Why 'Lady in the Lake' Sinks, How 'Ripley' Transports, and 'The Challenge' Turns 40

[00:00:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Hey everybody, welcome to Taking It Down.

[00:00:07] [SPEAKER_01]: We've been on a two week break, right?

[00:00:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Two weeks is a long time in week to week podcasting.

[00:00:15] [SPEAKER_01]: But we take our break in August for various reasons.

[00:00:19] [SPEAKER_01]: And during that break, our house ended up with a bearded dragon.

[00:00:25] [SPEAKER_01]: That's been talked about a lot in the newsletter.

[00:00:27] [SPEAKER_01]: If you have the newsletter come into your email inbox, you know all about King the bearded

[00:00:34] [SPEAKER_01]: dragon, my daughter's new pet.

[00:00:37] [SPEAKER_01]: By the way, if you own a bearded dragon, holler at me.

[00:00:41] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm interested.

[00:00:44] [SPEAKER_01]: People, we all like new music and we probably all need new music that comforts the soul.

[00:00:50] [SPEAKER_01]: I never know where to look for it, where to start.

[00:00:52] [SPEAKER_01]: Let me point you though to an artist you should love.

[00:00:57] [SPEAKER_01]: Semi-Athletic.

[00:00:59] [SPEAKER_01]: If you've never really understood the phrase well produced when it comes to songs, listen

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER_01]: to Semi-Athletic.

[00:01:06] [SPEAKER_01]: I would start with the album Try Hard and let that intelligent lyricism filled with

[00:01:12] [SPEAKER_01]: nostalgia but not filled with the saccharin of semi-athletic.

[00:01:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Just let it wash over you.

[00:01:19] [SPEAKER_01]: It's good stuff.

[00:01:21] [SPEAKER_01]: Follow Semi-Athletic on Instagram and stay up to date on his shows, he and his band.

[00:01:28] [SPEAKER_01]: Where they play, visit his site at Semi-Athletic.com.

[00:01:32] [SPEAKER_01]: Great band name too by the way.

[00:01:36] [SPEAKER_01]: We've got King the bearded dragon.

[00:01:39] [SPEAKER_01]: He's funny.

[00:01:40] [SPEAKER_01]: If you've never been around a bearded dragon, they're kind of funny.

[00:01:43] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if they mean to have these expressions but they do.

[00:01:46] [SPEAKER_01]: He'll look at you, he'll side eye you if he's not too keen on what you're up to.

[00:01:52] [SPEAKER_01]: My favorite thing that I think all of them do this is if they don't want what you're

[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_01]: giving them, say the food you're offering, they'll shut their eyes and kind of pretend

[00:02:02] [SPEAKER_01]: they're asleep.

[00:02:03] [SPEAKER_01]: It's absolutely hilarious.

[00:02:05] [SPEAKER_01]: So if you're a bearded dragon owner you probably know that if yours does such.

[00:02:11] [SPEAKER_01]: They all have a personality from my understanding.

[00:02:14] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm new to it.

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_01]: Bought a book, reading up on him, taking care of him, trying to do right by him.

[00:02:21] [SPEAKER_01]: My daughter loves him.

[00:02:23] [SPEAKER_01]: That's one of the things I did during break.

[00:02:25] [SPEAKER_01]: The other reason we take an August break is that I am a teacher.

[00:02:28] [SPEAKER_01]: I try to get my life together for teaching including the classroom, including the training

[00:02:37] [SPEAKER_01]: we often do at the beginning of August.

[00:02:40] [SPEAKER_01]: It's a tough time, it's rough.

[00:02:42] [SPEAKER_01]: It's exhausting but we make it every year, don't we?

[00:02:49] [SPEAKER_01]: When it comes to podcasts, I don't know if you know where to look.

[00:02:53] [SPEAKER_01]: It can be hard to find a podcast you like.

[00:02:57] [SPEAKER_01]: I've seen a lot of people say that.

[00:02:59] [SPEAKER_01]: I've got one for you.

[00:03:01] [SPEAKER_01]: SETI BIMCO Part 2 The Revenge.

[00:03:03] [SPEAKER_01]: That's a mouthful.

[00:03:05] [SPEAKER_01]: SETI BIMCO Part 2 The Revenge.

[00:03:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Join Tim and George.

[00:03:13] [SPEAKER_01]: One is a New York cartoonist and children's book author and the other is a New York Times

[00:03:18] [SPEAKER_01]: bestselling author.

[00:03:20] [SPEAKER_01]: And what they do is they get together, pick a bad movie, and decide on its sequel.

[00:03:27] [SPEAKER_01]: It's a revenge themed podcast.

[00:03:32] [SPEAKER_01]: Of course revenge is tongue in cheek in a way.

[00:03:35] [SPEAKER_01]: Revenge sequels that Hollywood never made.

[00:03:38] [SPEAKER_01]: Funny stuff there.

[00:03:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Check out SETI BIMCO Part 2 The Revenge in any podcast player.

[00:03:47] [SPEAKER_01]: You know I don't have a lot here up front.

[00:03:50] [SPEAKER_01]: Sometimes I'll talk to you about a show but I think all our show talk, our TV and streaming

[00:03:55] [SPEAKER_01]: talk is in the part with my guys, with my co-host Adam and Donovan.

[00:04:02] [SPEAKER_01]: They're going to be on quick.

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER_01]: I do want to say though, before I go any further, big thank yous to three people.

[00:04:08] [SPEAKER_01]: One is 87Jetta.

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_01]: He's been a fan of the Alabama Takes site, our home site and our podcast network and

[00:04:16] [SPEAKER_01]: this podcast for a long time.

[00:04:18] [SPEAKER_01]: He is often the first to reply, the first person to tell us what's going on.

[00:04:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Special thanks to him.

[00:04:27] [SPEAKER_01]: I asked, I reached out to him, 87Jetta, for some specific feedback on some things.

[00:04:33] [SPEAKER_01]: This break we take in August every year is a good time to reflect and see if anything

[00:04:37] [SPEAKER_01]: needs changing.

[00:04:39] [SPEAKER_01]: And you know he gave very specific feedback.

[00:04:43] [SPEAKER_01]: Just a thank you to him.

[00:04:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Also a thank you to Mark Falk.

[00:04:47] [SPEAKER_01]: He's a listener.

[00:04:49] [SPEAKER_01]: He gave me some very specific, very practical feedback on the podcast as well as Josh Hamilton

[00:04:59] [SPEAKER_01]: who gave me a comment on what he thought too.

[00:05:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Again, I trust all these guys.

[00:05:05] [SPEAKER_01]: They are lovely people and just a thank you to them.

[00:05:09] [SPEAKER_01]: The only thing I would add, TV and streaming related here on the front end when I talk

[00:05:13] [SPEAKER_01]: is a good chance we might be talking about Bad Monkey, the Apple TV plus show in the

[00:05:22] [SPEAKER_01]: coming weeks and probably will continue some talk about the Netflix series Ripley but

[00:05:29] [SPEAKER_01]: you'll hear why on Ripley today.

[00:05:34] [SPEAKER_01]: Let's get in the show and bring in Adam and Donovan.

[00:05:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks y'all.

[00:05:37] [SPEAKER_03]: I love a take projection.

[00:05:46] [SPEAKER_01]: It's all of us back.

[00:05:47] [SPEAKER_01]: How can I say this any more pleasantly and with energy?

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Blaine, you can't spell saddle without sad.

[00:05:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Yes.

[00:05:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Back in the saddle.

[00:05:59] [SPEAKER_01]: It's Donovan, it's Adam and you know us.

[00:06:02] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't go through introductions much anymore.

[00:06:03] [SPEAKER_01]: You know us but I've got, I want to jump right into two things that we don't do

[00:06:08] [SPEAKER_01]: on here.

[00:06:09] [SPEAKER_01]: We don't talk movies unless they're streaming but Adam made it to the theater two times

[00:06:14] [SPEAKER_01]: in this break, in this two week break.

[00:06:17] [SPEAKER_01]: He became a cinephile.

[00:06:20] [SPEAKER_01]: Where do we want to start with the kneecap?

[00:06:22] [SPEAKER_01]: Should I tell the anecdote about this?

[00:06:24] [SPEAKER_03]: I think that's a good anecdote.

[00:06:26] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm in the middle of one of my hectic days.

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER_01]: You know we take the break in August because I do teach.

[00:06:33] [SPEAKER_01]: That explains it.

[00:06:34] [SPEAKER_01]: We do it last year, we do it next year I'm sure.

[00:06:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Adam sends a text to us, Donovan and I.

[00:06:42] [SPEAKER_01]: It says I may check out that kneecap picture.

[00:06:47] [SPEAKER_01]: And this was during a lot of the London riots and a lot of the texting of the London

[00:06:53] [SPEAKER_01]: riots.

[00:06:53] [SPEAKER_01]: None of which I'd replied to.

[00:06:54] [SPEAKER_01]: I'd only seen them talk about.

[00:06:56] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I think to myself Jesus Christ man the London riots have gotten so brutal

[00:07:02] [SPEAKER_01]: that they're putting pictures of people getting kneecapped online.

[00:07:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe the Times has it, I don't know.

[00:07:10] [SPEAKER_00]: This is funny on a few levels but one you were so disengaged.

[00:07:14] [SPEAKER_00]: The riots weren't really centralized in London at all.

[00:07:17] [SPEAKER_00]: So there's that.

[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Where they know that?

[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_00]: No, they're like a lot in the north.

[00:07:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Bunch of Birmingham motherfuckers.

[00:07:23] [SPEAKER_00]: So that's funny element one.

[00:07:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Funny element two is the idea that I am still an innocent enough internet citizen that I

[00:07:33] [SPEAKER_00]: would text my friends that I'm thinking about looking at a picture of violence from

[00:07:38] [SPEAKER_00]: a piece of news.

[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_00]: I may check out the kneecap.

[00:07:41] [SPEAKER_00]: If I work up the guts, I'm going to look at the kneecapping picture.

[00:07:45] [SPEAKER_03]: I hope from now on Blaine takes any movie title I'm thinking about watching like

[00:07:50] [SPEAKER_03]: very incorrect and very literally.

[00:07:53] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to see Wolverine.

[00:07:54] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh Adam must be going to the zoo today.

[00:07:57] [SPEAKER_01]: This is fascinating.

[00:07:59] [SPEAKER_00]: I got a taxidermist buddy.

[00:08:05] [SPEAKER_01]: In actuality kneecaps a movie and I still have yet to see an ad for this movie.

[00:08:10] [SPEAKER_01]: So how you came to it, I don't know but you saw it.

[00:08:14] [SPEAKER_00]: You make it seem like I'm out in the wilderness like you guys are hard at work

[00:08:19] [SPEAKER_00]: and I'm out just seeking out kneecapping violent images.

[00:08:23] [SPEAKER_00]: And if not that then like how did this rascal find this movie that only he's heard of?

[00:08:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Is it a little bit more art house than mainstream?

[00:08:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah.

[00:08:36] [SPEAKER_00]: But it's gotten a fair amount of coverage and the band has gotten quite a bit of

[00:08:40] [SPEAKER_00]: coverage.

[00:08:40] [SPEAKER_00]: So the idea is there's this rap group from Northern Ireland who rap in Irish

[00:08:47] [SPEAKER_00]: and have gotten tons and tons of traction and attention over the last few years both as like

[00:08:54] [SPEAKER_00]: a like we actually enjoy this music and as like a think piece.

[00:08:59] [SPEAKER_00]: So they've been all over NPR and New York Times and that sort of thing.

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_01]: In this like an Irish Lee Maynes.

[00:09:09] [SPEAKER_00]: With beats and a lot more drugs yeah.

[00:09:14] [SPEAKER_00]: It's fair.

[00:09:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Not to say that Lee does not have a beat but this is all DJ based music.

[00:09:22] [SPEAKER_03]: You're underselling Lee's drummer here.

[00:09:25] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know about that.

[00:09:25] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know how I feel about that.

[00:09:27] [SPEAKER_00]: And Lee sense of rhythm.

[00:09:30] [SPEAKER_01]: Syncopated at times.

[00:09:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, but the yeah it's two rappers and a DJ

[00:09:35] [SPEAKER_00]: and like the DJ always wears a face covering with the the tri-color of the Irish flag.

[00:09:43] [SPEAKER_00]: So the the story, the film is their I don't even know if they would call it stardom.

[00:09:50] [SPEAKER_00]: They're in a conventional telling it would be the rise to stardom but it's really just

[00:09:55] [SPEAKER_00]: the creation of their band and accidental success.

[00:09:59] [SPEAKER_01]: It's documentary?

[00:10:01] [SPEAKER_00]: No it's fictionalized but it blurs the lines so like their origin story is they were out

[00:10:08] [SPEAKER_00]: causing trouble doing graffiti or something like that.

[00:10:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Two of the guys or one of the guys runs one of their friends gets arrested thrown in jail.

[00:10:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Refuses to do to speak to the police in English he only wants to speak Irish

[00:10:25] [SPEAKER_00]: and of course since they're in Northern Ireland and there's this huge influence from England

[00:10:30] [SPEAKER_00]: you know this is a political strong political statement and they they literally can't understand

[00:10:36] [SPEAKER_00]: and so they just hold him in jail overnight and in response to this clear infringement upon his rights

[00:10:43] [SPEAKER_00]: which were not written in law yet since then this was around the time that this was happening

[00:10:49] [SPEAKER_00]: that they were going to make Irish an official language in Northern Ireland.

[00:10:53] [SPEAKER_00]: So they released this song about the situation of being Irish in Northern Ireland essentially

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_00]: but it's great.

[00:11:01] [SPEAKER_01]: You heavily praised it on on threads you went on threads day of and was like you know go

[00:11:06] [SPEAKER_01]: see this movie.

[00:11:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

[00:11:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Everyone.

[00:11:08] [SPEAKER_00]: One of yeah and the more that I've thought about it I mean I think it's it's bombastic

[00:11:13] [SPEAKER_00]: it's you know they are dudes just getting absolutely blasted and making rap music so

[00:11:19] [SPEAKER_00]: it's not like a a totally pure ideological story but it is fascinating in the way.

[00:11:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Wait a minute are you are you walking back your threads post?

[00:11:31] [SPEAKER_00]: No not at all I'm just saying if you if you're looking at it from a

[00:11:35] [SPEAKER_00]: I've kind of sold it as like a think piece it is it's it's a party too.

[00:11:42] [SPEAKER_01]: Hey that's my favorite kind of party I think peace party okay but you also went to the movies

[00:11:48] [SPEAKER_01]: again I bet with your wife on this one I did I bet Natalie joined you yeah

[00:11:54] [SPEAKER_01]: Deadpool and Wolverine no spoilers because I haven't seen it Donovan hasn't seen it in

[00:11:58] [SPEAKER_01]: fact we were just debating on if we will see it and when but give me a couple minutes

[00:12:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Deadpool and Wolverine.

[00:12:04] [SPEAKER_00]: I had not seen any of the Deadpool films until like three weeks ago the whole schtick kind

[00:12:11] [SPEAKER_00]: of annoyed me by you know we hit the point where like like I don't really want to hear

[00:12:17] [SPEAKER_00]: fish after hanging out with fish fans you know like that's not necessarily true of

[00:12:22] [SPEAKER_00]: fish in particular but you know what I mean where the fan base is just like

[00:12:26] [SPEAKER_00]: so annoying and the the gimmick feels annoying and then I saw the one and two I was like

[00:12:32] [SPEAKER_00]: pretty good went to the theater saw that it was fine but that is the most adhd

[00:12:40] [SPEAKER_00]: theater experience I have ever had like kids just kind of walking around adults coming and

[00:12:47] [SPEAKER_00]: going from the theater it was just bizarre this is who loves Deadpool kids love Deadpool

[00:12:54] [SPEAKER_00]: adults were like I mean that door was just swinging open the entire time like what are

[00:12:59] [SPEAKER_00]: you guys doing we're in a public theater it was bizarre man wait a minute what what were

[00:13:04] [SPEAKER_00]: they doing just no one could sit still it was like this fidgety strange I don't know

[00:13:11] [SPEAKER_00]: it was like it was like if reddit had taken over a theater I mean maybe I just had a weird

[00:13:18] [SPEAKER_01]: weird crowd but well was was Hugh Jackman any good he's fine yeah okay and he's

[00:13:27] [SPEAKER_01]: I know there's surprises but like are there any that really even caught you off guard

[00:13:32] [SPEAKER_00]: no but I'm so desensitized to the marvel shenanigans at this point that yeah I mean how

[00:13:40] [SPEAKER_00]: can you surprise anybody maybe my saying that one and two were better is based on the fact

[00:13:46] [SPEAKER_00]: that there's no uh you know timey wyminess in them and they they try to do that in this

[00:13:53] [SPEAKER_03]: and I'm just so over that uh-huh no yeah I feel it I feel exhausted as well

[00:14:01] [SPEAKER_00]: I really the crowd thing just struck me so much because if you had asked me to describe

[00:14:05] [SPEAKER_00]: what it would be like like who was in a theater stoked to see Deadpool before I'd seen any of

[00:14:11] [SPEAKER_00]: these movies it is exactly what I thought it was so this is me kind of being an asshole

[00:14:15] [SPEAKER_03]: because in many cases I don't want to talk to people who like the things that I like

[00:14:20] [SPEAKER_03]: I just I don't want to talk to those people but like I do like especially like if I see

[00:14:24] [SPEAKER_03]: like a Deadpool sticker or a Deadpool shirt on someone it's like uh walk away other way

[00:14:30] [SPEAKER_00]: other direction you just don't engage even if they are good people you know who believe in

[00:14:39] [SPEAKER_00]: things that we may collectively say are good because this next word I'm going to use has

[00:14:43] [SPEAKER_00]: a bad connotation obviously at this point but there's some edgelord to it yes that's it

[00:14:50] [SPEAKER_03]: exactly it honestly but it's like so it's it's like edgelord stuff but I do feel

[00:14:56] [SPEAKER_03]: that it's almost the same level of wailing waiting uh wearing a shirt from Walmart that

[00:15:03] [SPEAKER_01]: says I only speak sarcasm that is exactly what it is yeah I just never could get into

[00:15:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Deadpool I've watched the first one and like half of the second one it the the breaking

[00:15:16] [SPEAKER_01]: the fourth wall I never found funny at all it's just too cutesy uh in the comics in the movie

[00:15:24] [SPEAKER_01]: it's just that's not funny like there's I don't know it's like there's little thought

[00:15:28] [SPEAKER_01]: to the joke it took welcome to rexum for me to come around on ryan reynolds because

[00:15:36] [SPEAKER_01]: having I just did not like the Deadpool shtick and it's some of it's him uh but

[00:15:42] [SPEAKER_01]: I can see how it's also lovable through his uh actual persona on welcome to rexum so he

[00:15:51] [SPEAKER_03]: he is actually an actor I think I agree with you blaine where he looks like I'm just kind

[00:15:56] [SPEAKER_03]: of like you you can really grate on me but he seems like a perfectly lovely person so

[00:16:00] [SPEAKER_01]: hold that against him yes he really does okay so that's what we did on our late summer break

[00:16:06] [SPEAKER_01]: at least somewhat uh we're going to be covering three things and since we do at the top of the

[00:16:12] [SPEAKER_01]: show we offer quick ideas on do we recommend it just so no one can get spoiled or doesn't have

[00:16:21] [SPEAKER_01]: to be spoiled so lady in the lake on apple tv plus hit me up if you ever watch something

[00:16:28] [SPEAKER_03]: that's very frenetic but you're not quite sure what the point is yeah I did this morning

[00:16:36] [SPEAKER_03]: with this with apples lady in the lake do you recommend it without dipping in the spoiler

[00:16:42] [SPEAKER_03]: territory I just watched one episode and I honestly can't say if I do or not because

[00:16:47] [SPEAKER_03]: like I'm a little bit like maybe I'd like to know what happened but I think that may

[00:16:52] [SPEAKER_03]: in part be just because I don't really know what's going on they haven't laid it out for

[00:16:56] [SPEAKER_03]: me yet and I don't know if I'm I don't know if if I don't know if I'm gonna care in three episodes

[00:17:02] [SPEAKER_03]: so uh this one's this one's probably probably lean unless I read something about the rest of

[00:17:11] [SPEAKER_03]: it that makes it seem fantastic I'm gonna read lean more towards uh no although Natalie

[00:17:16] [SPEAKER_03]: Portman is fun so you know good for her she's doing a fun little accent she's okay in this

[00:17:22] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't even think she's very good she's kind of okay but I was not on board with this

[00:17:27] [SPEAKER_01]: I'll explain why in the spoilers but I don't recommend lady in the lake on apple tv at all

[00:17:34] [SPEAKER_01]: we're also talking about Ripley from Netflix we're kind of backing up to April when it came out

[00:17:39] [SPEAKER_01]: it flew by us somehow do we recommend Ripley do we is that a thumbs up where are we going

[00:17:45] [SPEAKER_03]: with that one now this one's a thumbs up for me I've watched three episodes of it so far

[00:17:50] [SPEAKER_03]: I would like I mean I know how it ends because you know it's like a 50 year old book so I think

[00:17:56] [SPEAKER_03]: that I think the ending is out there and it's been adapted several times uh but I'm enjoying

[00:18:03] [SPEAKER_03]: this I'm enjoying this particular take I'm enjoying Andrew Scott and I like the rest of

[00:18:08] [SPEAKER_01]: the actors as well yeah I think it's very interesting it's doable big thumbs up from me

[00:18:17] [SPEAKER_01]: it's transportive kind of takes me there you know I like that I will say I think if you have seen

[00:18:24] [SPEAKER_03]: other Ripley adaptations including the what was it was it the 2000 movie you know the one with

[00:18:29] [SPEAKER_03]: 99 Damon and 99 yeah that one I think it's doing things differently enough that you're

[00:18:35] [SPEAKER_03]: like yeah I know plot wise what's gonna happen but like I stick around see what you think

[00:18:42] [SPEAKER_01]: all right that takes us to we're gonna put a little at the end on the challenge season 40

[00:18:47] [SPEAKER_01]: and uh y'all know how we feel about this but let's talk specifics season 40 Adam

[00:18:55] [SPEAKER_01]: if no one's ever seen the challenge why would you say just start here this is this for you

[00:19:00] [SPEAKER_00]: with this season specifically I think this is possibly a good way to get familiarized with

[00:19:07] [SPEAKER_00]: of our primary characters and I think they're probably going to do enough

[00:19:13] [SPEAKER_00]: backstory to set the table that this would be a great introductory

[00:19:17] [SPEAKER_00]: season so that you can if you want to go backwards and watch the very very early stuff

[00:19:24] [SPEAKER_00]: that's fun if you want to skip ahead to where it kind of becomes the show that we know now

[00:19:29] [SPEAKER_00]: you can do that or you could just say okay I know CT had this wild personality arc I'm

[00:19:36] [SPEAKER_01]: gonna carry on past season 40 mm-hmm or in the words of my six-year-old daughter I like bananas

[00:19:46] [SPEAKER_01]: I think she meant she just liked saying the word because that's his name she can't fathom

[00:19:51] [SPEAKER_01]: somebody's name being bananas so we will get into all of those things and let's begin doing

[00:19:58] [SPEAKER_01]: that so let's get the bad out of the way I was intrigued about the trailer for the apple tv

[00:20:04] [SPEAKER_01]: plus show lady in the lake and listeners I'm no longer intrigued should have a lot going for

[00:20:11] [SPEAKER_01]: it though right like on paper it should have and I even sent you guys the trailer or just

[00:20:15] [SPEAKER_01]: yes of it and yes what a mess of a show I watched the first episode and I tell you this

[00:20:21] [SPEAKER_01]: not once that I watch it but twice to make sure I was not losing my mind now you you

[00:20:27] [SPEAKER_03]: with me before I watched the show so I thought I'm not sure if I needed like a second rewatch to

[00:20:35] [SPEAKER_03]: watch it possibly I was primed by knowing that though they're like it's like Blaine spent two

[00:20:42] [SPEAKER_03]: hours of his life trying to figure out what he just saw yeah and I even went so far as to give

[00:20:49] [SPEAKER_01]: the show some credit and watch the second episode which you didn't I did not I've only

[00:20:54] [SPEAKER_03]: watched the first yeah I wanted to see if there's any improvement I don't see that's that would be

[00:20:59] [SPEAKER_03]: that's my only question like is there any more or is this just kind of what it almost this is

[00:21:06] [SPEAKER_03]: not quite fair but at points you know how uh you kind of famously I think maybe it was

[00:21:12] [SPEAKER_03]: Eisenstein or one of them but kind of famously in montage they figured out that like

[00:21:15] [SPEAKER_03]: if you put successive images in a row like on the famous like Potemkin stairs scene

[00:21:23] [SPEAKER_03]: and Battleship Potemkin the viewer's mind will fill in the blanks and connect those images

[00:21:30] [SPEAKER_03]: and I felt like somebody had read that and never understood a word of it

[00:21:35] [SPEAKER_03]: and was like people like successive images well I get that it's a Thanksgiving parade but

[00:21:44] [SPEAKER_03]: there were so many moments where it's just like and we're back on the big head

[00:21:46] [SPEAKER_03]: and it's like what is this creating an atmosphere is this the what the hell is

[00:21:53] [SPEAKER_03]: you know it just it felt almost like frenetic showing off for showing off sake like look at

[00:22:00] [SPEAKER_01]: what we can do with editing nothing frustrates me more as a tv viewer and movie viewer when a

[00:22:07] [SPEAKER_01]: showrunner attempts to make capital a art without first making entertainment sure like you're you

[00:22:16] [SPEAKER_01]: are not hanging a painting in the museum great tv and great movies to me happen when the

[00:22:25] [SPEAKER_01]: director gets beautiful shots these stirring sound design these performances that are excellent

[00:22:30] [SPEAKER_01]: and yet still manages to be pulsating with entertainment or some stories worth examining

[00:22:36] [SPEAKER_03]: yeah I would argue distinct right distinct from slow like honestly great art is not boring

[00:22:44] [SPEAKER_03]: like I'm thinking of a movie or something like I would consider something like 2001

[00:22:49] [SPEAKER_03]: slow and something that makes you meet it halfway yeah however I would not call it boring

[00:22:55] [SPEAKER_03]: no whereas this was yeah I would like there's an element of like

[00:23:00] [SPEAKER_03]: what's going on yeah man like yeah like you said like you're not you're not gonna get

[00:23:07] [SPEAKER_03]: an a from your teacher in film school which I know that's a mean thing to say but it

[00:23:13] [SPEAKER_03]: did kind of feel like that where it's like we get it you saw movies

[00:23:21] [SPEAKER_01]: yeah when a show puts its themes in big flashing lights at the early in its episode

[00:23:32] [SPEAKER_01]: it's always my hope that they'll do a lot more on those topics or expand on them in a way

[00:23:36] [SPEAKER_01]: that'll impress me in this case these themes are really told to you in the first 10 minutes

[00:23:43] [SPEAKER_01]: it's like we're gonna explore race gender roles who gets to tell stories class a bit of religious

[00:23:51] [SPEAKER_01]: stuff it's almost as if this series says look we've already told you what this is about

[00:23:56] [SPEAKER_01]: it's about race and sex and women's roles little religion so let us throw a lot of images

[00:24:01] [SPEAKER_03]: at you I felt that too where you know interestingly enough I think my combo feeling

[00:24:09] [SPEAKER_03]: almost like pretty much what you said Blaine where it's like okay you know this is the thesis

[00:24:14] [SPEAKER_03]: statement but then also like we're gonna pretend like we didn't just tell you exactly what we're

[00:24:20] [SPEAKER_03]: doing and we're gonna pretend like be cryptic and mysterious about it as it and it's like

[00:24:26] [SPEAKER_03]: which just sometimes when folks do that it just honestly it feels like this is probably

[00:24:32] [SPEAKER_03]: the worst thing I've ever said about a show it feels like watching lost where you're just

[00:24:37] [SPEAKER_03]: like you already know but they're just gonna draw it out and draw it out and draw it out until I

[00:24:43] [SPEAKER_03]: do not care one bit anymore yeah yeah I I dislike lost in case you can't tell yeah we're on the

[00:24:54] [SPEAKER_01]: same page there yeah uh a couple specifics in case anyone did watch it and wondering what the

[00:24:59] [SPEAKER_01]: hell's going on it's to me it was unconvincing as to why Maddie would be worried so quickly on

[00:25:05] [SPEAKER_01]: missing girl you wonder if it's purpose for if it's on purpose for us not to believe it

[00:25:11] [SPEAKER_03]: actually in the back of my head have the question of like she's been missing for like an hour

[00:25:17] [SPEAKER_03]: right like are the when this first comes out because the like and the police have already put

[00:25:23] [SPEAKER_03]: out an APB you know like that's I don't know that just felt odd they dropped the line that

[00:25:32] [SPEAKER_01]: went out with her father and in fact the series has so much artificiality in this in many of these

[00:25:39] [SPEAKER_01]: scenes it feels undercooked there are intense edits that almost felt like a music video

[00:25:45] [SPEAKER_01]: rather than a tv show I don't know that's almost kind of what I meant where it's like

[00:25:50] [SPEAKER_03]: I get it you've seen movies right but like yeah you know like oh my I mean to go back

[00:25:57] [SPEAKER_03]: your point plain like old marty even someone like David Lynch or Martin Scorsese things are

[00:26:03] [SPEAKER_03]: nonsensical in their movies if they want them to be nonsensical yeah not nonsensical because

[00:26:10] [SPEAKER_03]: you can't tell what the hell's going on based based on based on their editing process

[00:26:17] [SPEAKER_03]: exactly and I think there's a difference between those two things in Natalie Portman's

[00:26:23] [SPEAKER_01]: character where she has a son or maybe a stepson hit Seth saying just let her fucking go boy he's

[00:26:30] [SPEAKER_03]: a piece of shit huh oh everyone that's the other fun thing about this show is that everyone

[00:26:34] [SPEAKER_01]: basically everyone's just a piece of shit there's no context as to why he would be so

[00:26:38] [SPEAKER_01]: resentful to his mom or stepmom it's just and and I granted Shoads can't have the

[00:26:43] [SPEAKER_01]: ability to do that and then come back around and paint the picture for you but it just

[00:26:48] [SPEAKER_01]: the episode one felt like you walked into a movie 45 minutes after it started yeah this isn't

[00:26:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Mad Men right the great thing about the first episode of Mad Men is you know it's an iceberg

[00:26:57] [SPEAKER_03]: right like it just slowly reveals how much more there is and this one it's like but at the same

[00:27:03] [SPEAKER_03]: yeah at the same time with some of the hints that they're they're and maybe they're going

[00:27:07] [SPEAKER_03]: to really really just pull the rug out from under me and they're smarter than than I'm

[00:27:13] [SPEAKER_03]: giving them credit for but it's simultaneously like I have no idea what's going on and also

[00:27:19] [SPEAKER_03]: I can see exactly what you what you're doing or what you want me to think you're doing at least

[00:27:25] [SPEAKER_01]: did you note that the emotions are amped up to 10 in like the opening 15 minutes yes

[00:27:32] [SPEAKER_01]: I was like what what is y'all wait why are y'all so angry sad unhappened whatever

[00:27:38] [SPEAKER_03]: I like Natalie Portman I like her oh I do too and which is one of the reasons I forced you

[00:27:43] [SPEAKER_03]: would watch exactly but even like the start where she's okay she's getting she's getting

[00:27:48] [SPEAKER_03]: the slam and that's and then she's the there's the blood and she's reacting oddly and I'm like

[00:27:53] [SPEAKER_03]: okay that's fine I could buy that this is odd and it's an odd thing you know it seems

[00:27:59] [SPEAKER_03]: that she's overreacting to this but every single person in this episode is overreacting

[00:28:05] [SPEAKER_01]: to something yeah it feels like that anyway yeah it almost felt like they were shooting

[00:28:11] [SPEAKER_01]: for dreamlike but instead got chaotic I saw a little bit of the dreamlike too

[00:28:16] [SPEAKER_03]: especially with the like they the the kind of repeated uh inner weaving of the Thanksgiving

[00:28:22] [SPEAKER_03]: parade where you've got people with like the big paper mache heads and things like that it's

[00:28:27] [SPEAKER_03]: kind of surrealist but it just wasn't when really doing it for me yeah uh lots of

[00:28:34] [SPEAKER_01]: artifice but no humanity is kind of my summary it was a very cold opening oh yeah

[00:28:41] [SPEAKER_01]: yeah well let's get into something we do we do like I'm gonna say I like it yeah I'll say I

[00:28:47] [SPEAKER_01]: like it yeah we'll talk Ripley on the bright side albeit in black and white it's the Netflix

[00:28:53] [SPEAKER_01]: series Ripley we're backtracking here we didn't see this one when it first came out

[00:28:58] [SPEAKER_03]: I actually kind of like uh coming sometimes when we come back to something uh because

[00:29:04] [SPEAKER_03]: it's not like in the first flurry of like everyone's got to take you know that's yeah

[00:29:10] [SPEAKER_03]: that's kind of fun that's kind of fun for me sometimes I don't recall how we missed it

[00:29:17] [SPEAKER_01]: its initial release was in April of this year and of course it being Netflix all at once uh

[00:29:22] [SPEAKER_01]: it's written and directed by Steve Salian who's written uh The Irishman, Gangs of New York,

[00:29:30] [SPEAKER_01]: Moneyball. That makes sense I don't he hasn't directed a ton of things but he's written a

[00:29:34] [SPEAKER_01]: lot he's got quite a resume quite a resume uh it stars Andrew Scott of course you mentioned

[00:29:40] [SPEAKER_01]: him he's the titular grifter as well as Dakota Fanning and Johnny Flynn as the couple

[00:29:46] [SPEAKER_03]: it was kind of fun this is a complete side note yeah but it was funny for me to see

[00:29:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Johnny Flynn again because literally the last thing I saw him in was in the last movie I

[00:30:00] [SPEAKER_03]: played he's the love interest in Emma that stars Anna Taylor Joy, Mr. Bingley maybe

[00:30:08] [SPEAKER_03]: I had never seen him in anything yeah that's the first thing I saw I thought he was pretty

[00:30:13] [SPEAKER_03]: good you know he's a musician she's a British musician okay it was then I saw him again I'm

[00:30:18] [SPEAKER_01]: like I know that guy yeah he's got a distinct look very distinct yeah the show was originally

[00:30:26] [SPEAKER_03]: supposed to air on Showtime and yes I saw that because they still have Showtime production

[00:30:31] [SPEAKER_01]: that's right and of course I bet everyone knows it's based on the book The Talented Mr. Ripley

[00:30:36] [SPEAKER_01]: but in there have been I think about six or seven versions of this yeah not not not only

[00:30:44] [SPEAKER_01]: American you're right French version yeah that's right very popular first thing you're

[00:30:50] [SPEAKER_01]: gonna notice about this is you're gonna be blown away by how it looks I so there was a half second

[00:30:57] [SPEAKER_03]: where it took me a minute to really get on board with the book not that I dislike black and white

[00:31:03] [SPEAKER_03]: but you're just I feel like I've I'm almost so used to seeing like most black and white films

[00:31:10] [SPEAKER_03]: are from this the early 60s if at the latest right so like the camera work is not quite as

[00:31:20] [SPEAKER_03]: where you can really particularly crisply see a dollar bill and I'm like that feels weird to me

[00:31:27] [SPEAKER_03]: but then with just that one little aberration well I think whoever the DP is is doing he knows

[00:31:34] [SPEAKER_03]: why they chose black and white and it's for those shadows especially when they hit Italy

[00:31:40] [SPEAKER_03]: and it's shadows and sun yeah it's that's it looks great Italy is supposed to be

[00:31:46] [SPEAKER_01]: breathtakingly beautiful in this series this work it looks so aesthetically pleasing and I think that

[00:31:57] [SPEAKER_01]: it's maybe because it's through the eyes of this guy who doesn't belong in these places

[00:32:02] [SPEAKER_01]: who's only read about what that might look like so it's in black and white you know I like

[00:32:07] [SPEAKER_03]: how and this is going to the camera work and everything too but yet directly going from the

[00:32:13] [SPEAKER_03]: black and white is I like what it does with kind of the like the squalor essentially that he's

[00:32:21] [SPEAKER_03]: started and right that's dark that's shadowy I like what it does with people's faces especially

[00:32:26] [SPEAKER_03]: Andrew Scott's who does a really good job of putting on a mask but also sometimes he just

[00:32:32] [SPEAKER_03]: you can just tell and then I love yeah once he gets to it and I agree like once he gets

[00:32:37] [SPEAKER_03]: to Italy and the alternating between like the shadows that he's lived in in the light

[00:32:43] [SPEAKER_03]: of Italy it's like you can tell he does not want to give this up right his character Tom

[00:32:50] [SPEAKER_01]: Ripley kind of leapfrogs into being I know a lot about this particular topic versus I am so

[00:32:58] [SPEAKER_03]: awkward on this particular topic one of the things uh so I mentioned before the show that I

[00:33:05] [SPEAKER_03]: watched this with a friend who he has a PhD in English and has read a lot his focus especially

[00:33:14] [SPEAKER_03]: is crime fiction so he knows and thinks a lot about things one of the things he pointed out

[00:33:20] [SPEAKER_03]: was that this Ripley just like you said Blaine is not as suave as the other no uh you know

[00:33:26] [SPEAKER_03]: like previously they people have kind of made him almost like almost like he's the perfect

[00:33:32] [SPEAKER_03]: where you can just kind of slide in there but this Ripley is is good like right like he's good and

[00:33:37] [SPEAKER_03]: smart you can see that he he's street smart and he's smart enough to kind of try and bluff his

[00:33:42] [SPEAKER_03]: way through but also he doesn't know what a Caravaggio is you know yeah and I think

[00:33:50] [SPEAKER_03]: Andrew Scott does a good job of showing someone who's just like it's almost like

[00:33:54] [SPEAKER_03]: the conversational version of like you can't remember someone's names you're just like

[00:33:58] [SPEAKER_01]: from baseball right yeah how about them dogs or hey buddy hey dude exactly like I do to all my

[00:34:08] [SPEAKER_01]: former students hey what's up man hey man what's up I do worry though that this rendition this

[00:34:15] [SPEAKER_01]: version of Ripley hinges too heavily on what's come before it like how much do you know of

[00:34:21] [SPEAKER_01]: the Jude Law Gwyneth Paltrow Matt Damon version not even mentioning the five other versions

[00:34:27] [SPEAKER_01]: before that right uh and the reason you know that's like how much of it is commenting on that

[00:34:32] [SPEAKER_01]: and I've never seen any of those I didn't even see the 99 movie uh I'm I actually also have not

[00:34:39] [SPEAKER_03]: seen the 99 one I've seen again I could purple noon the French one very really good by the way

[00:34:45] [SPEAKER_03]: if anyone wants to watch it uh and uh I've seen uh I've read read the book just that one I

[00:34:52] [SPEAKER_03]: read any of the other Ripley books how's the book oh good yeah although you know as as

[00:34:59] [SPEAKER_03]: nobody hates women like Patricia Highsmith hates women so you like bear that in mind like she

[00:35:05] [SPEAKER_03]: she had a lot she had a lot going on you know this thing uh and then I saw of course

[00:35:10] [SPEAKER_03]: one of its other famous adaptations came out last year uh salt burn

[00:35:14] [SPEAKER_03]: uh you think that's a play on it huh oh man salt totally absolutely absolutely totally

[00:35:22] [SPEAKER_03]: playing with this yeah but I I don't I didn't find it like overly held to again I haven't seen

[00:35:30] [SPEAKER_03]: the the one that people are probably most familiar with the 99 version but I didn't feel like

[00:35:36] [SPEAKER_03]: it was like weighted down by that adaptation you know only in the sense that like

[00:35:42] [SPEAKER_03]: you know I think like the worst extreme end of this is like late Star Wars adaptations where

[00:35:47] [SPEAKER_03]: it's like it can only be in comment on what's come before whereas this I feel like like

[00:35:52] [SPEAKER_03]: there's some I thought I felt like there was some mostly in the performance yeah there's

[00:35:58] [SPEAKER_01]: freedom casting seems vital here not only because of the versions we're talking about

[00:36:04] [SPEAKER_01]: because it's basically only three people yeah in a lot of these scenes at most it's Adam Scott,

[00:36:14] [SPEAKER_03]: Johnny Flynn and Dakota Fanning most of the time I this is where I think I mentioned before

[00:36:22] [SPEAKER_03]: you said it even casting this is where I'm really liking Andrew Scott I like the way

[00:36:29] [SPEAKER_03]: like you know he's smart and threatening but when he reacts or sorry interacts with uh

[00:36:36] [SPEAKER_03]: with with with Dickie and I forget Dakota Fanning's characters uh Marge yeah thank you

[00:36:42] [SPEAKER_03]: with Dickie and Marge he almost kind of has this like his voice is higher pitched

[00:36:48] [SPEAKER_03]: he almost seems like simple like simpler even like I there's just something that I'm really

[00:36:54] [SPEAKER_03]: and then like then you'll get the cutaway where he's by because I love it because it's

[00:36:59] [SPEAKER_03]: when he's by himself then he starts doing other voices right then he uh you know like

[00:37:07] [SPEAKER_03]: he looks at himself in the mirror and and imitates Dickie he can imitate Freddie you

[00:37:11] [SPEAKER_03]: know he can do these other things yeah but he's kind of he's got this like it's not exactly

[00:37:18] [SPEAKER_03]: aw shucks act but it is a bit of like who me your friend your friend Tom yeah you know

[00:37:26] [SPEAKER_01]: fascinating comment on class here on him being smart enough to pick up on a scam but not

[00:37:34] [SPEAKER_01]: intelligent enough to even know who Caravaggio is right you know I don't think that's I don't

[00:37:41] [SPEAKER_03]: think it's more that like ignorance doesn't equal uh unintelligence that's right because

[00:37:47] [SPEAKER_03]: yeah he can pick up on a scam and I would also say uh that that at least from the scene what

[00:37:53] [SPEAKER_03]: it implies to me is when he does see that Caravaggio he gets it and I also

[00:38:00] [SPEAKER_03]: and the other thing that I think shows you that like he he's actually pretty hip

[00:38:05] [SPEAKER_03]: is he knows that Dickie's paintings are all a piece of shit oh yeah yes you know like they're

[00:38:12] [SPEAKER_01]: terrible watching the black and white helps this I think but watching Adam Scott discover this

[00:38:18] [SPEAKER_01]: world he's never dreamed of visiting or or living in it allows for so many of the images

[00:38:25] [SPEAKER_01]: to reflect in his eyes yeah that's just so fascinating yeah it's good the deletory pacing

[00:38:32] [SPEAKER_01]: I think is on purpose it kind of makes you feel like what's gonna happen next it's funny that

[00:38:39] [SPEAKER_03]: you said that because I feel uh like it is it is slower I wasn't bored so I shouldn't mention

[00:38:45] [SPEAKER_03]: I was not bored watching this I was not looking at my phone saying how much longer is this

[00:38:49] [SPEAKER_03]: probably helped too by the they're about hour long episodes but they're on the this side of

[00:38:54] [SPEAKER_03]: hour usually around the 50 minute mark but the the pacing feels deliberate as opposed to meandering

[00:39:03] [SPEAKER_03]: oh you're out I'm enjoying that because Tom in some ways it you know it feels like I'm trying

[00:39:14] [SPEAKER_03]: to think like like all I can think of is like an animal stalking its prey right like if you've

[00:39:18] [SPEAKER_03]: ever seen a cat move slowly that's good you know but it's get it like he gets a little

[00:39:23] [SPEAKER_03]: closer and a little closer and a little closer and then and then I should say I've seen the

[00:39:28] [SPEAKER_03]: third plane plane has seen the second things do have this is not a show where like nothing

[00:39:33] [SPEAKER_01]: happens things do of course yeah yeah right well the opening scene is him dragging a dead

[00:39:38] [SPEAKER_03]: body down a stairway I mean I don't think there's huge spoilers here but I do I do want

[00:39:42] [SPEAKER_03]: to point out that like stuff happened but even when when that happened when when big

[00:39:47] [SPEAKER_03]: events so far as when I've seen it happen the pace is really interesting in that it sticks with

[00:39:55] [SPEAKER_03]: Tom yeah and what he will do to figure his way in or out of a particular pickle Steve Azalea

[00:40:02] [SPEAKER_01]: is definitely interested in how images and things around us the things we choose to

[00:40:10] [SPEAKER_01]: put in close proximity to us mean things really lots of close-ups of a lamp or a pen or

[00:40:20] [SPEAKER_03]: you know take your pick okay it's the especially for for Tom it's the things that are are

[00:40:26] [SPEAKER_03]: meaningful for him and that maybe reflect something of who he really is as opposed to

[00:40:34] [SPEAKER_03]: the chameleon he's trying to be you know yeah he's trying which I think is interesting

[00:40:39] [SPEAKER_01]: boy I love Andrew Scott's juxtaposition of trying to be distant to the private eye versus how

[00:40:45] [SPEAKER_01]: friendly he wants to be to Dickey he's just got this boyish grin like has anybody other than

[00:40:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Andrew Scott ever Andrew Scott playing Ripley I should say said I like girls with less sincerity

[00:41:00] [SPEAKER_01]: yeah man that was that moment hung in the air that was very long and it was yeah

[00:41:06] [SPEAKER_01]: purposefully done right let's talk some more about Ripley I think there's probably more to say

[00:41:10] [SPEAKER_03]: and what are their eight episodes eight episodes my my I'm enjoying what I've seen so far

[00:41:16] [SPEAKER_03]: my only fear this isn't based on anything I've already seen it's just that sometimes these

[00:41:22] [SPEAKER_03]: Netflix adaptations have like one or two episodes more than they really need to yeah

[00:41:28] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm hoping that this didn't need to be a six episode season as opposed to eight but so far

[00:41:36] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm I want to I want to see what our talented friend does next

[00:41:40] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't mind hanging out in this world an episode or two longer than necessary

[00:41:47] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't think I mind this is where I think I uh you you could you could catch me out on

[00:41:54] [SPEAKER_03]: unreal inconsistency because one one with one media show or whatever I'll be like this was

[00:42:04] [SPEAKER_03]: mind when if it's done well when shows and movies give characters a chance to breathe

[00:42:11] [SPEAKER_03]: yeah it's one of the reasons that I cannot watch most children's shows or action movies

[00:42:17] [SPEAKER_03]: for one thing because there's no room to breathe oh yeah that's good but uh at the same time

[00:42:23] [SPEAKER_03]: worst offender of these are the marvel shows where we're hanging out with them

[00:42:28] [SPEAKER_03]: for three more episodes than they have any meaning to you would need to be there so

[00:42:33] [SPEAKER_03]: I mean I'm inconsistent but breathing fine just hanging around because you

[00:42:38] [SPEAKER_03]: you got a number to hit I'm not crazy about that yeah I mentioned my only concern is that

[00:42:43] [SPEAKER_01]: it might be too beholding too beholden to what's come before it and trying to either

[00:42:50] [SPEAKER_01]: prove it right or wrong or compare it and um and I haven't seen them so does that matter

[00:42:55] [SPEAKER_03]: me not so much I mean if honestly blaine you're the like I have a little pre-not like like I

[00:43:02] [SPEAKER_03]: know the plot right like I know I know what's gonna have I think most people do uh but

[00:43:07] [SPEAKER_03]: I felt like you could just jump in and watch it and I mean if you're feeling that way too

[00:43:12] [SPEAKER_03]: I would say that's probably not I wouldn't say it's like overly reverential or precious

[00:43:18] [SPEAKER_03]: about it's it's source material anyway I can't talk about a lot of the other movie

[00:43:24] [SPEAKER_01]: adaptations but it does make you wonder why they did another one there this one has a lot

[00:43:31] [SPEAKER_01]: of versions it does so something we can talk about maybe next time it's a good story this

[00:43:37] [SPEAKER_03]: the psychology of it is is very interesting that whole kind of I I'm in love with you

[00:43:45] [SPEAKER_03]: I desire to possess you but do I desire to possess you or do I desire to possess what you

[00:43:51] [SPEAKER_03]: do I love you or would I be in love with being you there you go you know uh one of the my friend

[00:43:59] [SPEAKER_03]: who also watched would be pointed out the old first time that tom can look himself in the eyes

[00:44:04] [SPEAKER_03]: in the mirror is when he's imitating dicky for the first time oh wow and I was like that's

[00:44:09] [SPEAKER_03]: actually a really good he caught that I didn't that was a really good observation that has

[00:44:14] [SPEAKER_03]: made it very interesting I thought that was really interesting and just adds a lot yeah

[00:44:18] [SPEAKER_01]: and I mean hey maybe we do need one more story of a grifter conning a bunch of people and getting

[00:44:27] [SPEAKER_03]: somewhere he doesn't belong to be maybe we'll finally learn our lesson as a society

[00:44:34] [SPEAKER_01]: all right uh we're actually gonna shift gears major league here let's talk about the

[00:44:39] [SPEAKER_03]: challenge new york times featured the challenge yeah go read the article front page season 40

[00:44:46] [SPEAKER_01]: that's yeah I still have to read that anyway so that's what we got on ripley yeah I wanted to

[00:44:52] [SPEAKER_01]: reserve just a few minutes I don't know set a pick and let Adam drive to the basket on

[00:44:59] [SPEAKER_01]: on the challenge season 40's first episode you like because I'm and here's why because my

[00:45:04] [SPEAKER_01]: thoughts are online already TD and I are uh co-writing coverage of it every week sometimes

[00:45:10] [SPEAKER_01]: we'll rope Adam into that uh but I haven't heard what Adam thought of the first episode

[00:45:15] [SPEAKER_01]: season 40 huge fucking season right you got your four eras it's almost as if they picked

[00:45:22] [SPEAKER_01]: players from every season I'd have it done the math I don't think that's quite right but

[00:45:27] [SPEAKER_01]: you got era one two three four so era one would be from season one to nine or ten

[00:45:33] [SPEAKER_01]: era two you get the idea there and I'm just fascinated with uh what you think because you

[00:45:40] [SPEAKER_01]: have a richer history than I with the show I had a huge gap where I wasn't watching at all

[00:45:47] [SPEAKER_01]: so what'd you think of season 40 episode one at least it's long awaited right when we waited

[00:45:54] [SPEAKER_00]: a long time for all stars we've been chomping at the bid I guess they had to wait till the

[00:45:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Olympics were over they didn't want to go head to head with the Olympics I mean they could

[00:46:04] [SPEAKER_03]: in my opinion but America's best sport right it's an Olympic event maybe LA 2028 is the

[00:46:11] [SPEAKER_00]: this could be if there were if there were a city to launch the reality tv portion

[00:46:16] [SPEAKER_03]: right people from all around the world compete this is I'm this is a moneymaker NPC what

[00:46:22] [SPEAKER_01]: are you doing they just need hall they just need hall brawl as an Olympic sport that's it

[00:46:28] [SPEAKER_00]: be honest but just put sign up sheets in the Olympic village like you don't actually have

[00:46:33] [SPEAKER_00]: qualify for it it's just like a single elimination tournament that'd be amazing

[00:46:39] [SPEAKER_00]: like I've heard that you you can't stay in the Olympic village once you your event has

[00:46:44] [SPEAKER_00]: been completed like you have to leave within a certain amount of time I don't know if that's

[00:46:47] [SPEAKER_00]: true or not but if you like want to extend your stay compete in this hall brawl tournament

[00:46:54] [SPEAKER_00]: be fantastic I would absolutely watch it you have my dollars but so season 40 I think

[00:47:01] [SPEAKER_00]: you know there were there were a few things to watch for right so they clearly they used

[00:47:07] [SPEAKER_00]: all-stars to build towards this moment to reintroduce us to people like Rachel Tina

[00:47:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Brad to a lesser degree Derek kind of felt like he was probably out of the

[00:47:19] [SPEAKER_00]: the loop for a long time and now he's back in I mean it turned John A from a

[00:47:23] [SPEAKER_00]: you know just she was kind of stuck in a in just a couple three seasons now she's

[00:47:28] [SPEAKER_00]: a two-time champ coming in created all sorts of storylines so I think you you have to wonder

[00:47:36] [SPEAKER_00]: going into this season how how are is Rachel gonna look having to compete with Tori having

[00:47:43] [SPEAKER_00]: to compete with Nureese having to compete with Jenny coming back you know all of these people

[00:47:48] [SPEAKER_00]: who have been on the real challenge while they've kind of been doing the because

[00:47:52] [SPEAKER_00]: remember episode one all-stars one it did not look good for the old crew you remember that

[00:47:58] [SPEAKER_00]: it looked like they had boy do I remember thinking tech was gonna die it looked like

[00:48:03] [SPEAKER_00]: they had built a daily that was too challenging for for that age bracket but as they've kind of

[00:48:10] [SPEAKER_00]: figured out what what they can do and now you know Rachel looked great in that first episode

[00:48:15] [SPEAKER_00]: a lot of them did there's that element seeing how they're gonna bring all of these folks

[00:48:20] [SPEAKER_00]: together and then two to have that many people involved you know like how are they gonna

[00:48:26] [SPEAKER_00]: juggle that and it's it's funny because it's a season where there's a ton of bodies competing

[00:48:34] [SPEAKER_00]: and bodies living in that house but it almost feels like a smaller number because on seasons

[00:48:38] [SPEAKER_00]: where there's a bunch of rookies there's a lot of faceless people that you never really

[00:48:43] [SPEAKER_00]: get to know and it's like oh I have fairly deep investment in everyone here all of them

[00:48:48] [SPEAKER_01]: yeah you know something about all which makes it very weird that they're going to

[00:48:54] [SPEAKER_01]: eliminate what eight next week right off the heart and I you know in reading what you all wrote

[00:49:01] [SPEAKER_00]: I couldn't agree more I think it was TD said at the end that watching teams compete amongst

[00:49:05] [SPEAKER_00]: themselves you know he said he hoped that that wasn't what this season is going to be or any

[00:49:10] [SPEAKER_00]: especially the early phase of this season because you want to see what each era is

[00:49:15] [SPEAKER_00]: capable of doing if they come together you know and using their strengths and not cannibalizing

[00:49:20] [SPEAKER_01]: other yeah I hope they don't do that opening five minutes had CT crying it's heavy I didn't have a

[00:49:29] [SPEAKER_01]: chance to bring it up in my in my piece but I was just wondering if you had if it struck you

[00:49:34] [SPEAKER_00]: a certain way remind me what he what that sequence was well they just brought everyone

[00:49:39] [SPEAKER_01]: out there standing and then TJ comes out and it's fireworks and it looks like a Las Vegas

[00:49:46] [SPEAKER_01]: out there in Vietnam with all the waters spraying up and CT shed some tears and he says

[00:49:54] [SPEAKER_00]: season 40 is that where he says his bit about this kind of feels like coming home

[00:49:58] [SPEAKER_01]: it's good to be home again yeah yeah and then he turns around and wins he's the first male

[00:50:04] [SPEAKER_01]: to win and probably the oldest guy there well no Mark Long would be the oldest guy there but

[00:50:10] [SPEAKER_01]: he's probably one of the three oldest guys there and he turns around and wins the first daily

[00:50:16] [SPEAKER_01]: which I jokingly called a nightly it's a good time for him maybe again not to keep bringing

[00:50:23] [SPEAKER_00]: up all-stars but maybe they used that experience the production side to figure out

[00:50:29] [SPEAKER_00]: games that maybe are athletic but still have a bit of a level playing field you know like

[00:50:37] [SPEAKER_00]: you had to move and use your body but there was also a puzzle element came down to a lot

[00:50:41] [SPEAKER_00]: of balance you couldn't really just brute force that circular canoe so everybody

[00:50:48] [SPEAKER_00]: it wasn't just a foot race or who can move the most weight kind of thing I thought of

[00:50:55] [SPEAKER_00]: the opening to season 30 the dirty 30 where they also had a lot of Donovan always laughs

[00:51:01] [SPEAKER_00]: when we get into the specifics of these it also had a big a purge yep and it was just whoever

[00:51:07] [SPEAKER_00]: came in last in this series of events and I think maybe that one was a little more fun to

[00:51:13] [SPEAKER_00]: watch because it was chaotic and you had a few chances and there wasn't an elimination

[00:51:19] [SPEAKER_00]: like voting elimination element to it but I could see how they were mimicking that and I

[00:51:25] [SPEAKER_00]: don't know if we're going to talk about the week zero episode yeah they started doing the week

[00:51:31] [SPEAKER_01]: zero where you get a few of the interpersonal relationships it's almost done quote unquote

[00:51:38] [SPEAKER_01]: off camera because I don't I don't know that a lot of people watch week zero but I do you do

[00:51:44] [SPEAKER_00]: I feel like it was something that was missing from episode one

[00:51:47] [SPEAKER_00]: uh that they they show up and it's it's as if they are mid-competition you know there

[00:51:54] [SPEAKER_00]: yeah there is an introductory element but you're not really getting the personalities

[00:51:59] [SPEAKER_00]: and the little things about the show that kind of set it apart like let's all run and try to

[00:52:04] [SPEAKER_00]: get the best room in this mansion or you know everybody's jumping in a pool it's still reality

[00:52:11] [SPEAKER_01]: you know Jordan's showing up late yeah dramatically all right talk to me about

[00:52:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Cara Maria versus Laurel what is Laurel bullying her you know and I hate that word

[00:52:23] [SPEAKER_00]: because it's overused but I think it might fit here yeah I mean if you watch their old seasons

[00:52:28] [SPEAKER_00]: absolutely okay and I don't if you ever I've said this on the podcast before if you ever

[00:52:36] [SPEAKER_00]: are in doubt about how far society has come and is capable of going just watch a 10 to 15 year old

[00:52:45] [SPEAKER_00]: episode of the challenge and see how horrible the language that they used was and how terrible

[00:52:52] [SPEAKER_00]: they were to one another and of course you can say well they figured out that they

[00:52:57] [SPEAKER_00]: you know bananas has now been on television for close to 20 years like you can't do that and

[00:53:04] [SPEAKER_00]: say dumb things but at the same time even if he's just like holding his tongue that's a win

[00:53:10] [SPEAKER_00]: for society right eventually maybe these things die out yeah we can't even say his catchphrase

[00:53:16] [SPEAKER_00]: here yeah no absolutely not there are a lot of instances of Laurel being a bully and Cara

[00:53:24] [SPEAKER_00]: catching a lot of flak from different people in the house but especially her

[00:53:29] [SPEAKER_00]: that that relationship seems lowercase r and w real world complicated you know like there

[00:53:37] [SPEAKER_00]: there's some some weird nuances of like a need for approval a older sibling to younger sibling

[00:53:46] [SPEAKER_00]: kind of like just stop nipping at my heels kind of thing and it's it's very weird to see

[00:53:53] [SPEAKER_00]: people have almost these family type relationships where it seems like they are permanently in their

[00:53:59] [SPEAKER_00]: early 20s like i know that they don't act like this to other people in their normal lives

[00:54:03] [SPEAKER_01]: because they're pushing 40 years old yeah i want to scream at laurel to stop but i also want

[00:54:09] [SPEAKER_01]: to scream at carmaria to stop approaching her for approval it's tough it's also you know

[00:54:16] [SPEAKER_00]: is bigger than a lot of the girls and just naturally more athletic all of these things

[00:54:24] [SPEAKER_00]: and cara like you want to root for but there's just a lot of try hard there yeah for sure

[00:54:31] [SPEAKER_00]: some of that is like admirable like deciding what as goofy as it is being like i'm going

[00:54:38] [SPEAKER_00]: to be great at the challenge and she like got in phenomenal shape and does all these things

[00:54:42] [SPEAKER_00]: when you see her try to do something athletic it's like you can't you can't coach that

[00:54:47] [SPEAKER_00]: you know would be the the way you would say that but she also has a lot of try hard and like

[00:54:52] [SPEAKER_00]: she really wants to be the weird one you know and she kind of goes out of no no chill

[00:54:58] [SPEAKER_00]: yeah i think that'll be one of the relationships of the season and the one

[00:55:01] [SPEAKER_00]: thing that i know it's not a spoiler i guess one thing i know about the season is that it

[00:55:06] [SPEAKER_00]: gets really toxic and it caused people to start asking questions about you know what is

[00:55:12] [SPEAKER_00]: production provide in terms of protecting them from each other and protecting their mental health

[00:55:18] [SPEAKER_01]: and all yeah do you have a comment at all and you may not on their living quarters this time

[00:55:23] [SPEAKER_01]: i don't know something about it just struck me like like you've been a fan for you've kept up

[00:55:29] [SPEAKER_01]: with it and whereas i kind of dipped back in several years ago but the living quarters looked

[00:55:36] [SPEAKER_01]: gothic or something i don't know i was like whoa this is a very different scene

[00:55:40] [SPEAKER_00]: it's huge right like the space is massive gotta be it's got to be huge and they're also having them

[00:55:47] [SPEAKER_00]: live by team right like a whole team is in a room as opposed i may be wrong on that something

[00:55:53] [SPEAKER_00]: amanda said about like oh i have to room with tori it made it sound like they had been forced

[00:55:58] [SPEAKER_00]: into these team arrangements but whereas before you may strategically you know like a couple or

[00:56:05] [SPEAKER_00]: some best friends may get in different rooms to try to keep their their finger on the pulse of

[00:56:11] [SPEAKER_00]: what's happening in different clicks so i don't know could be interesting the whole back half of

[00:56:17] [SPEAKER_01]: the episode was deliberation and the four eras man and woman who won get to choose who goes

[00:56:24] [SPEAKER_01]: against the losers were you a fan of that or did you think they could have edited it down

[00:56:30] [SPEAKER_00]: to get into some eliminations that's a lot of people to deal with and and still make it

[00:56:36] [SPEAKER_00]: to eliminations because even if you get to the elimination like how's that going to work

[00:56:40] [SPEAKER_00]: so i understand why why it took all that time uh it was funny to see the difference in

[00:56:48] [SPEAKER_00]: era one where derek was very noble you know and generally all stars early on they've just said

[00:56:55] [SPEAKER_00]: who did worse today and they throw that person in and it's kind of just accepted

[00:56:59] [SPEAKER_00]: you know like they there's a little less politicking and then you have era four where

[00:57:05] [SPEAKER_00]: you immediately have like a yelling match and if you had to predict which is going to be the most

[00:57:11] [SPEAKER_00]: combative and explosive it's we'll just chart how old the people are

[00:57:15] [SPEAKER_00]: involved and the youngest people are going to be the angriest now i was a big fan of that

[00:57:20] [SPEAKER_01]: the adult that the deliberation took up that time i don't know it set the stage for even

[00:57:26] [SPEAKER_01]: interpersonal drama you're right i love the contrast how each era got a little bit more testy

[00:57:33] [SPEAKER_01]: the reason why i watch the challenge it can be summed up in the millisecond moment of kylan and

[00:57:40] [SPEAKER_01]: josh looking at each other when they see the fireworks are about to happen with the basically

[00:57:45] [SPEAKER_01]: telling paulie if you think you can handle me jumping to elimination you know man up or

[00:57:51] [SPEAKER_01]: you want to call it jump go ahead and volunteer and we'll do it and kylan and josh look at each

[00:57:57] [SPEAKER_01]: other i've gotten not i don't have that much love for josh other than comedic he's the goof

[00:58:04] [SPEAKER_01]: but that moment was just like oh there are two guys kylan who only probably knows about josh

[00:58:12] [SPEAKER_01]: you know kylan's our super fan he's our audience surrogate and it's why he's one of

[00:58:16] [SPEAKER_01]: favorites but when he looks at josh he just they both have this moment like oh

[00:58:21] [SPEAKER_00]: yeah this is the challenge and also we just dodged a bullet you know like kylan obviously

[00:58:27] [SPEAKER_00]: kylan doesn't know the edit that he's getting while they're shooting it but he really hadn't

[00:58:31] [SPEAKER_00]: been in the episode that much i'm thinking all right i think our guy's probably safe i just

[00:58:37] [SPEAKER_01]: love him i hope he i hope he is as cool as i assume he is josh's expression partially had

[00:58:44] [SPEAKER_00]: to be an acknowledgement of his dumb luck like how many times he should get burned and just

[00:58:52] [SPEAKER_00]: something that has nothing to do with him kind of pulls him out of the way oh yeah oh yeah at

[00:58:57] [SPEAKER_00]: least you need to be quiet this time i think he's learning that more and more i mean my

[00:59:01] [SPEAKER_00]: favorite part of that deliberation for era four was the ghost in the room is fessy not being

[00:59:09] [SPEAKER_00]: oh and i don't and i but i think it's funny you know like i don't think anybody cares except

[00:59:16] [SPEAKER_01]: fessy what i you know what it didn't cross my mind because i guess i was way more

[00:59:23] [SPEAKER_01]: interested in wes not being there well wes is retired i know but just like him not being

[00:59:29] [SPEAKER_01]: on the show i was like i wonder what he would do if he were in era two going back and forth

[00:59:35] [SPEAKER_00]: that wonder which i guess they would have put him in era two uh because he had been there

[00:59:39] [SPEAKER_00]: yeah that's a while i know he's tied to bananas but he predates him by a bit

[00:59:44] [SPEAKER_00]: uh he could be era one that's true yeah a good first episode i think we're going to be set

[00:59:50] [SPEAKER_00]: with entertainment through i think we calculated there were 19 episodes in season 39 and 19

[00:59:57] [SPEAKER_00]: weeks from episode one was christmas day so i hope they got more yeah no no show leaves you

[01:00:06] [SPEAKER_01]: wanting more like this one all right well that's the end of our program this week

[01:00:11] [SPEAKER_01]: we'll be back next tuesday we're we're back nice little break we enjoyed it but

[01:00:17] [SPEAKER_01]: we are super happy to be amongst the company we're in uh for adam for donovan i am blaine

[01:00:23] [SPEAKER_01]: i'll talk to y'all later