Podcast Summary: Hey Riddle Riddle #389 – "Best of 2025 Part 2"

Release Date: December 31, 2025
Hosts: Adal Rifai, Erin Keif, John Patrick Coan (JPC)
Special Guests/Characters: Esmeralda, Dr. Blister Fingers, Casey, Jacob, others as part of various improvised bits.

Episode Overview

This "Best Of" installment is a raucous, joke-dense montage of beloved sketches, bits, and improvised scenes from Hey Riddle Riddle’s 2025 output. It features the trio’s signature mix of unruly riddles, rapid-fire character work, and deranged, surreal comedic scenarios. The episode celebrates the podcast's patented blend: about 25% actual riddles, 75% wild improv and pop culture goofs.

Main Themes and Purpose

• Highlights from 2025: Hand-picked favorite moments and fan-favorite improv scenes.
• Patreon & Bonus Content: Teasers of wild, unfiltered Patreon material.
• Homemade Riddles, Parodies, Absurd Characters: The episode is a madcap showcase of the podcast’s collaborative "rules are suggestions" spirit.
• Community and Holiday Mood: With Christmas and New Year framing, the hosts riff on holiday traditions, favorite songs, and resolutions, all while joking about their own status as "overrated Chicago improvisers."

Key Segments and Memorable Bits

Holiday Banter & Playful Self-Deprecation (00:50–02:55)

• The gang riffs on favorite Christmas songs (Shakin’ Stevens’ “Merry Christmas Everyone”; Harry Connick Jr.; Run DMC) and turns a Die Hard reference into a Hans Gruber Band bit.
  • Quote – Adal: "Do you guys have a favorite Christmas song?" (01:12)
• They joke about podcast awards, riffing that they’ve been nominated for a “UN war crimes tribunal” (05:16), and escalate the absurdity with jokes about "public execution" as a podcast prize.
• Erin’s editing is commended; typical self-roasting humor:
  • Quote – Erin: "I'm my least favorite comedian. I can't stand the sound of my own voice, but I do think you guys are still funny. And that's a great sign." (02:37)

Improvised Scenes & Character Games (07:31–44:53)

The middle of the episode is a barrage of improv games and comedic set-pieces, such as:

• Vampire Prom (07:31)
  • Chaperoning a vampire prom, discussing vampire teens turning into bats and pooping guano into socks, anxious about a mixer with a "Too Much Blood" school.
  • Quote – Esmeralda: "My Michael keeps turning into a bat and then pooping into his sock. It's a lot of guano in his sock." (08:07)
• Process Server Magician (10:08):
  • Adol tries to evade being served divorce papers while Erin, as a process server, employs magic tricks. (10:23)
• Drunk NASA Mission Control (11:41):
  • An astronaut tries to communicate with a clearly intoxicated Houston mission control. "Are you talking to the astronauts on the phone?" (12:44)
• Home Construction for JP Riddles (15:08):
  • JPC describes an absurd Massachusetts house (“all windows are doors and doors are windows,” "rabbit oven"), and how to keep out invaders with trick poles and bug-filled walls for his "rabbit chef." (15:25)
  • Quote – JPC: "My chef is a rabbit. My chef is a rabbit." (16:17)
• Bank Scene with Channing Tatum (21:17):
  • Adal, forgetting his name as Channing Tatum, tries to rob a bank by shouting confused variations on celebrity names.
  • Recurring joke about shouting “Everybody on the floor!” without context.
• Presidential Nature Documentaries (23:56):
  • Imagine Trump or Biden narrating Netflix’s “Our Planet.”
  • Quote – Esmeralda / Trump voice: "They call them killer whales. Beautiful whales. Never seen them kill, but I've heard that they can." (24:44)
• Monster High School (26:43):
  • Frankenstein’s monster and Dracula attempt high school, struggle with awkward scene restarts and “cookie monster” impressions.
• Alvin & Simon at Theodore’s Funeral (30:17):
  • Struggle to remain sad with high-pitched chipmunk voices, which devolves into meta-improv arguing.
  • Leads to “Scene Court” (31:45) over improv rules and the use of soundboards.

Edgy Musical Parodies & Wild Improv (61:12–64:39)

• Hosts sing “Come on My Titties” as a Lion King parody (61:12), pushing their penchant for dirty song improv and relentless escalation.
• Banter about being nominated for a Tony (“Tony’s nominating us for mini Casey!” 64:29) and “Arabian Nuts” as a play on “A Whole New World” (64:37).

Running Gags & Surreal Scenes (73:00–88:47)

• Big Breakfast Inheritance (73:00):
  • Dysfunctional family at a breakfast where will and inheritance are given or revoked based on breakfast behavior.
  • Frequent shouting of "cunt, you goof!" as a phony aristocratic insult. (74:01+)
• Gotham-Style Customer Service Calls (78:33–86:12):
  • Satirical scenes as Gotham citizens calling Commissioner Gordon’s office with complaints about Batman stuffing goons in their trash and villain-related incidents at local businesses.
• Make a Pig, God! (87:42):
  • Esmeralda as an inebriated God attempts to invent animals; includes running jokes about creating pufferfish, anglerfish, and an “ex-wife” as the first creation.

Homeowner’s Hotline Horror (117:41–123:16)

• Greg Blueberry’s Homeowner’s Hotline (117:41):
  • A dark, surreal parody of call-in home advice shows, in which giving personal details on-air results in callers being hunted down and killed, escalating into an absurdly grim running bit about “don’t give your address on air.”
  • Quote – JPC as Greg: "There is a reckoning coming for you, Faith, because you, Faith, cannot listen to simple instructions." (122:08)

Notable Quotes & Classic Moments

• "Do you guys have a favorite Christmas song?" (01:12 – JPC)
• "You have to be invited in. You can't just walk in. You have to be invited." (09:41 – Aaron)
• "My chef is a rabbit. My chef is a rabbit. My chef is a rabbit." (16:17 – JPC)
• "If you see the worm, you don't go to heaven." (59:01 – Running joke in pirate cult scene)
• "Cunt, you goof!" (Various, starting at 74:01 – Big Breakfast Inheritance scene)
• "They call them killer whales. Beautiful whales. Never seen them kill, but I've heard that they can." (24:44 – Esmeralda/Trump impression)
• "Come on my titties, what a wonderful phrase." (63:01 – Adal, singing Lion King parody)
• "My eyes are back." (95:36 – JPC, after too much espresso)
• "Don't give them your address, Mike!" (119:09 – JPC/Greg Blueberry Hotline segment)

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Bit | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:50 | Kick-off, "Best Of" intro, holiday music debate | | 05:16 | Satire: Nominated for "UN war crimes tribunal" as an award | | 07:31 | Vampire Prom scene | | 10:08 | Divorce papers magic trick scene | | 11:41 | Drunk NASA Houston mission control skit | | 15:08 | JP Riddles’ absurd home construction wishes | | 21:17 | Channing Tatum/Bank confusion-improv | | 23:56 | Nature doc parodies (Obama/Trump/Biden) | | 26:43 | Monster High School/scene restarts | | 30:17 | Chipmunks at a funeral; scene court | | 61:12 | "Come on My Titties" Lion King parody | | 73:00 | Big Breakfast Inheritance scene / "cunt, you goof!" | | 78:33 | Gotham residents’ complaints to Commissioner Gordon's office | | 87:42 | “God, Make a Pig” – drunken God invents animals | | 117:41 | Homeowner’s Hotline bombarded by doomed callers |

Tone and Style

• Wildly irreverent, fast, and punchy.
• Heavy use of meta-improv, break-in-character, self-aware inside jokes.
• Parody and pastiche: everything from nature docs to Lion King, home advice shows, Gotham City.
• Recurrent escalation—one-off bits snowball into multi-minute riffs.
• Extremely “unfiltered,” especially in Patreon segments.

Final Notes for New Listeners

This episode is a premium sampler of the Hey Riddle Riddle vibe: If you love comedic anarchy, fast-talking improvisers, non-sequitur humor, and playful rudeness, this “Best Of” is a rollicking ride. If you arrive expecting straight riddles and puzzles, be ready for the chaos — as the hosts say, “This podcast is barely about them!”

For those looking to keep up: Patreon offers even more wild, bonus content—and the “Clue Crew” community is regularly invoked for fan engagement and extra episodes.

Episode Highlights (Quick Reference)

• 🎶 Riffing on favorite Christmas songs (01:00–01:50)
• 🤪 Podcast “award” for war crimes (04:49–05:55)
• 🦇 Vampire Prom PTA (07:31–09:59)
• 🚀 Drunk NASA Mission Control (11:41–13:14)
• 🔑 Absurdist home construction wishes (15:08–18:22)
• 🕺 Channing Tatum Bank Scene (21:17–23:38)
• 🐋 Trump/Biden/Obama "narrating" nature docs (23:56–25:18)
• 🏰 Monster High School/scene confusion (26:43–30:00)
• 🥞 Big Breakfast/Cursed Will ("Cunt, you goof!") (73:00–78:00)
• ☎️ Homeowner’s Horror Call-in Show (117:41–123:35)

For the Full Experience

• Follow the in-episode timestamps for your favorite bits.
• Skip advertisements – jump to the listed content sections for pure improv joy.
• Notable for highly quotable, instantly memeable lines—expect a fast pace, raunchy humor, and energetic chaos.

"Come on my titties, what a wonderful phrase."
— Adal (63:01, Lion King parody)

"If you lift up the hat and you see the worm, you're not going to heaven. That's what the worm told the grand..."
— JPC (59:01, Pirate Cult Scene)

"There is a reckoning coming for you, Faith, because you, Faith, cannot listen to simple instructions."
— JPC as Greg Blueberry (122:08, Homeowner’s Hotline)

End of Summary