumed everybody would assume that. Tara: [25:30] Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dave: [25:31] Yeah. All right. So I'm going to go with. I got two pairs for good. I got Mike Wozniak. I know he, you know, graduated to junior taskmaster, but I think he would be great there too. Tara: [25:40] Yes. Mm-hmm. Dave: [25:42] I love his energy. Tara: [25:43] Yep. Dave: [25:44] I want to pair him with Morgana Robinson. Tara: [25:46] Oh, she was one of my maybe Uh-huh. Dave: [25:48] Yeah, I think they would work well together. They have different strange energies. And my second good pair is Judy Love and Richard Osman. But the deal with Richard Osman is you have to film him like Al from Police Squad, the really giant guy. Where you never see his head because it's always filmed out of frame. Tara: [26:10] Yeah. Uh-huh. Dave: [26:11] And it's also his head, you can hear it scraping the top of the tent all the time when he's walking around. Tara: [26:16] Yes, of course. Mhm. Dave: [26:18] All right, worst guesses, Tara? Tara: [26:20] I I'm curious to know if we match. Dave: [26:22] Okay. Do you want to say it at the same time? Tara: [26:24] Sure. Dave: [26:25] All right, let's do it alphabetically by first name. Tara: [26:28] Uh, okay. Dave: [26:29] Okay, number one. Joe Brand. Tara: [26:31] Ian Sterling. Dave: [26:32] Oh, all right. Tara: [26:33] Oh. Dave: [26:35] And then second, Lucy Beaumont. Tara: [26:37] Joe Brand Yes. Dave: [26:38] Oh, okay. All right. Well, we hit Joe Brand. All right, so Lucy Beaumont and Joe Brand were my choices for the worst. Absolutely, would make me not want to watch. Tara: [26:47] And mine were Joe Brandon, Ian Sterling. Dave: [26:49] All right, so let's rewind to your choices. That would be good. Tara: [26:51] I had so many different mixes and matches. I really took this seriously. I had Lee Mack there for a long time, and I think he would be really good. And then I couldn't think who would be. The right energy match with him. Dave: [27:02] Yeah. Tara: [27:03] So I ultimately landed on Lale Adafope and Ed Gamble. I think she would be very cute and lovable on a show like this. And he, I already know what he's like talking about food because I listen to the off-menu podcast. So I think they would be good. Dave: [27:19] Great. Mike, in the original Running Man movie, Richard Dawson played the host of The Running Man game show. Which modern day game show hosts should have been asked to host in the upcoming remake that they're doing of the Running Man movie. I think the best, and he really just squeaks in on the technicality, would be Craig Ferguson. Tara: [27:40] Mm, that's good. Dave: [27:41] Remember the hustler from two years ago or so? Tara: [27:42] Yep, yep, yep, of course. Dave: [27:44] I think he would be good. Sarah: [27:44] Sure. Tara: [27:44] Yes. Dave: [27:46] He has the right underlying menace, capacity for evil in his eyes, sort of quality I'm looking for. Now, who would I actually love to see? Because it's not my money going into the movie. Obviously, Steve Harvey. Tara: [27:58] Yeah. Dave: [27:59] I want to see what he's going to do. Tara: [28:00] I he was in my one of my picks, too. Dave: [28:02] But my dark horse pick is Ryan Seacrest. Tara: [28:05] Ah, that's good. Dave: [28:06] Only if we can get him to play a total shit. Tara: [28:10] Oh, yeah, yes. Dave: [28:10] Because I want to see that. Not like we all suspect Ryan Seachrist is a total shit in real life. Tara: [28:16] Mhm. Dave: [28:16] Like, I want him to play succession type of total shit. Tara: [28:20] Yeah. Dave: [28:20] Yeah. Okay. Tar. Tara: [28:22] Well, I already I thought about Steve Harvey as well. I thought of Elizabeth Banks too. She's the host of Press Your Luck Now, and I think she would Bring a different kind of energy to the role, but I feel like the real choice in terms of evil shitbag who would definitely do it is Joel McHale. Dave: [28:39] Oh my god, he's already doing it now, just in case they ask him later. Sarah: [28:40] Yeah. Mm-hmm, Mikhail was uh The leader in the clubhouse for me, but then I was like, it's two on the nose. Tara: [28:45] On two different shows on Fox. Anyway, Sarah. Sarah: [28:55] So I went with Kent and Jong instead. Tara: [28:58] Mm, yeah. Sarah: [28:59] 'Cause it is sort of like him, but then I think he could do that sort of like soup song of evil that slowly starts to take over as the plot unfolds. Tara: [28:59] Mm-hmm. Yep. Yeah. Dave: [29:11] Since you brought that up, what level of mess would Jenny McCarthy be? Tara: [29:15] Oh, God. Dave: [29:16] Wasn't she the one that said, I think it's Obama in the first season of Mad Singer? Tara: [29:19] Yes, of course. Dave: [29:21] Yeah. Tara: [29:21] Yes. Dave: [29:22] Oh boy. Tara: [29:23] Mhm. Dave: [29:23] Okay. Love this next question. Didn't quite understand what they wanted, but that's the joy of it. Kara, we've heard your B-Day A team lineups. Now tell us about your B-Day A teams. Is the question verbatim. Tara, what's your answer here? Tara: [29:38] All right, first of all, I need Kara to know that in order to answer this, I looked up the top rated brands of Bidet, which led me to a video Where they show the effectiveness of various products by stretching saran wrap across a toilet seat with chocolate pudding, I assume, on the underside. Sarah: [29:46] So did I. Chocolate pudding. Oh, we watched the same video. That's so upsetting. Tara: [29:58] Now we're in a fight. Dave: [29:59] But also that's saying a lot about who they think their customers are and what they eat all the time. Tara: [30:05] I think it's just meant to look like boop. Sarah: [30:06] Yeah. Dave: [30:08] You got some loose stools there, bidet customers. Tara: [30:10] Anyway, I guess it's going to be Toto, Brundell, Kohler, and Filtra because none of them is called fucking tushy, Dave. Dave: [30:18] Filtra. Yeah. Well, I went a different way. The members of the A team have bidet-related names. Tara: [30:26] Oh, God. Dave: [30:27] So we've got John Can. A Bull Smith, Howland Mudd Murduke, The Feast and BM Barakas. Tara: [30:31] Of course. Sarah: [30:32] Mm-hmm. Tara: [30:33] Oh, no. Sarah: [30:35] Oh. Tara: [30:37] Yes. Sarah: [30:40] Uh-huh. Dave: [30:41] Sarah, I was also very proud of that. Sarah: [30:42] Yeah. Dave: [30:47] I love poo. Sarah: [30:48] Can you read the last part of the prompt again, please, Dave? Dave: [30:51] Tell us about your bidet A teams. Okay, great. Kimba Walton Goggins is doing commercials for Walmart. What other pairing of celebrity and product that share a name or part of a name would you like to see? Sarah, you must answer this one. Sarah: [31:11] I yes, I shall. I felt for some years that Dennis Quaid and Dairy Queen should team up. I thought he was pretty good in those insurance ads, but it's recently become clear that A, based on the ads he is doing, he's not even gonna put makeup on or do his hair or look directly into the camera. And also, he's a problem now. So Dairy Queen Latifah, it is and shall be. Tara: [31:38] Apple D app for Applebee's, Dave. Dave: [31:43] All right, Jimmy Simpson. Tara: [31:45] Mm-hmm. Dave: [31:45] 60 second slow dolly zoom of him just repeatedly smelling the air until we realize or maybe I just end there Repeatedly smelling the air until we realize he's inside of the Jimmy John's, not buying anything because they provide free smells according to the neon sign at their window. Tara: [31:53] Yeah. Mhm. Yep. Free smells. Yep. Dave: [32:05] Ambrose Chappell. We all agree it's wrong to spoil plot points in TV shows and movies, I assume. Do we think it's equally wrong to tell people there's a twist? Yes, because you've unsurprised it for me, knowing there's a surprise as a spoiler of some sort, but Also, I'm not your mother, so play it smart. If you're behind on something, you care not to be spoiled about it. Tara: [32:29] Mm-hmm. Dave: [32:31] Keep your ass off Blue Sky or Twitter or wherever you roam. Tara: [32:34] Yeah. Dave: [32:34] So. That part of it is on you. Tara: [32:37] Yep. Dave: [32:37] I will try not to say. And by the way, there's a really big twist in fucking everything now, by the way. Tara: [32:42] Well, uh-huh. Dave: [32:43] So it's sort of a spoiler, like water's a spoiler these days, but. I understand what you're saying, Ambrose, and I agree. Tara: [32:51] I don't think it's wrong. I also don't think saying there's a twist is a spoiler. Really, if there isn't a twist, there isn't a story, Sarah. Sarah: [32:58] Agree. I mean, I absolutely don't care about getting spoiled, but I do try to be. Careful within reason. At this point, though, I do feel like with 360 media and social media, if you care that much about being spoiled, even as to the existence of a twist, you know, grow up. It's not wrong. No. Dave: [33:21] Wild King Doc, what show should have an episode set on the money plane of Money Plane and who is fighting a Gator? Well, I have great news for you, Wild King Doc. You don't go on the money plane to fight an alligator. You go on the money plane to fuck an alligator. Clip: [33:38] You want to bet on a dude fucking an alligator? Money plane. Dave: [33:42] So already, we're already up in the stakes for you. Tara: [33:45] Oh, God, I forgot about that. Dave: [33:46] This sounds like succession fanfic already in the can. So let's have Connor work some stuff out with an alligator. Tara: [33:55] This feels like something that could happen. This was back when I thought it was fighting, but let's say it works for fucking as well. The show is Tulsa King, and the character is obviously Dwight Sarah. Sarah: [34:06] Picture it twenty five thousand feet over Sicily. It's the Golden Girls, and that gator is getting either pulped or blown by Sophia in her straw pocket book. Tara: [34:15] Yep. Dave: [34:15] Jovial Gent has our next question. They simply ask, What is your favorite month? Sir. Sarah: [34:22] I actually gave this a lot of thought. I'm still not convinced I made the right choice. I'm glad this has the force of law then. June, why not? Dave: [34:35] May, birthday vacations, warming weather, but not bursting into flames yet when I go outside here in Austin. Sarah: [34:38] Mm-hmm. Dave: [34:42] Least favorite month, December. Tara: [34:45] Oh. Feels like a personal attack. My answer is November, not because it is my birthday month, but because it's when the run-up to Christmas starts. And December itself can be kind of a letdown where there's whereas November is still like full of possibilities. Dave: [34:59] Okay. Damon is back with a second question. What game show could be improved by the dropping of losing contestants through a trap door into a shark tank? I'm going to go with a show that's already halfway there. It is a Canadian show from the seventies. It's called Pitfall. It operated on a two-level system with an elevator that went in between things depending on how you answered questions. So instead of the elevator, Which, by the way, was slow as hell to the point where they laid a song as they went up and down. They really needed to two or three X that stuff. Now you just go through a trapdoor into shark. So if you get a question wrong, you are eaten. That would make good viewing. Also, Alex Trebek hosted. Tara: [35:38] Yep. Dave: [35:39] Tar. Tara: [35:39] I mean, obviously, any game show, but holy moly has water hazards already. Motivates you not to fall in the water if you're going to get eaten by a shark. If you do, Sarah. Dave: [35:48] Plus, because they're filming at three o'clock in the morning in Calabasas, it's all bloody and steamy and thrashy at the same time. Tara: [35:52] Yeah. Yes. Dave: [35:56] So it would be really sort of a visual feast. Tara: [35:58] Mhm. Dave: [35:59] Sarah. Sarah: [36:00] What is the name of that show where they were like all cl it's all like reality stars and nine oh two and oh people climbing an alp and bursting their implants? Aren't like yeah, if we considered that a game show, I think they should just slide down the side of a mountain and then they're like, whew, I'm at the lodge. Tara: [36:09] Special Forces world's toughest test. Mm-hmm. Dave: [36:14] Okay. To sharks. Sarah: [36:21] Nope, trapdoor sharks. Dave: [36:23] I would want to see that, but in a water park scenario where they're just going down the water slide, there's just a shark mouth at the end of the slide. Sarah: [36:28] Mm. Okay. Dave: [36:31] There's nothing you can fucking do about it. It's just like Quint going into the mouth. Sarah: [36:33] Yep. Tara: [36:34] Mm-hmm. Sarah: [36:35] Mm-hmm. Dave: [36:36] Objective Sid, you have to make oatmeal blank cookies, but you cannot use raisins or chocolate chips. What food item do you use inside of your oatmeal blank cookies? Tara. Tara: [36:48] Butterscotch chips or peanut butter chips, Dave. Dave: [36:51] Yeah, oatmeal rhesus peanut butter chip cookies or oatmeal dried sour cherry cookies. Mm-hmm. Yep, Sarah. Sarah: [37:00] In the event that a mini MM is considered a chocolate chip, butterscotch chips. Dave: [37:06] Don't you find butterscotch chips have a very faky flavor? Tara: [37:09] No. Dave: [37:09] They don't really taste like butterscotch. Tara: [37:11] No. Dave: [37:11] Okay. Sarah: [37:12] I mean, they taste like butterscotch. It's just one of those like white chocolate haters might think it's a little too close. Dave: [37:17] Right. Sarah: [37:18] In my experience, I don't have that problem. Dave: [37:19] Right, right, right. Renzi, which is the best Clearly, Canadian flavor. Now, originally, clearly wasn't capitalized, and I started to think about what was clearly the most Canadian flavor out there till I realized that's maple is in fact the answer. Tara: [37:31] Maple Mhm Yes. Dave: [37:36] But we're talking about the beverage, I believe. Sir. Sarah: [37:39] When they first brought it to the States, they had Logan Berry. That was my favorite. They don't make that anymore as far as my research told me. So I'm going with Mountain Blackberry, which seems like basically the same combination of chemical molecules. Tara: [37:56] Mm-hmm. Sarah: [37:56] Tara. Tara: [37:57] Guys, I've never had Clearly Canadian. Its heyday was in the time that there was Snapple, and if Snapple was available, I always had a Snapple iced tea, either lemon, blackberry, or peach. Dave: [38:10] It was contemporary with New York Celsar, too, wasn't it? Tara: [38:13] Yes, and I also like that. Dave: [38:13] Yeah. Yeah. I also have never sampled it clearly Canadian. Here we are, the inverse of Canadians versus Americans here and their consumption thereof. Tara: [38:19] Wow. Mm-hmm. Sarah: [38:21] Wow. Dave: [38:23] Have you ever had a clearly American Tara? You know what the best flavor is? Crushed Eagle. Tara: [38:29] Also, I want to correct myself. Sarah: [38:29] Oh Well Hmm. Tara: [38:30] It was raspberry iced tea, not blackberry. Dave: [38:32] Yeah, so here's the flavors they have. Now, blackberry, raspberry, peach, strawberry, and cherry. So, out of those, if you had to pick one, what would you pick? Tara: [38:43] Uh oh, they all sound too sweet. Dave: [38:46] Yeah. Tara: [38:47] If there was like a lemon lime or something, that's what I would go for. Dave: [38:49] There is, but not in the regular kind. Tara: [38:51] Oh. Dave: [38:51] Yeah. I would go raspberry, I guess. Tara: [38:53] I guess I'd do pH despite your well, more for me. I wouldn't have to worry about you stealing it. Dave: [38:58] Steel meal Eric will save us from this. Are there any foods you've completely changed your mind on as an adult, either because you've never had it fresh as a child or the grown-ups in your life didn't know how to cook it? Yes, I would say Brussels sprouts, number one for me. Tara: [39:14] Yeah. Dave: [39:14] Recent ish discovery in geological terms. And then, really, like any roasted vegetable, root vegetable, a carrot, a parsnip, a potato. Sarah: [39:24] Ooh, Bega of Ruda. Dave: [39:27] Yeah, invest in an air fryer, people. That is the best ROI kitchen thing that you can definitely buy. We recently had to say goodbye to the microwave we inherited with the house. So, I bought a new one, and Costco has one that was a very reasonable price. That is also an air fryer, also like 10 other things, but it actually does the air frying really well. So, now we have two air fryers. So now I can make big air fryer meals, and my life has never been better. Sir. Sarah: [39:56] Mine is scrambled eggs. I hated them as a kid. I'm not sure why. It wasn't a texture issue. I had no problem with fried eggs as a child, whereas now I can't manage them at all. A sweaty egg white makes me want to lie down in a highway. Tara: [40:13] Mm every day I've also come around to s tomatoes on sandwiches as an adult, still don't like lettuce and never will. Sarah: [40:13] Even talking about it, Barv. Dave: [40:15] I can't eat an egg if it's not scrambled. Sarah: [40:18] Yeah. Barb was generally a really good cook and used enough garlic and seasoning and whatnot. I think the problem may actually have been that they were not Seasoned at all. There was no cheese, there was no pepper. Who knows? But I did outgrow it fortunately. And everything else that I hated then, I continued to hate. But I would eat Almost anything is a kid. Like, for a kid, I was like, We're supposed to hate liver. I don't get it. So, but yeah, cooked zucchini and raisins still on the shit list. Dave: [40:45] I just realized another one that I enjoyed relatively late in life was the tomato, and I just kind of realized why. My mother would cut tomato slices so thick for her sandwiches, and therefore, the rest of us, that it was basically like eating half a tomato, which no, thank you. It's not a hand fruit, mom. Sarah: [41:03] Yeah, no, that's too much. Dave: [41:05] Yeah. Tara: [41:11] But my answer is probably smoked salmon, which I don't think I was anyone ever attempted to give it to me when you grow up in Saskatchewan, it's not something that you ever have truck with. But when I have had sushi, which is rare because I don't really like fish, sushi with smoked salmon, like a smoked salmon sashimi is good to me. Clip: [41:31] Enough. I'm so sick and tired of hearing you people talk about food, food, food. Dave: [41:36] All right, food section over. Sulie rhymes with Julie. If you had to come up with a new murder, she wrote set in a different state. What would the town be named? You have to maintain the alliterative CC of Cabot Cove in your answer. Tara: [41:50] Really limits what you can possibly answer. I guess it has to be Captain Cook Hawaii, Sarah. Sarah: [41:57] Colony Corners on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Dave. Dave: [42:01] The sleepy west coast seaside community of Carmel Cliff Ambrose Chapel is back with their second question and our last. Sarah: [42:07] I like it. Dave: [42:11] When you're watching a show set in the U. S. but filmed in Canada, what gives it away? Sarah D. Bunting, you lived in Toronto for a while. What do you got? Sarah: [42:20] I did. I think it's probably going to be the same answer. Like there's like a lack of blue mailboxes, but then usually it's the signage. The if it's supposed to be New York, but then the signage is just like a different color, or it's kilometers per hour, but like road signage usually. Dave: [42:37] The one that always gets me first is Bank of Montreal signage. It's really hard to miss. It is primary blue and red with white lettering in a very non-banky kind of layout. It looks like it could be like a toy store or something like that. Sarah: [42:54] Department store, I would say, but yeah. Dave: [42:55] Yeah. A couple other things. People crossing the road before waiting for the crosswalk signal because if they get hit by a car, the healthcare is free, so they don't care. See a lot of that. And all the American products at the grocery store scenes are all flipped around so you can't see the names of it. Tara: [43:10] Yep. Dave: [43:11] So those are some tips for their filming in Canada. Sarah: [43:12] The froth, yeah. Mm-hmm. Tara: [43:14] Yep. It used to be when I lived there that if you saw any tertiary character played by someone you had seen in a Canadian commercial, that would be how you could tell, and that happens a lot. Dave: [43:22] Right Mhm. Tara: [43:24] Now you can still sometimes tell from accents. My answer was also banks, just in general. Sarah: [43:27] Yeah. Dave: [43:28] Yeah. Tara: [43:29] Even though TD Bank and BMO have moved into the U. S. , you can still tell the difference. I don't know. I can't explain why. I just know. Dave: [43:38] All right, Jovial Gent has this week's Ask Ask EISG question. What show would you pitch to appeal to Steve Jobs back from the dead? Or Tim Cook. We were talking a little while ago about how Apple just seems to want to make shows that Apple people like and otherwise go fuck yourself. So, if you had to pitch a show to sell to Apple and Steve Jobs, back from the day, congratulations, Steve Jobs, and Timp Cook are at the table. What are you pitching to them to guarantee a sale? It is time for the tiny cannon presenting this week. It's Dave, Dave. Take it away. Clip: [44:15] The poignantly beautiful series Somebody Somewhere is about resilience, the healing power of friendship, and the importance of finding connection and community wherever and wherever you are in life. The thesis of the show is distilled and foreshadowed in the premiere by one of the best ever uses of karaoke in television. It belongs in the extra hot grape tiny canon for music performance karaoke wing. In the series premiere we meet Sam, played by Bridget Everett, she is grieving and disconnected. In her early fifties, Sam works at a dreary job grading standardized tests in grubby sweats. She has no community, having recently moved back to her childhood home in Manhattan, Kansas, to care for her older sister while she battled cancer, a battle her sister lost six months before the episode starts. An essay a young girl writes about her sister makes Sam sob at her desk. This is where Sam meets co-worker Joel, played by Jeff Hiller, a former high school classmate. Joel remembers a better version of Sam from their younger days. one with a powerful voice and an irreverent sense of humor. They bond gossiping when another choir mate self publishes a trashy memoir. Joel convinces Sam to attend choir practice. which is really a euphemism for a karaoke night for the small town's queers, oddballs, and outcasts. At choir practice, Sam is on the sidelines She enjoys being among people, but is not ready to be seen. What happens next distills the arc of this poignant series into four minutes of perfect television. I haven't done this for a long time. From the keyboard on stage, Joel and the crowd could joke. Salmon performing. As she approaches the stage, Joel plays the intro to Peter Gabriel's Don't Give Up. This song choice is perfect in this proud land, we grew up strong. We were one. I was taught to fight, taught to win. I never thought I could fail. No fight left or so. The anthem of perseverance and support is exactly what Sam needs in this moment, and Joel is exactly the kind of friend who would force her to sing it with him. The performance showcases Everett's voice, but also her nuanced acting. Sam sings the first lines with her eyes closed. Her voice is pretty but restrained. As she gains the strength to look at the crowd, each lyric hits her No one wants you when you lose. Sam is summoning her strength not to break down in front of strangers. Don't give up Cause you have friends Don't give up You're not beating yet Don't give up 'cause somewhere there's a place where we go. Hiller's performance is also Excellent. He ignores the crowd and sings directly to Sam. The camera turns to Sam as she relaxes and even begins to laugh. Joel projects calm, but worry still escapes him on the last: please don't give up. Sam's transformation in the second verse is dramatic. She sings with power and joy. And this time when her eyes close, she's not ignoring the crowd, just lost in the moment. I can't take anymore. I'm gonna stand on that bridge to keep my eyes down below whatever. But then in this small gap when the song ends, Self doubt immediately creeps back on her face. Her confidence evaporates with the last chord. The crowd erupts in applause, and Sam relaxes again, wiping away tears. Sam is still hurting, but now she is not alone. In this moment, and in the twenty episodes that follow, she will connect, grow, and heal with the unwavering support of her new best friend. for its excellent song selection, finely calibrated acting and singing, perfect match to the characters and the moment, and its ability to propel and foreshadow the entire series Don't give up from somebody somewhere deserves to be enshrined in the tiny canon for musical performance, Karaoke Wing. Tara: [48:51] Thank you, Dave L. Let's start with Dave C and his cold black heart, and then we can warm up from there. Dave: [48:57] Alright, well first of all we are classifying this simply under musical performance for the sake of having more things under that umbrella in the future. Thank you, Dave, for the pitch. Yeah, it was very effective. I had not seen the piloted episode of this show yet. You know, we just watched a couple episodes here and there in the course of doing it for the podcast. Always a, well, I wouldn't say good time, but you know, it's always a well-put-together episode worthy of his critical praise. I think you made a really good case for this. I had to cut a little bit out for time, but one of his other points was the selection of this song is also a great timeline choice. Back when they are basically our age, so it makes sense that in their formative years, this would have been a song that they know and probably practiced and sang to each other back in the day. Tara: [49:47] Well, they didn't know each other, Ben. But yes, they probably both knew it when they were separately in high school at the same school. Sarah: [49:52] Mm-hmm. Their cassette of this album, sure. Tara: [49:55] Exactly, yes. Dave: [49:55] Yeah, you learn a lot through the song, and that's magic of the moment. And I think he's absolutely right there. Tara: [50:01] Huh? Dave: [50:01] Also, I'm a big Genesis fan, so I know my Peter Gabriel music. So, if you're looking for another really good cover of a Peter Gabriel song from the Sew album. You gotta check out Fever Ray's cover of Mercy Street. It is so good. She is the lead singer of the knife. You may know her from the theme to Vikings if you watch that show. Anyway, yes. Good presentation right on the money. And I think you covered all the bases. Sarah. Sarah: [50:29] Thought that I might struggle a little bit with how on the nose the music choice was, but based on what I have seen of this show, it is Pretty typical of it that it takes a very kind of unvarnished and direct emotional moment and Then just lets it be that. Lets you sit with that, even if you're not used to it, or maybe made a little uncomfortable by the directness. Of it. So that seemed to be very of the show. And this is really well acted, and you can see The friendship, like you could see the bone knitting of this friendship during the scene, watching her processing the experience and like keep choosing to continue singing and try to get it done. And then choose to let it rip by the end of the scene is really something. It's really nice acting and Actors trying to have a meta layer of acting as the character is always interesting. Not everyone can do it. This is very good. And then his Face when he realizes that she's doing what he knows that she could is so wonderful. It's just such a Great moment, like seeing a friendship being looking into the crucible as it's being forged. So, yeah, it was quite moving. My heart is not quite as black as David T. Coles, but it's, you know, like a burnt umbrella. And yeah, I like this a lot, and good song choice. I do like the song, even if it is the nose, that works for this show. Dave: [52:04] All right, Tara, you're next, but you also have to work in the color of your heart somewhere during your argument. Sarah: [52:10] Mhm. Cerulean, I would say. Tara: [52:13] Yeah, sure, let's say that Would just correct Dave L, I wouldn't call this karaoke. It's more of cro choir practice in the world of the show is more like a cabaret. There's also comedy numbers and different types of performance. So it's, you know. It's a very nitpicky correction, but here we are. This is a very important moment in the pilot and in the series. It's the culmination of. Phase one of Joel very intentionally making Sam be his friend. She was someone that he sort of admired from afar when they were both in high school, and like Had a friend crush on her, but they never knew each other. And so when he reintroduces himself to her, like she has no idea who he is, and she's like the star to him, which is very sweet. But this moment is so important because it's him giving her this gift of letting her know this community exists, there are other weirdos in her hometown, and this is something that she needs to get on board with, even if You know, constitutionally, she would rather just stay at home and be sad. It's important for her to recognize that she is part of this community and they're all here for her and don't give up. And yes, as Sarah said. It is the nose, but that's how it goes sometimes. Sarah: [53:23] Gnosis are important. Tara: [53:25] You know, like this, it shows real emotional bravery to not be afraid to look corny. Sarah: [53:25] Yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm. Tara: [53:32] And that's sort of what this show always does well. That said, we can't just induct every Samsung from this show, even though they're all great. Don't try everyone else. But, you know, if you are going to pitch another somebody somewhere, Bridget Everett performance, be very judicious because after this, we got to be, we got to start being tough because they're a lot and they're all great. Dave: [53:50] All right, let's put this to the official vote. I will say yes. Sarah deep on Ting will say you. Sarah: [53:54] I say yes as well. Tara: [53:56] Me three He's making, he's still making points. Dave: [54:00] All right, that means don't give up from somebody somewhere. You are hereby inducted into the extra hot, great, tiny musical performance cannon! Clip: [54:08] Americans love a winner. Yup. And will not tolerate a loser. Nope. Dave: [54:14] It is time for the not quite winners and losers of the week. I will go first. My not quite winner Is NCIS and and NCIS Origins, the prequel series All right. Well, I don't know what to do with this segment now. Sarah: [54:37] Should someone just yell navely? Dave: [54:40] And that's how you do it navally. All right, not quite loser of the week, Tony Gilroy driven crazy. Seeing The success of Andorra used to create controversy by comparing it to all these other Star Wars shows that suck ass. Tara: [54:54] That was me, not him. Dave: [54:55] I realize that. And like, I get it. Makes for awkward corporate conversation, but also, dude, you gotta know. You gotta know. Fucking bookabuba fedhead teenagers bipping and bopping on candy-colored motorcycles. Tara: [55:12] Yeah. Dave: [55:12] You know it sucked ass, buddy. Sorry, Tony Gilroy, for all the journalists that made you feel awkward by asking you questions like that, but they're also right. Sarah Debunding, not quite winner of the week. Sarah: [55:23] That would be author Michael Connolly, his days as a crime reporter, which he chronicled in a book called Crime Beat. May become a T V series at Paramount Boo. Better that than nothing. I think that might depend a lot on casting. and how they decide to do it. I think an anthology might be an interesting idea, but we'll see what, if anything, develops. My not quite loser is the BBC, ITV, BT, and IMG, and a bunch of other Letters who were fined $5. 7 million for collusion over freelancer pay. Seems low, actually. And the Bieb is a double loser this week because fired host Greg Wallace is suing them. I think it's actually at like Freedom of information/slash document issue and not a defamation thing yet. But y'all, just Just do the right thing and then fuck off. I don't know. It doesn't seem like that's the harder option. Tara. Tara: [56:35] My not quite winner of the week is Cristobal Tapia De Vere. We talked about him a few months ago when he was feuding with White Lotus creator Mike White. He is the composer of the main title theme music for all three seasons, I believe. And Mike White was really trying to big time him back then, but Christobal got the last laugh because he won the Emmy for Best Original Main Title Theme Music. Both of these guys, I'm going to say, are probably tough to take, but I have to be on the side of the composer. Sarah: [57:03] Yeah Mm-hmm. Tara: [57:06] Not quite loser of the week. Sarah: [57:06] Yeah. Tara: [57:08] Everyone who, according to House of the Dragon star Olivia Cook, is still branding women difficult for setting boundaries over sex scenes. And if anyone would know, it's someone who is. On a show in the Game of Thrones universe. But I'm also going to say sub-not quite loser is the co-star Cook says she slapped so hard she made him cry. I mean, yikes. Maybe some boundaries needed to be set on the other side of that equation by her co-star, because that's not cool. Sarah: [57:36] Mm-hmm. Yeah. Don't let ChatGPT direct your shit, y'all. Dave: [57:42] All right, everybody, strap in for the first edition of The Green Screen with Stephanie Green. Steph: [57:54] Welcome to The Green Screen, the segment in which I, Stephanie Green, will walk you through some of the reality TV that I'm not only watching but also unhealthily, emotionally entangled with. With a few outliers, my reality tastes tend to fall into several discrete categories: housewives, true crime, and admittedly, there is some significant overlap between those first two categories. dysfunctional and or cult adjacent families, gentle British competition shows in which at least one person per episode sheds tears of joy And of course, dating and marriage shows, a category which encompasses all manner of literal and figurative sins. I have gone through seasons of life in which I've dabbled in other categories, like I used to be a Top Chef fan, for example. And I don't even want to admit to you how many seasons of American Idol I dutifully watched. Okay, fine, six. But now that I'm in my 40s, I'm really living by the mantra of life is short, watch the most debased reality shows first. With that said, I hope you'll allow me to give you a bit of a tour of what's been tickling my fancy on a little streaming app called Discovery Plus League. Lately. For those of you with more highbrow tastes, you might not be aware that Discovery Plus is the home of all the programming once housed on the network formerly known as. The learning channel, as well as a smorgasbord of other titillating content. For example, on the Discovery Plus homepage, they have a whole tab just for paranormal, which, as I say this, I'm realizing is an area I might need to explore. Anyway, Discovery Plus is home to such classics as Deadliest Catch, 90 Day Fiancé, and all its many spin-offs, 80% of which I watch. Sister Wives, My Six Hundred Pound Life, I Love a Mamma's Boy, House Hunters, Seeking Brother Husband, Kate plus Eight, One Thousand Pound Sisters, Virgins, Long Island Medium, Say Yes to the Dress, My Strange Addiction My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding, Botched Beriatrics, and Finding Bigfoot. And this is but a sampling. Discovery Plus is a deep, disturbing well of all the lifestyle reality shows one could ever dream of. many of which sound AI generated. Take, for example, Survive the Raft, Kitty Kai, Chow House, that's spelled C I A O for some reason, Alaskan Killer Bigfoot, and Curvy Bride's Boutique. I'm not going to pretend I'm above any of these shows, by the way. I used to cover marriage boot camp reality stars, so I'm truly in no position to judge. I hope to delve into the depths of Discovery Plus in the coming months, but today I want to devote this segment to Welcome to Plathville, one of my weekly Discovery Plus must-watches. This show is now in its seventh season, and it keeps getting darker and darker with each season, which is remarkable since it started off pretty freaking dark. The titular Plathville refers to the Plath family farm in Ca Road, Georgia, which is spelled C A I R O because, of course, it is. Where parents Barry and Kim Plath raised their nine children in an environment of extreme pop cultural deprivation. The kids were not allowed to see movies, listen to secular music. Celebrate non-religious holidays, including the 4th of July. Attend school, read books, or otherwise interact with the outside world. The plast subscribed to sort of an amorphous Christian fundamentalism that did not seem to involve actually ever going to church or regularly studying the Bible, but did involve all the funy cultural trappings. Modest dress for the girls, getting married way too young to people you don't really know all that well, severely restricted access to knowledge, you know, the huge. Also, throw in some weird dietary stuff, like the kids were never allowed to eat sugar, because that was definitely in the Bible. Much like the Duggar parents. The Plath parents, Barry and Kim, were not raised this way, but instead chose to inflict this lifestyle on their many children for reasons. And because Kim's version of homeschooling involved farming out the job to dutiful, parentified daughter Lydia. the now adult plath children are all barely literate, have zero life skills, and severely stunted social skills. So one can imagine how well things have gone for them over the last several years as reality T V cameras have entered the chat. I encourage everyone to go back and start from the beginning of Clathville to see the shocking and rapid dissolution of this family in real time. But suffice it to say, things went pear-shaped, as literally any person on earth could have predicted, and now the family boasts multiple divorces, DUIs, assault charges, and threatened lawsuits. The show is a fascinating psychological experiment in which the Plath children try and fail to reckon with a world that they were not prepared in any way, shape, or form to navigate, while their parents rapidly abandon all the funny values they forced down their children's throats, And then disclaim all responsibility for how spectacularly wrong everything has gone. A quick overview of the main players. Kim, Matriarch, is a hot mess with a DUI, recent DUI, by the way, who has, over the last several seasons, divorced Barry, the father of her nine kids. Tried and failed to start a dance studio, dated her son's skeevy flight instructor, and lived on a houseboat that was so small only she and like one or two of her kids could fit on it at a time. Barry, patriarch, went from being a man whose whole personality was deeply controlling Christian dad to deeply controlling Christian dad with a six-pack. His current interests are the Bible kind of, I don't know, weightlifting and kombucha, which he drinks in frightening quantities. He and Kim absolutely despise each other and have made their divorce as awkward as possible for all their kids. Of the Plath children, the main players are Ethan, oldest son, who went from charmingly naive, clean shaven man child who was married to his first and only girlfriend, Olivia, to a bitter, hateful divorcee with a duck dynasty beard. Next eldest son, Micah, is a male model with, to put it kindly, limited resources in the Brains department, who's dating a deeply damaged woman named Veronica and is the picture of domestic misery. We also have Mariah, a walking case of undiagnosed histrionic personality disorder who spends most of her time getting tattoos, moodily sipping red wine, and trying to launch her music career. Music is in air quotes in case that wasn't clear for my tone. Then we have Lydia, who's 20 years old and who in past season spent most of her free time shut away. In a self-designed prayer closet in the family home and is now engaged to some dude she's known for like 10 minutes. More on that in a minute. Then there's Isaac, youngest son, an aspiring good old boy, who seems dumb as a box of hair and attacked his brother Micah at their sister Lydia's wedding. thus ruining Micah's perfect nose, which is a problem since, as discussed, Micah's only means of making money is through his Kendal on Quellude's good looks. His face is literally his fortune. Rounding out the crowd are a couple of younger sisters, the so-called little girls, and a mysterious older sister named Hosanna, who wisely chose to have nothing to do with this televised clusterfuck and lives in Ohio. This season, poor dear Lydia is getting married much too hastily to a man she met at a church in Colorado while she was there for the weekend, because this is literally how she was raised by her terrible parents, who are now boozing it up, living on house boats and fucking around the town. But Lydia has stuck to her vaguely Christian guns and now is marrying Zack, a very religious young man who is insisting they do not so much as kiss before marriage. Lydia is clearly eager to get married so she can bone, while Zach seems less than psyched. And while I have major reservations about Zach's fitness as a husband, In a recent episode, Lydia's putrid trio of brothers, Ethan, Micah, and Isaac, ganged up on Zack, accused him of being gay, set fire to the area where he was planning an elaborate outdoor proposal, and just acted like all around turds to him in such a way That I was physically cringing away from the screen for the whole episode, which is a high bar for someone who has no problem sitting through two-hour episodes of Married at First Sight. Meanwhile, Kim, who is at fault for, in my opinion, pretty much everything bad that has ever happened to this family, makes snide remarks about Lydia rushing to the altar and being in too big a hurry to get married. As if Kim had nothing to do with shaping Lydia's current worldview. You might be thinking, this sounds excruciating to watch. And yeah, it is. But also, I can't look away. No one in this family knows what's good for them. They all continuously make the worst possible choices. They seem incapable of learning a single lesson, and with each season, they find ways to multiply their bad decisions. You could not script this better. And to me, that's what makes a good reality show. So if you're looking to dip a toe into the wide world of Discovery Plus, why not give the Plus a whirl? If nothing else, it'll give you a much needed dose of Schadenfreude, a word that I guarantee zero percent of the Plath family knows. If you check it out, let me know. And don't hate me when you two find you can't look away. Tara: [1:07:02] Welcome in, Grandpas, to the Extra Credits segment. Tara forces everyone to watch The Devil and Daniel Mouse from 1978. We had a recent news item that we didn't talk about, which was that the Canadian animation studio Nelvana is shutting down after 50 plus years. I was curious about which shows I still remembered were theirs. Of course, there is Season One of Clone High, which we all remember. But they also produced all of the strawberry shortcake specials from the 80s, the Care Bears TV show and the Care Bears movie, the 1985 animated version of the Velveteen Rabbit, tons of others. I'm going to put the whole list in the show notes. But when I went to that list, one that jumped out for me was The Devil and Daniel Mouse. It aired on CBC October 5th, 1978. I was about to turn four. I'm not sure I ever saw it. The show, unless it was a perennial Halloween favorite, I probably didn't. This is before you could tape things from TV, but I did have the tie-in book. From Avon Camelot, and I must have looked at it a ton because there were frames while I was watching that I realized I was waiting for. The story, as you can probably guess, is based on The Devil and Daniel Webster. Jan Mouse and Daniel Mouse are folk singing partners, and although they seem to have the same last name, their relationship other than that, unclear. Their career's not going well. Clip one. Clip: [1:08:26] Oh, wow! No audience again! At least he liked us. I think he's deaf. Thank you. We wrote this next song. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. No next song, you're fired. No, you can't. I can too. People don't want your kind of music anymore. They want a rock and roll and disco dance. Yeah, man, groovy, fabulous, buggy. From now on, this is a rock club. Tara: [1:08:58] Okay. Dave: [1:08:59] Some real cold sleather vibes there. Tara: [1:09:01] I was gonna say, this voice performer is making a lot of big choices. So Jan and Daniel are mostly voiced by Annabel Kershaw and Jim Henshaw, although for Daniel's singing voice, they randomly got John Sebastian from The Love and Spoonful, I assume, so they could put it on the record that Also, it was made of this show. Sarah: [1:09:20] Welcome back. Good job. Tara: [1:09:22] Yeah. Afterward, Daniel peels off to try to pawn his guitar so he can try to buy them some food, which is when Jan Mouse has a self-pitying meltdown, clip two. Clip: [1:09:33] If I were a rock star, people would listen. Oh, I'd give anything to be a rock star. Anything. Did you say anything? Who are you? My card, pretty lady. Devil May Care Music Production. The L the Bob President. Tara: [1:10:18] So, yeah, after Jan signs with BLZ in blood on a contract too long for her to read, The Lizard Devil and his assistant Weez Weasel. Make Jan a huge star, leading funky Jan in the animal kingdom right up to the night they put on kiss-like makeup and play what seems to be the Hollywood Bowl and the devil comes to collect her soul. Jan makes a run for it and ends up on the other side of a tree from Daniel. She tells him what's happening and he volunteers to represent her in an obviously rigged trial. with Weez as judge and cloned demons in the jury. But Daniel's closing argument is a song, conveniently the same one that was flopping in the first scene, but now everyone's eating it up. Clip three So, this works. Clip: [1:10:59] Look where the music can take you when you're getting along. Your Honor, I say that music can save your soul and I say that. Song from the heart beats the devil every time. Crazy! I declare you free! We are free! Christmas miss! Tara: [1:11:25] The devil says he was not going to be so nice next time. And that's the end. Fun fact for Dave, who's probably seen it hundreds of times. This was the first Nelvana production to have the polar bear logo at the end, apparently. Dave: [1:11:35] Ah, Monka. Tara: [1:11:37] So, Sarah, what do you think of the changes in this version that were made to let it appeal to children? Sarah: [1:11:44] I think it was fine. I think this is the kind of thing that would have been really effective. On me. I don't remember seeing it, but I don't remember not seeing it, if that makes any sense. Like this animation style of the late 70s that had just a sort of claustrophobic Feeling and way of conveying that seventies, like scratchy polyester, like in the scene at the beginning in the club With like the deaf centipede as their only audience, like there's still an ashtray on the table. Tara: [1:12:09] Mm-hmm. Yeah. Sarah: [1:12:18] Like, what? These are animals. But also, seventies. And Fat Albert had this feel to it, also, this just kind of like, I don't know, the world is like a kind of grimy and dangerous place, even in animated spaces. So I think that this was effective. This is something that my parents probably would have let me watch while rolling their eyes at it. But given the material, it wasn't too earnest. It wasn't, after decades, past the time when it was supposed to appeal to me or that it was going to be my demographic. I don't know. It was it was fine. I think it was s you know, for twenty two minutes long and aimed at grade schoolers or younger. Tara: [1:13:03] Mhm. Sarah: [1:13:04] It was good. Tara: [1:13:05] Yeah, I was surprised it's still pretty dark. Like even in silhouette, they do show Jan. Having her finger pricked so that she can sign the contract in blood. We see ghosts coming up from presumably hell. Like, I don't know what a kid would think it meant for the devil to take your soul. Anyway, Dave, what did you think? Dave: [1:13:21] Well, first of all, let's just acknowledge that that Devil has a lot of DNA shared with his contemporary, the Caramount Devil. Tara: [1:13:28] Mm-hmm. I thought that too. Yep. Dave: [1:13:31] I was a little surprised about some of the things that happen in this production. A truncated Is the Pope Catholic joke happens at one point. Tara: [1:13:37] Uh-huh. Sarah: [1:13:38] Yeah, I thought that was good too. Dave: [1:13:40] There is a point where Janmouse asked the devil during contract negotiations straight up, can I trust you? Tara: [1:13:47] Uh-huh. Dave: [1:13:48] And then the devil turns himself into this like doughy Neil McDonough looking guy with like really blue eyes. Tara: [1:13:54] I love that. Dave: [1:13:56] And then the devil's like, I'm only going to make out with my devil wife on set. And nobody else. That was weird. Tara: [1:14:02] Yes, mm-hmm. Dave: [1:14:03] Um, yeah, callback. Sarah: [1:14:06] Wow, nice callback. Tara: [1:14:07] Yep, mm-hmm. Sarah: [1:14:08] Saying very good. Dave: [1:14:10] But here's my takeaway: Jen's kind of a bitch. Tara: [1:14:12] Yeah, I I had a question about that as well. Dave: [1:14:14] But wait, let me just paint it so we know. Tara: [1:14:18] Please. Dave: [1:14:18] You heard them struggling at the bar, which they were just fired at. Not enough money to feed themselves. Boy Mouse goes out and tries to hawk his guitar for lunch money. Tara: [1:14:30] It's Daniel, his name is in the title. Dave: [1:14:32] Oh, yeah. Tara: [1:14:32] Go on. Dave: [1:14:34] Danny M. Tara: [1:14:35] Mm-hmm. Dave: [1:14:36] Tries to get some money hawking his guitar. It seems to be that he sold it, but then later he shows up with the guitar. So I don't know what happened there. Tara: [1:14:43] Unclear. Dave: [1:14:44] Poor writing. Tara: [1:14:45] Yeah. Dave: [1:14:45] While he's doing that, Jan is approached by the devil for this soul deal, and she's like, yep, let's do it. Tara: [1:14:51] Uh-huh. Dave: [1:14:54] Fuck that guy getting the lunch money. I guess fuck Daniel M totally because I'll just go off. How about, well, can I bring my friend along? Can he at least be the guitarist for my new fabulous band in which I will make millions of dollars and be super famous? No, not a thought for Daniel. Fuck Daniel, says Jan, with her giant fucking hair and her smug goddamn mouse looks So by the time Jan's like, all right, it's time to pay the Piper, I'm like, good, great, fucking go to hell, Jan. Tara: [1:15:11] Yep. Mhm. Yeah. Dave: [1:15:26] And it didn't happen. Daniel, being the fucking chump that he is, makes this whole court case, which by the way was bullshit. Tara: [1:15:30] Yeah, he's a real simp. Dave: [1:15:36] First, they try to win on the fact that the jury only has three demons on it, and then the devil's like, all right, fine, I'll clone them. And now there's 12. And then there's something else. And then he's like, well, you know what? Really, it is. It's a song. And then everybody loves the song so much that the weasel judge. Out of his gourd, says, All right, you win for some reason. Where really what should have happened is Jan goes to hell because she signed a contract. Sarah: [1:16:02] Yeah, terms and conditions apply. Tara: [1:16:02] Yeah. You gotta read them. Dave: [1:16:05] Yeah. Sarah: [1:16:06] Here they are. Tara: [1:16:06] Yeah, I agree. A lot of what happens is basically Jan's fault for blowing off her partner and barely thinking about him again at all to the point where He comes to her mansion and she sort of sees him out the window and is like, Who is that? To one of her underlings. It's like, Bitch, who do you think it is? He's still wearing the same clothes that he had on when you left him. Dave: [1:16:26] And there's a lot of weird things about the world. Like, one of the things I was a little confused about is when Daniel first comes to Jan's judicial, a judicial words, aid. Tara: [1:16:38] Legal? Uh-huh. Dave: [1:16:41] That he says, this is a democratic forest full of animals that live to kill each other in a preordained order. Tara: [1:16:53] Right. Dave: [1:16:53] But therefore, the devil's like, I guess we gotta have this goddamn fucking court case. And he's like there. He's basically the devil, the Ned Flanders devil from The Simpsons. He's like, oh, Jesus Christ, you humans with your fucking court mandates. Fine, we'll do it. And he's like always harping on about all these technicalities. And he's right, but his fatal mistake was he had a contract in hand. He didn't have to go through all these theatrics. He just sort of Suck them down into hell, and that's the end of the show. And thousands and millions of Canadian kids are scarred for life. But that's the price you pay to maintain the integrity of our legal system. Tara: [1:17:30] Sarah, your your thoughts. Sarah: [1:17:31] Yeah. Dave: [1:17:32] I press my case. Sarah: [1:17:33] I mean, I agree. It's like the devil went down to Georgia. There is not a chord in the land that thinks Johnny was better than the devil's rhythm section. It's just like, I know it's a hack thing to say, but I'm going to keep bringing it up until the devil comes for me. Come on. But yeah, she really and she's not even like sort of entertainingly self-absorbed and diva-esque about shedding Daniel Mouse. She just doesn't think about him again. Dave: [1:18:02] She's a real cunt. Tara: [1:18:04] What a cunt. Sarah: [1:18:05] Yeah. Dave: [1:18:06] What a cunt. Sarah: [1:18:07] What a cu what a cunt. Dave: [1:18:07] What a mouse cunt. Sarah: [1:18:10] Yeah. And but and a simpy mouse cunt, the worst kind of mouse cunt, everyone knows. Dave: [1:18:15] Yeah. Tara: [1:18:15] Yeah. Dave: [1:18:16] There was some weird editing, too. There's one point where there yeah. Tara: [1:18:19] Oh, you don't say. Dave: [1:18:21] But like that really belays the fact that there were whole scenes that were cut because they're at the concert and you know first they're in kiss get up and then they're in I don't know Fleetwood Mac mode or something like that And at one point, the weasel, who is one of the band members, just has his whole snout is in bandages. I'm like, for one scene, I'm like, what was that? What's the backstory behind the bandages? They're and gone, never explained. The other part I liked about the weasel is that at some point, I think it's during the trial, he is waving a Beelzebub pennant, rooting for the home team at court. Tara: [1:18:52] Yeah, he is. Yeah. Dave: [1:18:56] This is, yeah. Sarah: [1:18:56] Sure. Tara: [1:18:57] He's also when we first meet him in like a Zoot suit, and then he transforms when he gives Jan her makeover into like a Ziggy Stardust type of you know jumpsuit, which is very chic. Dave: [1:19:08] He really looked like the weasels from Roger Rabbit, now that I'm thinking about it. Tara: [1:19:12] Mm-hmm. I also have to say though, as much as I hate Jan, and we all do, her glam for the Rolling Moss interview is kind of undeniable, where she's in like a sort of glittery calf tan. with like a big like blonde updo wig, I assume, because her hair is totally normal after that. She sits there sits there with her finger out and a butterfly lands on it like I, when that shot came up, I was like, oh, I must have stared at this picture in this book for like hours because I remembered every detail of it. Dave: [1:19:43] Yeah. Tara: [1:19:43] It would have activated the same pleasure center in my brain as looking at the Grease soundtrack album and seeing the like before and after Sandy's. Sarah: [1:19:45] Mm-hmm. Dave: [1:19:48] Right. Tara: [1:19:51] This is very really a moment in Young Tara's life. Dave: [1:19:55] The analogue for me, the contemporary analogue, is boy, I forget what it's called. Is it the rat the mongoose? Is that what that was called? Or is it Ricky Tikki? Tara: [1:20:04] Ricky Tikki Tabby. Dave: [1:20:05] Ricky Tiki Tovi. I forget what they titled it. Maybe it was one of those things where they had an A-B test or something like that. But you know what I'm talking about, right? Tara: [1:20:11] Uh-huh. Yeah. Dave: [1:20:12] And that's pretty scary, right? Because there's a snake that's trying to kill this kid in this room. and the rat is the only thing in between them. And it had sort of a lot of deathy things going on. For a cartoon, and you're like, oh boy, cartoons. Sarah: [1:20:28] Deathy things. Dave: [1:20:32] And then suddenly you're like, oh no, my world is crumbling. I am a child, and I thought I was safe. And now I am no longer safe. There are things I cannot control that will do me. Tara: [1:20:41] Uh-huh. Dave: [1:20:43] Forever cartoon style. Tara: [1:20:44] Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Dave: [1:20:47] So I understand where you're coming from as far as how indelible of an impression it makes. Tara: [1:20:53] Mhm. Dave: [1:20:53] Even though you never saw the cartoon somehow. Sarah: [1:20:54] Yeah. Tara: [1:20:55] I probably didn't, yeah. Sarah: [1:20:56] Yeah. Dave: [1:20:56] Yeah. Sarah: [1:20:56] That Watership Down is just blithely airing on television for children to watch and they're like But it's cartoons and bunnies, and my parents at least are like, go to bed. Dave: [1:20:58] Yes, good example. Tara: [1:20:59] Oh, yes. Dave: [1:21:00] Yep. Sarah: [1:21:06] I'm like, it's still light out. Dave: [1:21:07] Yeah. Here, let me put on this animated version of 1984 to put you to sleep. Sarah: [1:21:12] Yeah. Dave: [1:21:12] What? No, still up. Brave new world. Here we go. Tara: [1:21:19] I'm also going to say shots fired at failing musicians with the huge pile of unwanted guitars at the pawn shop. Sarah: [1:21:25] Yeah. Tara: [1:21:26] That was rough. Dave: [1:21:27] What's up with that guy though? Stop buying guitars. Tara: [1:21:29] Well, yeah. Dave: [1:21:29] You're not obligated to buy things that people bring into your pawn shop. Just fucking say, I got enough. Tara: [1:21:33] True. Sarah: [1:21:36] I don't think he did buy Daniel's, though. I think that's why Daniel still had it, but who cares? Dave: [1:21:42] But that that that's I want to see that was unclear and then he had his guitar later which I understand you know you connect A and B But then, so many other things were like, I think there's a whole scene where he goes on sort of Lord of the Rings-esque quest for a new guitar. Tara: [1:21:56] Mm for sure. Dave: [1:21:57] By the way, that's what the animation reminded me of: the Lord of the Rings 70s cartoon. Tara: [1:22:01] Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dave: [1:22:01] Yeah. Sarah: [1:22:02] I got a David the Gnome vibe, but Okay. Tara: [1:22:04] That too, yes. Dave: [1:22:05] That too. Tara: [1:22:06] Yep. They also, the fourth clip is just like letting the children know all the bad things that can happen to you if you try to be a musical artist. Clip four. Clip: [1:22:16] Feist, Gerrard! It's your rat. He owned a record company that cheated at singers. Second, Gerard! Who's that? S. Leech. He was an agent who let his singers draw. Third Gerar Who's that? Richard. She was a big star until she lost her voice. She hates everyone, especially other singers. Tara: [1:22:51] Yikes, all rising up from hell. Sarah: [1:22:53] Mm-hmm. Become accountants, kids. Much safer. Dave: [1:23:00] Well, guys, that is it for another episode of Extra, Extra Hot Great. I didn't write down the first thing. What was the first thing? Task. Ha ha. Sarah: [1:23:12] Force. Dave: [1:23:12] Looks like I failed at one. Tara: [1:23:15] Task. Dave: [1:23:15] Force. Oh. Before answering your burning ask EHG question, people are going to be like, Did he plan that whole thing, or was that just really good improv? You'll never know. I didn't plan it. Before answering your burning, ask EHG questions like what's the Papal Boosom Buddy Show called and who is the new Running Man host? Dave sang the praises of somebody's Somewhere's performance of Don't Give Up for the tiny musical performance Canon. We celebrated those who weren't quite the best and worst of the week. Steph welcomed us to Plathville on the first green screen and wrapped it all up with another musical Odyssey, The Devil and Daniel Mouse. Next up is season four of The Morning Show. Remember I am David T. Clip: [1:24:00] We're listening. Ah! Dave: [1:24:05] Cole, and on behalf of Dar Ariano. Tara: [1:24:08] Being a big star is really great, but lonely too sometimes. Dave: [1:24:12] And Sarah D. Bunting. Sarah: [1:24:14] No one cheats the devil on his technicality. Dave: [1:24:18] Thanks for listening, everyone, and we'll see you next time right here on Extra, Extra Helik. Clip: [1:24:28] I sold my soul to the devil. Yeah? What? Yeah? At midnight, he's coming to get me. Wow. That's heavy. Oh, you'd better go. Dave: [1:24:46] Can we pause for a second? I have to pee so bad. Okay. Sarah: [1:24:49] Mm-hmm. Dave: [1:24:49] Okay, bad. Got a pee in the one bathroom that works. By the way, that line delivery, and that was very Schmidt. I got a pee in the one bathroom that works. Clip: [1:25:06] This is Extra Hot Great Minis. Today's topic is messing around the dial. Welcome to another week of Extra Hot Great Minis. Joining us this week is Roger Cormier. Hello, Roger. Hello, Roger. Hello. We didn't have Dave's weekly apology, and this week's apology was for the no minis last week because I was so out of it. Oh, yeah. Minis every turn. Normally, the weekly apology is on again with this, so you're screwed up again. You can apologize for this one next week. Today's topic is about our friend Deborah Messing. Last week, finally saw the premiere of ABC's remake of Dirty Dancing, starring Deborah Messing as the mom, a movie no one in the world thought was at all okay, except. Me? That's not to say it was good. It was just not the worst thing ever. Moving on, please cast Ms. Messing in her next Made for TV remake of an 80s movie. I will go first. Lifetime Remakes Big Business with Deborah Messing and her physical opposite TV trained comedian co-star, Leah Remini, with as rune. The part made famous by Fred Ward. Justin Theroux, thank you so much. Roger. Uh-huh. Why wait for the disappointment of whatever repackaged horrors awaits you with Top Gun 2? when you can see Deborah messing in the role she was born to play. The Top Gun, aka Maverick, the iron-willed Navy pilot with the grace of an eagle in Top Gun. Amazing, Sarah. Esteemed colleague Linda Holmes, this one's for you because fire is fire. She needs to take the Peter Coyote cop role in The Legend of Billie Jean. Dave, take a self. She's the Richard Dawson character Killian in the TV version of The Running Man. But. She comes with all the knowledge and cluelessness that she exhibits on Twitter when explaining things about the game show and all the contestants and fighters such as Dynamo and whatnot. And I think that would work really well. Oh my god. Yeah. I'm so sad you even know that she's clueless on Twitter because exactly. That's why I'm saying I'm sorry. Oh, I see. Apology, accept it.