2026 Update: James

Summary

Heavyweight (Pushkin Industries)

Episode: 2026 Update: James

Released: July 2, 2026

Host: Jonathan Goldstein
Summary by Podcast Summarizer

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Episode Overview

This episode revisits one of Heavyweight’s earliest and most beloved stories: James’s quest to fulfill his late father's unconventional final wish—scattering his ashes on the 18th hole of a swanky golf course. Jonathan Goldstein, along with old friends Howard and James, look back at their heist-like attempt to carry out Douglas’s request, examining themes of grief, procrastination, friendship, and closure. The episode concludes with a new 10-year update, as James reflects on how time and parenthood have transformed his perspective.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Looking Back: The Original Episode

• Nostalgia and passage of time:
  • Jonathan and Kahlilah reminisce about producing the original episode, marveling at how a decade has passed and how their feelings about youth and aging have shifted.
  • Jonathan (00:30):

    "At the time when we went off on our mission for this episode... we felt like kind of over the hill, you know... But now, listening to it from the vantage point ten years later, I feel like, wow, were we ever so young? Ten years, my goodness."

• The mission:
  • James’s father, Douglas, had one specific dying wish: for his ashes to be scattered on the 18th hole of his beloved golf course.
  • James has held onto the ashes for 16 years, struggling with guilt for not fulfilling his father's request sooner.

The Heist: Planning and Execution

• Recruits and heist planning:
  • Jonathan, James, and Howard assemble like a ragtag team in a caper movie.
  • Hurdles include strict dress codes, inability to golf, the illegality of ash-scattering, and fears of being caught.
  • Howard (13:28):

    "From my previous heist experience... we shouldn't do acid or get too high. Yeah, that's number one."

• Training montage & disguises:
  • The trio thrift shopped at Goodwill for suitable golf club attire, ending up outfitted in plumbing company logo shirts.
  • Light-hearted moments and self-mocking humor permeate their preparations.
  • James (18:00):

    "Oh, my God." (at seeing a double rainbow, interpreted as a good omen)

• Golf practice:
  • Lessons with a pro (Steven) confirm they are hopeless at golf, leading to further comedic brainstorming for how to pull off the ashes-drop undetected.

The Day of the Mission

• Pre-ritual anxiety:

  • On Father's Day, the men meet to parcel the ashes into unscented dog poop bags—just in case one of them is caught, not all the ashes would be lost.
  • James (29:23):

    "But if there's something I'm now grateful for... is that he has compelled me to deal with this... But I've been, I don't know what the word is... Fuck, you know, you couldn't just die. You had to make this somewhat absurd, ridiculous request."

• Infiltrating the golf club:

  • Dressed as amateur golfers, nervous but determined, the group cases the course.
  • They kill time in the clubhouse where James searches for any trace of his father among plaques and guest lists, wondering if anyone there remembers Douglas.

• Serge, the link to Douglas:

  • The team meets Serge, who not only remembers "Crazy Doug" but speaks highly of Douglas’s skill and eccentric collection.
  • Serge (35:19):

    "I don't think I have ever met somebody as brilliant as your dad. The level of depth of knowledge about everything."

• Mission accomplished:

  • Timing their move, James discreetly empties the ashes into the 18th hole as Howard covers.
  • Immediate relief, satisfaction, and camaraderie are palpable.
  • James (38:26, after the act):

    "I got it right in the hole. That felt really good."

  • Jonathan (39:09):

    "Sure... James had become the person he wanted to be, and I had become the person who helped him become the person he wanted to be."

Reflecting, Ten Years Later

• James’s Update Interview
  • Jonathan calls James for a catch-up, discussing changes in life and how listening to the episode now with his own son affects him.
  • Key perspective change: James is no longer "the son," but sees himself primarily as a father.
  • James (42:48):

    "My parents have both been dead for a very long time now... So I'm not a son anymore. I'm a father. That's who I am. So to listen to it with my son. It was completely different."

  • James has not returned to the golf course, or stayed connected with Serge.
  • Reflects on how the podcast helped him resolve the regret of not honoring his dad’s wish sooner.
  • James (44:04):

    "It really did help me get closure... I don't have that regret. I have other regrets, but that, that one was put to bed."

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jonathan (00:30):

  "Now, listening to it from the vantage point ten years later, I feel like, wow, were we ever so young?"

• James (29:23):

  "You couldn't just die. You had to make this somewhat absurd, ridiculous request that was impractical and almost impossible to achieve. But I'm... almost grateful for it."

• Serge (35:19):

  "I don't think I have ever met somebody as brilliant as your dad."

• Steven (Golf Pro, 21:54):

  "That's when a man hits a golf ball. A male of the species hits a golf ball."

• James (38:26):

  "I got it right in the hole. That felt really good."

• Jonathan (39:09):

  "James had become the person he wanted to be, and I had become the person who helped him become the person he wanted to be."

• James (44:04):

  "It really did help me get closure... I don't have that regret."

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Original episode reflection and set-up: 00:22 – 01:30
• Douglas’s life and last request: 06:07 – 09:13
• James discusses guilt and regret: 09:13 – 11:24
• Gathering the team & planning the "heist": 12:11 – 18:46
• Goodwill shopping and double rainbow omen: 15:58 – 18:46
• Golf lesson with Steven: 19:28 – 22:28
• Night-before anxieties and brainstorming: 23:09 – 25:07
• The day of the mission, bagging the ashes: 28:09 – 29:23
• Golf course infiltration: 30:14 – 32:06
• Moment with Serge, the old friend: 34:38 – 36:39
• Ashes-scattering climax: 37:23 – 39:02
• 10-years-later update begins: 40:49
• Closure and final reflections: 44:04

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Closing Thoughts

"2026 Update: James" is a poignant revisiting of a classic Heavyweight story, blending comedic caper energy with the emotional weight of unresolved grief. Jonathan’s gentle narration, combined with the close friendship and humor of the group, makes the episode as meaningful as it is funny. The postscript with James reaffirms the show’s power—helping people move from regret to closure, and showing how the roles of parent and child evolve over time.

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Extras

• Want more James? Check out his YouTube channel, "Screenwrite with James A. Hurst"
• Photos from the episode: In the Heavyweight newsletter at patreon.com/heavyweight

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End of Summary

Transcript

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Pushkin.

[Kahlilah]

Um, hi.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Hello. Hi.

[Kahlilah]

Back in the studio again.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Back in the saddle.

[Kahlilah]

Today we're gonna knock on the door of an old friend of yours named James. Ah.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Okay. This is a first season episode.

[Kahlilah]

Yeah, way back.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

To me, it's one of the funniest episodes.

[Kahlilah]

Yeah, it's very funny.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

And it's also one that I would come back to when I was kind of missing my friends. When I was missing both James and Howard. I would just put on this episode and it felt like I could spend a little bit of time with them. It is funny that at the time when we went off on our mission for this episode full of hope and shenanigans in our heart or whatever, we felt like kind of over the hill, you know, we felt like this is like kid stuff, you know, we're like men in our mid-40s, you know, and what are we doing? But now, listening to it from the vantage point ten years later, I feel like, wow, were we ever so young? Ten years, my goodness.

[James Hurst]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

A lot transpires, it turns out, in the course of 10 years.

[Kahlilah]

It certainly does.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Yeah. And at the end of the episode, I check back in with James to see what his life has been all these years later.

[Kahlilah]

Well, enjoy.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Enjoy indeed. Please make sure the volume is set at a temperate number. Oh, but first, a word from our sponsors. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[Howard]

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[Jonathan Goldstein]

Hey, everyone. When Heavyweight returned last year, we were so encouraged by the heartfelt messages from you, our dear listeners. I can safely say that without you, Heavyweight wouldn't exist today. So thank you. And if you want to take your valuable support to an even higher invaluable level, consider signing up for Pushkin Plus. It makes us look good to our bosses. And you'll get to listen to Heavyweight ad free because you'll be the sponsor Plus. And this is what really puts the plus and Pushkin Plus. You'll also get bonus material. If you want to get 25% off an annual Pushkin plus subscription, head to Pushkin FM plus and use the code HEAVY25. Thanks for your support.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

Horrible timing. Six kids in my house, two parents and getting kids ready for Halloween.

[Kahlilah]

Jonathan GOLDSTEIN Calling for Dr. Jackie Cohen.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

I gotta go.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Wait, wait. Hello, Jackie.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

You know what?

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Okay. You're a doctor, right?

[Unknown Female Speaker]

Hurry up.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

I'm starting to realize, like, in the past year.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

Hurry.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

I'm pretty convinced I'm.

[James Hurst]

Hurry.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

I'm losing hair.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

You were bald.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Balding bald. It's a process.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

So bald.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Now I'm trying to figure out if it's a symptom of something.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

I gotta go, John. I got to go. The party starts in 15 minutes.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

You're having a party at your house? Why didn't you invite me over?

[Kahlilah]

Um, do you want to just do the show or.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

From gimlet media, I'm jonathan goldstein, and this is heavyweight. Today's james. When he was a kid, James loved taking long walks with his dad, Douglas. Douglas was a film buff, and during these walks, he'd recount the plot to every movie he'd ever seen. Hitchcock, Kubrick, and James loved it. And when he grew older and finally got to see the actual movies, as good as they were, they often paled beside the versions his dad told. Something of a dreamer and an eccentric, Douglas lived his life as though he himself were a character in a movie. He died that way, too. On his deathbed, he issued an unexpected final request.

[James Hurst]

The request was that we scatter his ashes on the 18th hole of the golf course he loved.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Each of Douglas kids was handed a different task regarding the estate. James was put in charge of the ashes.

[James Hurst]

My dad was probably the most important person to me outside, obviously, of my wife and kids when he died and when the will was recorded, I wasn't there. You were actually there.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

I think I was there. Douglas was nearing the end and urgently needed to sign his will. And James, who lived out of town, couldn't make it in time. So he asked me and our other good friend Howard to go to his father's bedside and bear legal witness to the signing of the will. To this day, James still carries around a lot of regret about not being able to be there. Although I know it's unlikely, my memory of that day is of Douglas wearing an ascot tucked into his hospital robe. Regardless of whether he actually was, Douglas was the kind of man who always gave the impression of wearing an ascot. As always, he was gentlemanly and cordial. This in spite of the fact that he would pass away within the next 48 hours. Douglass was born an illegitimate child in a poor part of England and raised by a single mom. As a young man, he felt judged and carried with him the feeling of always having to prove himself, even going so far as to affect a posh upper class accent. For Douglas, golf was the domain of the wealthy and sophisticated. And having his ashes placed on the 18th hole of his beloved golf course, an event that James says he probably envisioned, being accompanied by bagpipes and artillery would mean finally receiving his due. But James has yet to honor his father's request. It's now been 16 years. Is it just procrastination?

[James Hurst]

That's what I told myself, yeah. I can vividly remember a day afterwards thinking, oh, yeah, it's the simplest Thing. In fact, it seems so simple that we'll get to it. And now, 16 years later, it's very complicated. I think, to be honest with you, there's part of me that wants to hold onto them because it's my dad.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

And so the urn moved from mantels to closets for a long time. It even knocked around in the trunk of James car. It now sits on a shelf in his basement. Do you think it would be. Would it be a load off your head if you were able to spread the ashes?

[James Hurst]

The amount of times I cried, you know, going on about how what a terrible son I was to not honor his request and the guilt I have about the way he died and, you know, I didn't deal with it well. And it's all a piece.

[Howard]

He.

[James Hurst]

As he got sicker and sicker. He wanted to go home desperately. And myself and my siblings decided he could not go home because he was a hoarder.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Though it wasn't clear that he ever used them. Douglas had an entire room filled solely with golf clubs. Having lived through the war, he also saved empty TV dinner trays, old microwaves, and broken radios that he'd find on the street.

[James Hurst]

We decided he could not go back there, and he was so upset about that. And he went out just really angry. He just wanted to go home. I can't fix the way he died, but this was his one request and. And I haven't honored it. And not only would I be putting to bed something that's been just dogging me for years, I think I'd also feel pretty proud of myself that I'm the person I want to be, since

[Jonathan Goldstein]

the person I want to be is the person who helps people be the people they want to be. I asked James if he'd like me to help him lay his father's ashes to rest. And James said yes. Would you want to do that?

[James Hurst]

Yeah, of course I do.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

The objective, Infiltrate Douglas fancy old golf course and scatter the ashes. The obstacles set the generian narcs with prying eyes. Not to mention the fact that scattering earthly remains is against the law. For this to work, we need the right team. James was the key man, our entry point into the operation. And I was the bank bankrolling the green for expenditures. All that was missing was a frontman. We needed a person of quick wit.

[Steven]

Look at that. Right off the bat.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Bat cat sat fat. Someone cool under pressure.

[Steven]

What's that on my arm?

[Jonathan Goldstein]

We needed.

[Steven]

Oh, that's arm hair.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Howard. Not only was Howard our oldest friend, but he was there with me the day the will was signed and the directive was given. And to top it, Howard never met a grift, swindle or flim flam he didn't think was. Eggs in the coffee. Okay. Fill your pockets with extra after dinner mints at the local diner. Check. Avail yourself of ill gained coffee refills through a counterfeit Russian seniors card. Double check. Howard was always on the make and up for anything. The date had been set. Sunday, which also as it happens was Father's day. The team was in place. We just needed to sort out logistics. Thursday, 8:48pm Howard.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

Hey.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Hi.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

Hi. Hi.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Hello. Hey, I'm on the phone with James.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

Hi.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

I just wanted to get us all together to strategize a little bit. So Howard, is there any wisdom or experience that you could bring to bear from past things that you've done? Like this?

[Unknown Female Speaker]

From my previous heist experience, yeah. Well, we shouldn't do asset or get too high. Yeah, that's number one. Some boos maybe might help steel our nerves.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

So do you want to try to go there and play golf?

[Unknown Female Speaker]

No, I've never golfed.

[Steven]

I don't know how to golf, so

[Unknown Female Speaker]

I've never golfed either. And it's the 18th hole too, so I wish it was the first hole because we could just go and suck and then do our thing. He specifically needs the 18th hole. Right? 18th hole. It's the last hole, but if there's someone there watching us, how do we do it? The clubhouse is near the 18th hole. It looks over the 18th hole. So that's another challenge. What's the clubhouse?

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Clearly there was a lot of work to be done. 9:32pm A quick look at the golf course website reveals a very specific dress code. Polo shirts, belts, golf shoes, something called a tilly hat. If wearing a polo shirt with some kind of bonnet wasn't embarrassing enough, the rules explicitly stated that all shirts were to be tucked in to your pants. For this to work, we need to honor the dress code to a T. In short, we'd need the best disguises money could buy. And as the bank, it was my job to secure the greenbacks. After a brief parlay with Gimlet founder and CEO Alex Bloomberg, I'm told my budget is $50. To which I say, but I've already promised the crew I'd take them shopping at JCPenney and now I'll look like an idiot. To which he says, what crew? And I say, never mind. Alex then tells me to take it up with Matt. Because he's in the middle of a boardroom meeting. But Matt scares me, so I just convert the green to Canadian travelers checks. A safe, responsible move. So if you're listening, you should at least cover the service fees. Except you probably aren't listening because you're too busy with your precious startup. So, although it probably wasn't the kind of establishment James Posh Dad Douglas would approve of, we'd need to hit the only place we could afford. All right. Friday, 12:36pm it turns out the sports section of a Goodwill can be a pretty sad place. Unstrung badminton rackets, waterlogged Nerf footballs you only hope are logged with water, and one boxing glove.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

That's.

[Steven]

That's the.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

As an advanced student of the heist film as genre, I know that when pulling off a big job, the perfect outfit is crucial. Think Michael Caine's luxe white turtleneck in the Italian Job. Or Elliot Gould's neckerchief in Ocean's Eleven.

[James Hurst]

They have some very nice slacks here, I will say. And the prices are very affordable.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

You want to try on the polo shirts? Not exactly Frankie Muniz's wraparound shades in Agent Cody Banks, but it'll have to do.

[Steven]

Look at these two.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Ooh, it's like rayon.

[Steven]

Look at how soft this is.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

The good news is that the Goodwill has changing rooms. The bad news is that there's only one, and it's about the size of a bus station toilet stall. I'm going to come in with you. But since we are, A, a team and B, absolutely fear together, we cram in. And like any team would strip completely naked. That might be the ugliest shirt I've ever, ever seen. I kind of like bears mentioning that the shirt Howard is referring to is creamsicle orange and bears the logo of a plumbing company. And luckiest of lucky days, he's found the exact same shirts for me and James. This way, he reasons, we can all match like a crew.

[Steven]

It looks good. You're not supposed to look good. It's golfing, stupid. Oh, man.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Howard, James and I have known each other since we're teenagers. Back then, we used to hang out like this all the time, just doing goofy stuff. But we now live in separate cities with wives, kids, jobs, and we never get to do this kind of thing anymore. Standing around in the middle of the afternoon, laughing in the buff with old friends. Feels nice.

[Steven]

You're the only one that has a

[James Hurst]

tattoo, So this is good. We got shirts, and I got a belt.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

As we exit into the parking lot, our plastic sacks plump with glad rags. Something straight up magical happens.

[James Hurst]

Oh, my God.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Before getting too excited about what we think we might be seeing, possibly we wait. Confirmation from the man who can spot a conversation a mile off.

[Steven]

What is a double rainbow?

[Jonathan Goldstein]

It's legit. A double rainbow. And even Howard's impressed.

[Steven]

Wow.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Mildly. And so James and I give ourselves over. Fully overcome by this fortuitous sign, the crew was moved to song somewhere.

[Steven]

It was red and purple and crimson and green.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Apple and a rainbow was a good omen. Like James, Dad Douglas was looking down on us and smiling. A big multicolored upside down smile.

[James Hurst]

Pink and orange and blue.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Sure, we were dressed to the 18s, but if we each took 45 minutes to sink a ball from two feet away, we might attract suspicion. We needed to train hard. I'm talking Rocky running through waist high Russian snow hard. A montage of steel drum musicians learning to play chariots of fire set to the tune of Eye the Tiger hard. I'm talking actually learning how to play golf. We find a driving range in the fancier part of town and book a golf pro by the Name of Steven. 1:00pm Are you Stephen?

[Steven]

Absolutely.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Hey, Steven. I'm Jonathan.

[Steven]

Nice to meet you, Jonathan.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

This is Howard and this is James. This is Stephen. Stephen. A smile with more dimples than the golf balls. He lovingly cradles a tall drink of sports. Aqua Velva, Eau de toilette if ever there was. Stephen's been golfing professionally for over 20 years and couldn't be nicer or better smelling. And considering the frantic barrage of imbecilic questions we ask, he also couldn't be more patient.

[Steven]

Steven, can I see the bottom? Are those official golf shoes? Yeah. I have one quick question. What do golfers think about, like, Happy Gilmore? Like a movie like that? If they find they find it insulting.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

After a brief lecture on the basic how to's, Hit ball with stick, hold stick with hands, get ball in hole. We're ready. We insist James go first. After all, this is his mission. What we want to do is we

[Steven]

want to finish it just like this here.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

While Steven tenderly positions James. Hips and elbows. Howard grabs my microphone and golf commentates.

[Steven]

I'd say he looks really, really horrible. Just ridiculous looking. Not encouraging.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Somehow James manages to connect on his very first try.

[Steven]

That was good. Everyone's saying very encouraging things, but it's really horrible just to say but he got it.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

It went in the air and he hit it.

[Steven]

It's like you say to a child. Good. You hit it.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Steven. Looks over at Howard, who now squats in the grass, untying and retying his two left footed Goodwill issued golf shoes. And then he looks over at me, a grown man in a too large tilly hat, strings cinched tight enough beneath the chin to ensure the clenched jawed vocal affect of a young Katharine Hepburn. He waves us to come hither, offering up something in the way of inspiration. I'm going to try to make it

[James Hurst]

go from right to left. It must feel really good when you get it up in the air like that.

[Steven]

Well, it's great because that's the goal. Right is to get it up.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

The golf ball flies straight up into the air and then, as though eerily achieving human consciousness in mid flight, suddenly takes a sharp left.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

Wow.

[Steven]

So cool.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Howard, baptized in the backsplash of Steven's pheromones, is born again. He's seen the pinnacle of male perfection. And James it is not.

[Steven]

See, James, that's what it looks like. That's when a man hits a golf ball. A male of the species hits a golf ball.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Next up is Howard. He steps to the tee, grips the club in just the way Steven instructed, does this adorable waddle back and forth to get his footing just so. And then. Did you hear that? Let me play it again thrice. A swing and a miss. A swing and a miss. A swing and a miss.

[Steven]

That's too much.

[James Hurst]

If you're losing your balance, you're swinging too fast. Too fast.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

The first 25 years are tough. Oh, Steven, all this and funny too. My attempts were just as fruitless. As it turns out, golf is hard. We wonder if Douglas knew just how difficult a mission he'd sent us on.

[James Hurst]

How would we do without a golf pro standing there helping us?

[Jonathan Goldstein]

You know the difference between golf clubs?

[James Hurst]

There's wet. No, I don't. Not really. I mean, I know.

[Steven]

Wedge, driver, putter. One iron, two iron, three iron. Putter, driver, putter,

[Jonathan Goldstein]

One. 39am it's the night before the job and the reality of our situation begins to set in. How can any sting be stung when the would be? Stingers absolutely stink at golf? Clearly, this plan wasn't going to work. And so at a quarter to 2 in the morning, panic set in.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

It's impossible. It's impossible for us to play golf. We would suck so hard like we would never make it off the first fucking hole. And if we knock the balls anywhere. Yeah, I'm with you. It's like learning how to fucking juggle. It's like it's an incredibly impossible thing to do. It's gonna be so obvious that there's something's up because we've never fucking golfed. Yeah, that's the issue. If we're doing any sort of subterfuge, we're gonna be the most obvious conspicuous people in the world. Suspicious. And then we'll have to get all the way to the 18th hole. That takes hours. I mean literally hours, even if you're good. Literally, yeah. And then try to get the ashes out. Forget it.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

2:15am do you guys know what stomp rockets are growing desperate. We chuck the old plan and begin to free associate new plans.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

We need a T shirt cannon. Well, you know, actually, that. That could work.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

3:05am what if we dumped them into,

[Unknown Female Speaker]

say, like a balloon and then filled it with water and then whip them so they would explode all on the 18th green and that's it.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

This was going nowhere, so I raised the possibility of her pulling off a night job. For those of you squares who need to be hep to it, that's a job one performs at night.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

They might have dogs. What if they think we're terrorists or something? Super, super posh exclusive club. Going late at night with someone's human remains. Which is fucking totally illegal. Yeah, I mean, they must have some sort of security there. Oh, 100%.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

The sun was coming up soon. So I suggest that like in Dog Day Afternoon or Reservoir Dogs or really any other movies about dogs that I've also not seen, but can only assume have happy, heartwarming endings. Maybe we just show up during the day and hope for the best. This idea.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

Okay, that works for me.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

They liked. After the break, the A team of golf sets off on its mission.

[Steven]

I want to be Golf Lungren. And you could be Mr. T. T.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Mr. E. And what am I?

[Steven]

You just know as wedge. No, you're wedginal then Cleese.

[James Hurst]

All new drinks are now at McDonald's with refreshers like the Strawberry Watermelon Refresher and the Mango Pineapple Refresher with Popping Boba. To crafted sodas like the Sprite Berry Blast with berry flavors and cold foam. Who knew ice cold drinks could be so fire six? All new drinks are here now at McDonald's.

[Steven]

Refreshers contain caffeine.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Hey, everyone. When Heavyweight returned last year, we were so encouraged by the heartfelt messages from you, our dear listeners. I can safely say that without you, Heavyweight wouldn't exist today. So thank you. And if you want to take your valuable support to an even higher invaluable level, consider signing up for Pushkin Plus. It makes us look good to our bosses. And you'll get to listen to Heavyweight AD free because you'll be the sponsor plus. And this is what really puts the plus in Pushkin Plus. You'll also get bonus material. If you want to get 25% off an annual Pushkin plus subscription, head to Pushkin FM plus and use the code HEAVY25. Thanks for your support.

[OrderlyMeds Narrator]

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[Steven]

James, you want a drink?

[J.R. Martinez]

Scotch?

[Steven]

Yeah, maybe on ice?

[James Hurst]

Sure. Thank you.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Sunday, 8:10am Father's Day arrives, a beautiful one in Montreal. James says it's a lot like the day Douglas died. We all rendezvous at the safe house, which also happens to be Howard's rec room. James has held on to his dad's urn for 16 years, but he's always kept it in the velvet bag it came with, so he's never actually handled it. Earlier in the day, though, in anticipation of the job, he withdrew it. And if there was any question about just how much Douglas loved golf, it was immediately answered by what was revealed. Etched into the side of the urn was a golfer in mid swing.

[James Hurst]

Cheers to you, dad.

[Steven]

So I'm taking some of Bruce's poop bags that are actually unscented, which is kind of nice. And we're going to use these to transfer some of James's beloved's father's ashes into here.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Harrod had the idea of using his pug's poop bags to separate the ashes into portions for each of us. His reasoning? Should one of us get pinched by some golf clubhouse Johnny Law, the two surviving members of the crew could still carry out the job.

[Steven]

Oh my God, this is so strange.

[James Hurst]

Oh, what a business.

[Steven]

I know.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

What a business.

[James Hurst]

I ain't death. What a fucking business. Well, I'm glad you got. I'm glad I'm. I've had a couple of drinks, so I'm getting all sentimental, but I'm really glad you guys are doing this with me. You're part of this thing. For 16 years there was this sort of fear that I wouldn't be able to handle dealing with it, the physicality of it. But if there's something I'm now grateful for, and I wonder if there was some wisdom in it, is that he has compelled me to deal with this. I've never cursed him for it, but I've been angry. I've never been angry, but I've been. I don't know what the word is, sort of like fuck, you know, you couldn't just go without. You couldn't just die. You had to make this somewhat absurd, ridiculous request that was impractical and almost impossible to achieve. But I'm sitting right now kind of almost grateful for it. So let's. Let's hope. Let's hope we're successful today.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

8:25am as we set off on the job, Howard shows doubts about his outfit.

[Steven]

I look like a fat failure of a dentist. I look like I lost my practice because I put dentures in a child's mouth.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

As we near the golf course, James grows silent. I might have parked at a space.

[Steven]

All right, good show.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

How you feeling?

[James Hurst]

Nervous.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

I'm going to park near here, just for a quick getaway from the parking lot. We wind our way towards the green. Maybe it's testament to a tilly hat cocked at just the right angle, but nobody seems to be stopping us. We have infiltrated.

[Steven]

Look how manicured it is. It looks like a pool table. There's a pile of ashes there in the middle.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

The golf course is what you'd expect. Green grass as far as the eye can see. Trees, ponds. It's beautiful. And under normal circumstances it'd make us feel peaceful, like. But just now it's making us feel out of place, reminding us of who we are. Three frightened middle aged men dressed in discarded plumbing company uniforms struggling under the weight of our bulky knapsacks and a mission that just now feels too big for us. I don't know, should we just try to go to the 18th hole or should we go in and that's. I believe that's it as it turns out. The 18th hole is the hole nearest the parking lot. That red flag right there is your

[James Hurst]

destination green of the 18th hole and that is it. It is the most conspicuous hole. So thanks a lot, dad.

[Steven]

Right now we're even being. Right now we're going to wash our hands.

[James Hurst]

Even now.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Even now. We decide to play it cool, case the joint. We make our way to the ninth hole, which is out of view. And it's here that fear sets in. And with it bargaining.

[James Hurst]

The ninth hole, dad, right here would be perfect. I could go with the hole earned.

[Howard]

Dump it.

[James Hurst]

Maybe he liked the screen. He liked the whole. He liked the whole golf course. It wasn't his, but I know this is the back nine. I know he liked the back nine.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Next, denial.

[Steven]

This is my question. Why did your dad, who is an avid golfer who's probably really, really serious about his game, why would he want to put his action on the green which would interfere with another golfers?

[Jonathan Goldstein]

I suggest we cool our heels in the clubhouse and the boys agree. It turns out that that evening is a Father's day banquet, so the staff is rushing to prepare, which allows us to wander around relatively unnoticed. The club goes back about a hundred years and on the walls are hung old brown and white photos and plaques commemorating the members who've died fighting in both world wars. Since almost the start of our mission, James had expressed a fear that maybe no one at the club would even remember his dad. Douglas was just such a loner that over the years James had never met any of his friends. As far as he knew, he didn't really have any. There was a lot about his dad he didn't know, like whether he was even any good at golf. So he was hoping he might find some small trace of him here, a photo or even his name on a list somewhere.

[Steven]

Oh, the registry.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

We find a large old looking book that lists every champion in the course's history. Wow. It goes back to 1903.

[James Hurst]

Passengers and wings up. I mean, I'm sure he's probably documented in some book somewhere. It's just a question of finding it.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Do you want to check that book? Did you look through all this?

[James Hurst]

Yeah, I didn't see anything in there.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Since the book won't talk, we look for someone who will. We stop every staff member and golfer who looks old enough and ask if they remember Douglas.

[James Hurst]

Douglas passed away in 2000. We're hoping to find some sort of inside of him, but I don't know. The name doesn't ring a bell. Douglas Hurst, long time ago. Trying to find people who Remember? And look, I play at six in

[Jonathan Goldstein]

the morning, so the only guys I

[Steven]

know are the grass.

[James Hurst]

I didn't know him.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

No dice. Until Doug Hurst.

[Steven]

You guys knew him? Sure. That's his son.

[OrderlyMeds Narrator]

Right here

[Jonathan Goldstein]

in a basement room, squeezed into an armchair watching golf on TV is Serge. Serge, a French Canadian bulldog of a man. He pours fistfuls of mixed nuts into his mouth, which he washes down with generous slugs from his beer cruiser through the half jar of fancy cocktail nuts crammed into his grizzled maw. You might not be able to understand the words Serge is desperately trying to choke out. He's saying Crazy Doug. Crazy Doug is his nickname for James's dad.

[James Hurst]

Oh, I'm so glad I found someone who remembered him. We asked a few people and not too many people remembered him.

[Steven]

You thought we found maybe a staff member who'd been here a while that no one knew?

[James Hurst]

I'm so glad.

[Kahlilah]

Very well.

[James Hurst]

So was he a good golf player? Was he good?

[Steven]

He was a good golfer. He was a golfer, yeah, but he was like I was eight or nine handicap.

[J.R. Martinez]

Okay.

[Steven]

Oh, that's very good.

[James Hurst]

Okay.

[Steven]

This is like the top 5% of all the golfers in the world.

[James Hurst]

So he was very good.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

He was very good and he was dedicated. The room full of golf clubs that James had thought was garbage. Serge spoke of it with respect. He called it the largest, most complete collection of golf clubs in all of Canada. You never want to hear someone refer to a person you love by a pet name prefixed by the word crazy. But the benefit is that when they tell you stuff about your dad, you know they're being honest. So when Serge says what he says next, James knows he can believe him.

[Steven]

I don't think I have ever met somebody as brilliant as your dad. The level of depth of knowledge about everything. But on the other side, he was also very.

[James Hurst]

I would not say shy, isolated, like.

[Steven]

Exactly.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

Yeah.

[Steven]

He could play along. We saw him very rarely on the clubhouse.

[James Hurst]

I think it was because he was a bit of a loner. But he did love people and he loved the people here and he did love all his friends here. But he really loved to come at six in the morning when he could just do his thing. That was very my father. That's what my mother used to say too. It's very my father. And it's not that he didn't like people. He just liked to do things at his speed, his way and be done. Because he was sort of a loner. He was a loner and he's my father. You're the son of your father.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

And with that, it's time for James to become the son his father had asked him to be and do the job we came for.

[Steven]

I think it's just a great idea when we're just walking around. We're members. We're members, sons.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

We head back outside and walk with purpose to the 18th hole. As fate would have it, the coast is clear. Actually, James, right now.

[Steven]

Turn your hand right here. Just kind of cool down this.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

Tie my shoe.

[James Hurst]

Tie my shoe?

[Steven]

Yeah, tie your shoe. Tie your shoe. There's an opportunity right now. Let's walk with him.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

With Howard on his left and me on his right, we walk James out to the green, doing our best to protect him from view.

[Steven]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

We're walking with you.

[Steven]

Say something, maybe.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Yeah, I will.

[Steven]

I will

[James Hurst]

show you something in my head.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Do you want to say something in your head?

[James Hurst]

Yeah, I'm just saying something in my head.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

Okay.

[Steven]

Wow. We're actually doing this. This is incredible because you're actually doing it right now. This is actually happening. He's actually putting his dad's ashes right on the 18th hole just like he wanted. We didn't think this would be possible, actually. James just tipped his hat. He just dumped it right into the 18th hole, very discreetly.

[James Hurst]

I got it right in the hole. That felt really good.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

I'm really glad.

[James Hurst]

Right in the hole.

[Kahlilah]

Exactly.

[James Hurst]

I feel great. I feel awesome.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Howard and I are feeling pretty good, too. This is the last time James would ever get to do something his dad had asked him to do, and we're proud to be a small part of it. We put our arms around our friend's neck and pat his back.

[James Hurst]

Okay, well, you got back home.

[Steven]

That's incredible.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Happy Father's Day.

[James Hurst]

Happy Father's Day. Happy Father's Day. It worked out perfectly.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

And James is right. It has kind of worked out perfectly. Sure. Unlike the end of heist films like Reservoir Dogs, we weren't sipping drinks from a coconut on a beautiful beach. But James had become the person he wanted to be, and I had become the person who helped him become the person he wanted to be. And Howard, well, he'd become the person who fills up a dog poop bag with free golf clubhouse dinner mints. So all in all, it was a happy ending.

[James Hurst]

Thank you, guys, for doing this.

[Steven]

James had a fistful of his father's ashes in his hand, and he walked onto that green like a don bent onto one. He tipped his hat and just dumped it right into the hole, like, clean Right in the hole. That was a hole in one. That's what I would say.

[Kahlilah]

Now that the furniture's returning to its goodwill home,

[James Hurst]

now that the last month's

[Kahlilah]

rent is scheming with the damage, take

[James Hurst]

this moment to decide if we meant

[Jonathan Goldstein]

it, if we tried

[Kahlilah]

or felt around for far too much.

[James Hurst]

Hello, my friend. How are you? It's very nice to see you. And. Yeah, and I was just listening to the episode this morning, so. Oh, hold on, hold on. Okay. And I'm not. Give me one sec. I'm not hearing anything. Give me one sec. Okay, I see what's happening here. Hey, so sorry about that. So sorry.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

That's okay. I mean, we're going to a lot of trouble for the sound, which I really appreciate.

[James Hurst]

Does it sound good, though? Does it sound okay?

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Yeah, it sounds good. I mean, it might not match when we initially got on, so let's just back up. I will say hello.

[James Hurst]

Hello, Jonathan. How are you?

[Howard]

I'm good.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

How are you?

[James Hurst]

I'm very good.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

We're such a couple of showbiz phonies.

[James Hurst]

That's right. Yes. Yes, we are.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

So you were saying that you were just listening to the episode this morning?

[James Hurst]

Yeah, I hadn't listened to it probably since it came out. And as it happened, I was driving my son to school, as I do, and I drive him to school because he won't make it if I don't. And also, it is a nice little father and son time. It's usually passed in silence. But I said, hey, today we've got to listen to this podcast.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Has he ever listened to the episode before?

[James Hurst]

No.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Yeah. What did he say?

[James Hurst]

He was impressed in that. Okay, well, those are not the words he used. But my Gabe O meter's pretty good. My Gabe Dhar is pretty good. And I did see that he was impressed. I guess for me, it was really great to listen to the podcast again because what I got out of it, what was interesting for me, one is that just being with you and Howard, my two best friends, that was the big thing, was, wow, I just love these guys. So that's the main thing I took away from it. The other thing is that hearing it again 10 years later with my son, I'm such a different person then.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

How do you mean?

[James Hurst]

Because, you know, my parents have both been dead for a very long time now. My mother died, I think, within about a year of that recording, and that was 10 years ago. So I'm not a son anymore. I'm a father. That's who I am. So to Listen to it with my son. It was completely different, just a completely different experience. I think when we were recording that, it was still very much my father's son.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Yeah. You've not been back to the golf course to visit, have you?

[James Hurst]

No, I have not.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Have you kept in touch with Sarah?

[James Hurst]

No, not at all.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

That would be. That would be an interesting.

[James Hurst]

That would be an interesting conversation.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

I mean, it was friend to have.

[James Hurst]

He's a bold guy, Right. Because he's, you know, here I am saying, oh, you know, we're doing this podcast about my dad and you know how much I feel so much regret that I wasn't able to really be there for him when he was dead. And I just loved my dad. And he was like, oh, crazy Doug.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

Right.

[James Hurst]

It was so bold that I was like, wow, good for you, Sarah.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Bold is a nice word for it.

[James Hurst]

Yeah.

[Unknown Female Speaker]

Right.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Well, this was nice, James. Thank you.

[Kahlilah]

Thank you.

[James Hurst]

It was great to speak to you again. And it really did help me get closure. My dad used to always say, no bullshit. You know, he'd say, no bullshit. As my dad would say, no bullshit. It really was very meaningful because I don't have that regret. I have other regrets, but that, that one was. Was put to bed.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Thanks to everyone who helped put this episode together. And if you want a little more James in your life, and who wouldn't, why not check out his YouTube channel, screenwrite with James A. Hurst. That's spelled H U R S T. James breaks down movies and teaches you how to write screenplays of your own, just as he does. He's a successful screenwriter and he can help you become one as well. This is our last update episode of the summer. We will be back with a brand new season of Heavyweight, God willing, this fall. And in the meantime, as always, check out our free newsletter. Kahlilah, what do you have in the newsletter?

[Kahlilah]

This week we've been including, like, photos of our subjects and this week we'll have some photos of Jonathan and James together.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

Yes. And, you know, while I am an audio purist and, you know, my mantra is sort of keep your eyes closed in life, don't let's not get into the visuals. I do appreciate a good photograph now and again.

[Kahlilah]

Yeah, I agree.

[Jonathan Goldstein]

And you can find this newsletter of which we [e-mail] heavyweight see you this fall. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.