Chicks in the Office – Episode Summary

Podcast: Chicks in the Office (Barstool Sports)

Episode: TSITP S3 E8 Reaction, Taylor Swift Engagement Details Revealed + Love Island USA's Amaya & Bryan Split

Date: August 29, 2025

Hosts: Ria (Rhiann), Fran, Noah
Guests: Kelly
Special Segments: Trivia with Abby, Claire, and Marty

Main Theme & Overview

This episode delivers a fast-paced, pop-culture-packed Friday energy as Ria and Fran, joined at times by Noah and Kelly, dig into:

• Their passionate recap and reaction to episode 8 of "The Summer I Turned Pretty" Season 3.
• The newest, not-so-secret Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce engagement details (thanks to Travis’s dad Ed Kelce’s enthusiastic interviews).
• The breakup of Love Island USA’s Season 7 winners, Amaya & Bryan. Sprinkled throughout are classic Chicks in the Office tangents—personal updates, light-hearted tech woes, and a lively trivia showdown.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pre-Holiday Mood and Catching Up (01:57–07:17)

• Both hosts are remote ahead of Labor Day weekend, Fran under the weather after traveling.
• They joke about Noah’s camera making him look ghostly and highlight end-of-summer melancholy.
• Quick update: No Monday episode due to the holiday.

“Literally cry every time we get to, like, Labor Day and it's Monday and I'm like, back to school—even though we don't go to school.” – Rhiann (05:34)

Timestamps:

• [01:57] Labor Day plans and feeling under the weather
• [04:05] Noah’s camera struggles
• [05:34] End-of-summer feels

2. The Summer I Turned Pretty (TSITP) S3 E8 Deep Dive (08:34–27:07)

The heart of the episode is a highly animated and detailed TSITP S3 E8 recap:

Main Plot Points

• The wedding (that wasn’t): Jeremiah calls off the engagement with Belly, not the other way around.
• Conrad’s emotional growth is front and center; the show diverges a bit from the book in timing and details.
• The infamous letter mix-up: Jeremiah receives a letter intended for Conrad, stoking family and romantic drama.
• Many fans debate character motivations, especially regarding Belly and her choices, with both hosts alternating between sympathy and exasperation for her.

Book-to-Show Comparisons

• Ria and Fran compare the book’s two-year timeline to the show’s four years, noting this makes emotional stakes more “believable.”
• Some pivotal dialogue and moments mirror the book; others are reimagined for screen impact.

Music & Visual Moments

• Olivia Rodrigo’s “Making The Bed” and U2’s “With Or Without You” are singled out as standout song choices in key scenes.

Favorite and Critical Observations

• Both hosts appreciate Taylor calling out Belly to her face, questioning her wedding plans.
• Mixed feelings about how Steven and Denise’s subplot was wrapped up (“over in two seconds”), expressing a desire for more depth.
• The episode ends at an “uncharted territory” cliffhanger: Belly heads to Paris, running into Conrad at the airport—a scene not in the books.

“Conrad has been emotionally unavailable. His mom was really sick…Can we talk about the fact that it was messed up that Jeremiah dated Belly in the first place?” – Fran (11:11)

“I loved [Taylor] being like, you should not be doing this. Like, I’m gonna tell you straight up, you have the out. You can leave, and you should, because this is ridiculous.” – Rhiann (16:58)

“We sound the alarm. We are in unchartered waters, folks. The book is over.” – Rhiann (21:49)

Notable Timestamps:

• [08:34] Recap and reaction opens
• [09:35] Book vs. show timing and character arcs
• [13:44] The ‘diabolical’ letter swap
• [17:15] Wet hair at a wedding!
• [19:22] Conrad’s brotherly “bad guy” moment
• [21:49] The show leaves the book’s narrative—Belly goes to Paris
• [26:29] What’s next for Belly? Three episodes left

3. Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Tour Announcement (27:07–28:10)

• Excitement for the newly-announced tour kicking off next summer, after her recent busy run with "Wicked."
• Not a huge tour but enough to satisfy fans; Barclays Center in NYC gets special mention.

“Give them actress Ariana. Give them singing Ariana. The people will be fed.” – Fran (28:10)

4. Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Engagement Details: Ed Kelce Won’t Stop Talking (28:39–39:20)

Kelly joins Fran and Rhiann to dissect how Travis Kelce’s dad Ed has become an unexpected fount of secret details, largely by accident.

Main Points

• Ed Kelsey has been candid, almost to a fault, in interviews—spilling the proposal details Johnny Rose-style to local news and even Australian media.
• The garden proposal at Travis’s house is recounted; Fran admits she’d predicted the timing.
• The internet, as always, is an over-analysis minefield—fans interpreting every nail color and haircut for timeline clues.
• The hosts ultimately love Ed's enthusiasm and see it as harmless, even sweet—a “proud papa” thing rather than a PR disaster.
• Donna Kelce, by contrast, is more reserved in media interactions.

“I personally am loving that Ed Kelsey has absolutely no filter when it comes to talking to the press about Travis and Taylor.” – Kelly (29:23)

“People take things so literally. ...He’s just like, oh, she’s probably a little antsy. Whatever. Like, yes, if I hear that my boyfriend’s proposing...at some point, I’m gonna start being like, okay, yeah, do I have to have my nails done?” – Kelly (32:56)

• Kelly and Fran joke about trying to get Ed Kelce on their own podcast.
• They dismiss the “Taylor would never do X before engagement” arguments as fan fantasy—Taylor and Travis clearly have a “unit” dynamic and their milestones are real, but don’t require secret-keeping gymnastics.

5. Love Island USA’s Amaya & Bryan Split (39:21–43:45)

• Recap of the couple’s breakup, which they described as wanting “different things.”
• Both hosts agree: after the finale, this is no surprise based on recent interviews and rumors (e.g. allegations about Bryan at a club).
• The hosts reflect on how Love Island reunions are increasingly outdated by the time they air, losing drama and relevance.
• Praise for Andy Cohen’s reunion moderating, suggesting Love Island should tighten up its schedule.

“They got a little taste of their DMs, they got a little taste of their fame, and they’re wanting in, you know what I mean?” – Fran (41:37)

6. Trivia Segment: Beat Ria & Fran (45:01–65:03)

Fun, frantic trivia contest featuring listener guests Abby & Claire, and Marty Mush filling in for Fran at times. Questions cover:

• One Direction, American Idol, Friends, Disney Channel movies, music release years, and more.
• Standout moments:
  • Fran’s Disney Channel knowledge on point (“Cow Belles,” [55:13]).
  • Abby & Claire’s quick recall on “Holes” (“I’m tired of this, Grandpa,” [49:33]).
  • A tight race, but Abby & Claire prevail, 5–4.

Notable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Notable Moment | |-----------|---------|---------------------| | 05:34 | Rhiann | “Literally cry every time we get to, like, Labor Day and it’s Monday and I’m like, back to school—even though we don’t go to school.” | | 11:11 | Fran | “Can we talk about the fact that it was messed up that Jeremiah dated Belly in the first place?” | | 16:58 | Rhiann | “I loved her [Taylor] being like, you should not be doing this.” | | 21:49 | Rhiann | “We sound the alarm. We are in uncharted waters, folks. The book is over.” | | 28:10 | Fran | “Give them actress Ariana. Give them singing Ariana. The people will be fed.” | | 29:23 | Kelly | “I personally am loving that Ed Kelsey has absolutely no filter...” | | 32:56 | Kelly | “People take things so literally..." | | 41:37 | Fran | “They got a little taste of their DMs, ...they’re wanting in, you know what I mean?” |

Tone & Style

• The episode is conversational, punchy, and often irreverent—classic Barstool meets pop culture fandom.
• Hosts are relatable, openly sharing both hot takes and personal life asides.
• There’s a friendly eyeroll at “internet over-interpretation” around celebrity, but plenty of space for earnest shipping and speculation.
• Humor is ever-present, even amidst disappointment for TV character decisions or failed romance.

Structure & Flow

[01:57] – Pre-episode banter, Labor Day weekend plans, intro

[08:34] – TSITP S3E8 full recap & analysis

[27:07] – Ariana Grande tour announcement

[28:39] – Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce engagement news, Ed Kelce’s media tour

[39:21] – Love Island USA breakup recap & reunion critique

[45:01] – Listener trivia challenge

[65:32] – Closing, Monday episode break notice, sign-off

For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode is a pop-culture deep dive: Whether you care about teen TV, “Swelce” engagement rumors, or the fickle world of post-reality TV romance, Ria and Fran serve up takes that are sharp, funny, and always plugged into both the TV/bookworm and fangirl mindset. The podcast feels less like news and more like a sleepover-level binge chat—except with a fan base big enough to land Ed Kelce someday.