Pod Meets World – "Den Brother" (November 11, 2025)

Hosts: Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, Rider Strong
Network: iHeartPodcasts
Theme: A rewatch and in-depth breakdown of the Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) Den Brother (2010), complete with behind-the-scenes context, cast callbacks, and the hosts' trademark banter.

Episode Overview

This episode of Pod Meets World shifts from their regular "Boy Meets World" fare to the DCOM universe, spotlighting the little-remembered 2010 film Den Brother. Hosts Will and Sabrina revisit this odd mashup of hockey tropes, Girl Scout antics, and (failed) Mrs. Doubtfire homages, dissecting its premise, casting, target audience (or lack thereof), and why it faded from DCOM history despite a strong premiere. Listeners are treated to sarcastic asides, personal childhood tales, and infectious nostalgia—even in the face of a truly middling movie.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Initial Impressions and Context

• [04:57] Will: Lays out the baffling premise: "This week on Magical Rewind, we tackle two subjects as intrinsically connected as peanut butter and jelly, thunder and lightning, or decoms and Stu Krieger. That's right, it's hockey and Girl Scouts."
• The film's stats: 3.7 million viewers on premiere, peaking at 4.3 million—a huge number for Disney, yet "largely written out of the history books."
• Both hosts admit they'd never heard of Den Brother before prepping for the episode ([10:04] Sabrina: "No... I honestly thought we were going for another spooky movie. [...] This was a big shock for me.").

2. Hosts’ Connections to Scouting

• Sabrina reminisces about her year as a Brownie Girl Scout, loving the uniform and patches ([06:46]).
• Will describes being a Cub Scout (and briefly a "weebalo"), even appearing in the local paper for saluting the flag: "It's still framed in my house at home" ([07:20]).

3. Movie Cast, Crew & Plot Foundations

• Quick round-up of DCOM 'players':
  • Director: Mark L. Taylor (usually an actor; this is his only full-length directorial).
  • Lead: Hutch Dano—a name Will calls "one of the coolest 70s cop names ever" ([11:09]).
  • Co-stars from Disney and beyond: Genevieve Hannelius, Kelsey Chow (now Kelsey Asbille, famously of Yellowstone), Deborah Mooney, and David Lambert.
• Will's summary: "Was Den Brother good? No. Did it make sense? Not really. Was it successful? For premiere night, yes." ([11:59])

4. Plot Breakdown and In-Depth Rewatch Highlights

A. Opening Scenes & Main Character Issues

• [18:46] The film starts at a crowded high school hockey game—a recurring DCOM motif.
• Host reactions to Alex (main character):
  • [20:13] Sabrina: "I never once did root for him. [...] I just thought he was such a schmuck. Like, you're a douche, knush. [...] I hope she never dates you."
  • Will: "He doesn't really learn anything, even at the end. [...] This guy's a jerk for like, 86 of the minutes of this movie."

B. Family & Sibling Dynamic

• Alex’s relationship with his sister Emily offers a few touching reprieves:
  • [22:55] Sabrina: "And we're seeing a little bit of a soft spot. And it's kind of... calming down for me. I'm hating him less and less."
• Dead mom trope present (as usual for a DCOM).

C. Daisy/Bumblebee Troop Antics

• [23:18] Sabrina ponders the movie's intended audience:
  • "Who is this movie for? To me at this point I'm thinking it's for the little sister... But then they focus so much on hockey."
  • Will agrees, questioning whether it’s for little girls or teen boys.

D. Gender Swapping & "Mrs. Doubtfire" References

• [47:46] Alex pretends to be the girls’ "den mother," culminating in prosthetic-laden, cross-dressing setpieces.
• The hosts agree the execution is awkward:
  • [49:25] Will: "Now they're going kind of Mrs. Doubtfire, but it's awful."
  • [50:07] Sabrina: "He's actually, for the most part, hilarious—his comedy stuff is cute—but this was...that's a lot to do. Voice acting is really difficult."

E. Montage Mayhem & Morality Lessons

• Troop wins a cookie-selling contest at the mall ("blitz"), involving a shirt cannon, all played for laughs but raising safety questions ([54:05]).
• [64:49] Alex's dad delivers a real moral zinger: "He wants him to feel the consequences of ruining things, not just feel better by completing a punishment. Great moral code there."

F. Resolution—Forgiveness and Growth

• Alex is replaced by the neighbor Mrs. Jacklitz as Den Mother, leading to themes of forgiveness and team spirit ([65:10]).
• By the close, Alex finally learns teamwork, passes the puck (literally and figuratively), and is honored by the girls in full bumblebee drag.
• [67:25] "He accepts it as long as it works with his bumblebee schedule."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the bizarro premise ([24:00], Will):
  "Boys aren't going to want to go watch a movie about little girls... Little girls aren't going to want to watch a hockey movie about older dudes... Who did they make this movie for?"
• Sabrina on Girl Scout merit badges and Girl Scout/Boy Scout treat wars ([08:08]):
  "I feel like the one I got was like, Snickers flavored. They were like candy. One was...Kind of a Froot Loop type...All approved. Great gifts for people like my dad."
• On comedic mishaps:
  • [41:00] Will: "I did that on my date with the President’s Daughter, so they stole that from me."
• Fake badge fiasco ([56:03], Will):
  "How did, first of all, nobody go: 'Well, who is this for?'"
• Sabrina’s “Sabrina Sees” Corner:
  • [76:11] Sabrina: "My jaw dropped when I saw Matisse come on the TV. ...She's Monica Dutton from Yellowstone. That's amazing!"
  • Also triggered by the big sibling manipulation—"I was kind of getting triggered watching this. This guy just manipulates his sister and her little friends to do all this stuff he was supposed to do. You're a jerk and I hate you." ([78:25])

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------| | 04:57 | Episode theme & DCOM background | | 06:46 | Sabrina and Will on real-life scouting | | 18:46 | Movie opens; Alex and the hockey angle | | 23:18 | Hosts question the movie's intended audience | | 24:34 | Extended debate on DCOM demographics | | 41:34 | Sabrina compares Ingrid to Matilda's Trunchbull| | 49:25 | Cross-dressing/Mrs. Zamboni scenes critique | | 64:49 | Key lesson: "feel consequences" | | 72:07 | Badge quiz game ("Badge of Honor") | | 76:11 | "Sabrina Sees" segment: cast connections etc. | | 80:12 | Recurring joke: "Bumblebee Tuna!" | | 81:33 | Ratings: "Insane Toupees" scoring | | 84:38 | Preview: Xenon the Zequel is next |

In-House Games & Features

Badge of Honor ([72:07])

Producer Tara challenges Sabrina and Will to spot real or fake historic Girl Scout badges.
Example:

• Toilet Science badge — Real and still around!
• Woodchuck badge — Real but retired.
• Eating for Beauty badge — Real, from the ‘80s, now retired.

Ratings

Rating System: "Insane Toupees" (out of 10)

• Sabrina: 6.58/10 ("An easy watch, not as boring as some past DCOMs, but not her jam")
• Will: 4/10 ("A jumble of weirdness... didn't get it—didn't know who it was for.")

Summary & Final Thoughts

Den Brother left the hosts amused but bewildered: lauding the cast of young girls for their cuteness and some comedic moments, but otherwise puzzled by the movie’s scattered tone and target demographic. Its half-baked plot borrowed too liberally from better films (notably Mrs. Doubtfire), while jamming in hockey, Girl Scout hijinks, and slapstick drag without nailing any of them. Even so, the hosts' chemistry and good-natured exasperation keep the recap lively and engaging for DCOM fans and ‘90s kids alike.

Looking ahead: Next week, the team will tackle Xenon: The Zequel—and both hosts express hope for a "banger" after the muddle of Den Brother.

For Listeners

• Skip the actual movie unless you're a DCOM completionist; listen to this episode for snark, behind-the-scenes trivia, and warm millennial nostalgia.
• Catch up on the Xenon franchise before the next episode!
• Interact with the hosts on Instagram (@MagicalRewindPod) and keep an eye out for possible cast guest spots.

Notable Quote for the Road:
"[This movie] was a massive jumble of weirdness to me. And again, admittedly, not in a good mood. But again, I also do not know if I was not in a good mood when I watched it or if it put me into a bad mood." – Will Friedle [82:42]

(Ad sections, sponsor reads, and promotional bits have been removed.)