Podcast Summary: Brooke and Jeffrey – Second Date Update: Escape Room Alpha

Release Date: October 20, 2025
Podcast: Brooke and Jeffrey: Second Date Update
Host: iHeartPodcasts

Overview

This episode dives into one of the show’s more unorthodox Second Date Update calls, featuring Mallory, who admits to putting her online date John through an “Alpha Challenge” during an escape room. The episode unpacks why John ghosted Mallory after their outrageous first date and highlights the sometimes toxic, always hilarious circus that ensues when someone tries too hard to “test” their date.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: The “Alpha Challenge” Test

• Brooke and Jeffrey open the episode discussing the trend of running “tests” on dates, noting that it almost never ends well.

  Jeffrey (03:28): “I don't know that we've ever had a test that someone has done on a date on this show that has actually worked out. Yeah. Ever.”

• They then introduce Mallory, the woman seeking answers.

2. Mallory's Story: The Date from the Fish Pic to the Escape Room

• Mallory explains she met John online and was intrigued by some classic “alpha male” posturing—including the obligatory big fish photo.

  Mallory (05:41): “So many men's profiles, they try and act like they're Elsa's. Like, they do the big fish thing… If you got to do the big fish, I don't know if you really are.”

• John suggested an escape room for their date. Mallory saw this as the perfect stage for her “Alpha Challenge.”
• At first, Mallory finds John attractive and charismatic. But during the escape room, she sets her “test:”
  • She locks John in a closet within the escape room—without warning.
  • She observes his reaction while he fumbles and tries to get out.

  Mallory (08:01): “I locked him in the closet. And I'm like, all right, this is the perfect test. Can this man be a man and get himself out of there?”

3. The Fallout: John’s Reaction

• John initially laughs, but quickly becomes uncomfortable and irritated—eventually prompting a staff member to check in.
• Mallory admits she didn’t feel guilty about the test, even as John grew visibly upset.

  Mallory (08:56): “Not at all. I feel like this was a really solid test, and I feel like I gave the guy a really, you know, like, an opportunity to prove himself.”

• After being freed, John is “super salty.” Mallory decides, based on this “failed” test, they aren’t a match.
• But then another “test” emerges: When Mallory asks for a ride home, John tells her to get her own Uber. Suddenly, Mallory is very interested again.

  Mallory (09:53): “And I was like, that's my kind of man. So once he wanted me to take my own Uber and he didn't want to drive me home. I was like, that's the Alpha man I'm looking for.”

4. Host Analysis: Confusion and Amusement

• Brooke and Jeffrey express confused amusement at Mallory’s logic—she pushes John until he finally pushes back, which is what she’s looking for.

  Jeffrey (10:06): “This is so strange to me. Yeah, because it's like you push him to a brink and then he finally pushes back, and that's the type of relationship you're looking for.”

5. The Call: Confronting John (13:39 – 20:12)

• The show surprises John with Mallory and the hosts on the line.
• John is initially polite but quickly recalls the discomfort and annoyance during the escape room incident:

  John (15:00): “No getting locked in a closet. Not at all.”
  John (17:06): “This is almost like getting locked in the closet. I was forced to. They called me.”

• Mallory explains the “test” and reveals that being told to Uber home was actually a turn-on.

  Mallory (17:37): “When you told me to go get an Uber when you wouldn't drive me home, that was the biggest turn on. The way your voice, that was so serious.”

• John is not impressed.

  John (17:45): “You are very sick, lady.”

• The “Alpha” confrontation escalates into sarcastic insults and a showdown of words.

  Mallory (17:55): “Oh, did you just call me very sick, John?”
  John (18:27): “So if sick isn't the right word, then demented, twisted maybe, I don't know, but this is…”

• Mallory then drops a bombshell: She hooked up with the escape room guy after John left.

  Mallory (18:47): “I hooked up with the escape room guy. Okay?”

• John remains unbothered. The hosts ask if he’d accept a second, all-expenses-paid date.

  John (20:22): “Absolutely not.”

6. Host Wrap-Up & Listener Comments

• Both hosts and listeners recognize the mismatch, with most siding with John and highlighting Mallory’s chaotic approach to dating.

  Brooke (24:02): “Some people just aren't a good match. Even when you try over and over and over to force it, it just doesn't work out.”

• Listeners text in suggesting Mallory just wanted to brag about the escape room guy—not asking for a real second date.
• Brooke jokes:

  Brooke (24:39): “There's a reason they choose to work in dimly lit basements”
  Jeffrey (24:58): “Nope. You got it figured out. Keep doing that.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Brooke (05:04): “We hate test guys.”
• Jeffrey (07:01): “It's a good chance for him to show off all of his Alpha skills in order to escape you from the room.”
• John (15:18): “Probably after the third time she banged on the door and said, hey, dummy, are you—did you figured it out yet?”
• Mallory (17:37): “When you told me to go get an Uber when you wouldn't drive me home, that was the biggest turn on.”
• John (17:45): “You are very sick, lady.”
• Mallory (18:47): “I hooked up with the escape room guy.”
• Brooke (20:24): “Wow, that was a true Alpha move to turn down three gifts like that final test.”
• Jeffrey (20:04): “Okay, tell me what to think. This is a roller coaster, and I want off the ride.”

Key Timestamps

• [03:28] – Hosts introduce the “Alpha Challenge” and Mallory
• [05:41] – Mallory describes the online dating landscape and “big fish” profiles
• [08:01] – Mallory locks John in the escape room closet
• [09:53] – John refuses to drive Mallory home; she finds it attractive
• [13:39] – Hosts call John for the Second Date Update segment
• [17:37] – Mallory confesses being turned on by John’s rejection
• [18:47] – Mallory reveals she hooked up with the escape room employee
• [20:22] – John definitively rejects the second date

Episode Tone & Takeaway

The language and tone are energetic, irreverent, and full of playful sarcasm typical for “Brooke and Jeffrey.” The hosts openly mock the idea of “testing” dates and approach Mallory’s antics with disbelief and humor.

For listeners, this episode is a classic “Second Date Update” roller coaster—showcasing the perils of running “tests,” the fine line between fun banter and red flags, and what happens when two dating styles are deeply incompatible. For all its wild turns, the segment manages to be laugh-out-loud funny, jaw-dropping, and—surprisingly—an accidental warning: sometimes, what you think will attract someone does the exact opposite.