Smosh Reads Reddit Stories

Episode: Couples Therapy: Reddit Edition
Host: Shane (Shayne Topp)
Guests: Angela, Chance
Date: August 30, 2025
Theme: Couples Therapy, Dating, and Wild Relationship Reddit Stories

Overview

In this lively and hilarious episode of Smosh Reads Reddit Stories, Shane, Angela, and Chance dive into some of Reddit’s juiciest, cringiest, and most alarming posts about dating and relationships. With a focus on stories that read like sessions from group and couples therapy gone sideways, the hosts offer their signature blend of compassionate analysis, empathy, wild speculation, and comedic banter. The episode explores issues of money in dating, therapist ethics, persistent friend-group matchmaking, boundary violations, and the sting of being the "side chick." Listeners are treated to honest conversations, relatable anecdotes, and moments of genuine outrage—often punctuated by memorable one-liners and pop culture references.

Key Discussion Points & Notable Moments

I. Money, Dating, and the Spreadsheet Guy

Reddit Post: He's been pursuing me, then sent me a spreadsheet asking to be reimbursed for our dates. Am I overreacting?
Segment Start: [02:48]

• Story Recap: A 23-year-old woman talks about dating a 32-year-old man who later sends her an Excel spreadsheet of itemized expenses from their dates, requesting reimbursement.

• Hosts’ Immediate Reaction:

  • Chance reads off spreadsheet items, noting how granular and formal the charges are—even including expenses like “Google999” and differentiating who had what.
  • Shane is baffled by the retroactive request, especially given the age and status gap:

    "I'm sorry, asking for 100 bucks later on this age gap, too. Like...he's 32. This woman is 23... She's not in a place to have a career. Like he is." [08:45]

• Core Issues:

  • Poor communication—he never clarified they were splitting, just sent a bill out of the blue.
  • Age gap pops up as a recurring red flag in Reddit stories.
  • The difference between "being organized" and controlling, transactional behavior.
  • The consensus: compromising on money is okay, but the secret spreadsheet is “psycho behavior.”

• Memorable Quotes:

  • Angela: "You can't make an Excel sheet and add a tab for your girl. You can't do that." [15:45]
  • Chance (on how he would react): "If I had a situation with someone and I was like, oh, I can split this, and they go 'No, no, no, I've got it,' and then they asked me days, weeks later...I'd be like, I'm never talking to you again." [20:03]

• Update & Resolution:

  • OP sends final payment, blocks and deletes contact. Hosts all applaud the decision:

  Chance: "Good for her. I think that was a good call. That was a clear red flag." [21:09]

II. Unethical Therapist, or Just “Hopeless Place” Romance?

Reddit Post: Am I the asshole if I report the couples therapist that married my ex-boyfriend a year after our sessions with her?
Segment Start: [21:27]

• Story Recap: After sessions marked by “blatant flirtatious behavior” toward the OP’s boyfriend and total disregard for OP's perspective, the couple breaks up. Less than a year later, the ex-boyfriend marries their couples therapist.

• Hosts' Reactions:

  • All hosts are unanimous: Report her!

    Angela: “Report, report, report.” [21:53] Chance: “A therapist is supposed to be there to assess…and she didn't do that at all.” [24:05]

  • Raise the issue of therapist ethics—intense boundary violation, possible ongoing harm to clients.
  • Question legitimacy of therapist’s credentials based on history of multiple last names, DUI, and poor online reviews (revealed in OP’s friend’s investigation).

• Memorable Moments:

  • Angela: “Three last name changes.” [29:37]
  • Shane (imagining movie adaptation): “I want this to be like a limited series with Nicole Kidman. She's the therapist and you like…you side with her, but then you go, wait, you’re crazy.” [28:59]

III. The Double Date Disaster and “Jane the Catfish”

Reddit Post: Am I the asshole for walking out on a double date my friend set up with a girl I already rejected before?
Segment Start: [29:52]

• Story Recap: OP is set up without consent by friends—again—with Jane, a girl he’s rejected multiple times, only for Jane’s obsessive and stalkerish behavior to escalate to catfishing.

• Core Insights:

  • Friends disrespecting clear boundaries is a major issue—Angela empathizes with the pressure created in friend groups.
  • Gender double standard: persistence is seen as "harmless" when reversed, but in this case, it's creepy and invasive.
  • Catfishing twist: Jane, using a fake account, infiltrates OP’s online friend group.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Shane (about Jane): “It’s Giving Jafar. I’m gonna get in charge of this whole kingdom so I can marry the princess.” [42:31]
  • Angela: “If I really, really think about it, I think it's like this girl Jane wanted this level of connection with this person so badly that they didn’t even care if they had to change themselves or...hide behind...” [44:13]
  • Chance: “The red flag of someone not taking a hint is really scary. 'Cause it's like, how far can they not take a hint?” [42:42]

• Update: OP shares evidence with the friend group; Jane is shunned but continues harassment via new accounts.

IV. “My Girlfriend and Brother Are Soulmates—Should I Set Them Up?”

Reddit Post: My girlfriend (21) and my brother (20) are soulmates. Should I set them up?
Segment Start: [45:45]

• Story Recap: OP feels his girlfriend and his brother click better—and wonders if he should step aside and set them up.

• Hosts’ Response:

  • Major discomfort at the idea of matchmaking between intimate partners and siblings.
  • Possibility of self-sabotage and OP projecting his insecurities.
  • Age/maturity: Most people outgrowing the notion that compatibility is about shared interests.
  • The consensus: Break up if you must, but don’t orchestrate their romance.

• Memorable Quotes:

  • Angela: “I worry he's just insecure of how great of a relationship they have or how much they're laughing or something. And he's in his own way.” [52:40]
  • Shane: “There’s a part of me…like, you need to date my friend, not me…but that's not my sibling.” [50:40]
  • Chance: “If my boyfriend came to me suggesting this, I’d run a mile.” [49:12]

V. The OG Side Chick: Obituaries, Gaslighting, and Secret Double Lives

Reddit Post: I (21F) suspect that I might be my boyfriend of 2 years’ side chick.
Segment Start: [54:55]

• Story Recap: OP, an American living in Europe, is constantly kept at arm’s length by her boyfriend Tim—who never lets her see where he lives or meet his friends/family over two years. Her investigations uncover suspicious Facebook photos (with untagged women beside him) and ultimately his name in his “ex”’s family obituary.

• Hosts’ Take:

  • The team is shocked at the mounting evidence, insisting that secretiveness for two years is unacceptable by any standard.
  • Angela: “A fare caught via obituary is wild.” [59:42]
  • They debate: Should she confront Tim or investigate further? Consensus: Confront him, but carefully.

• Update (Dramatic Reveal!):

  • OP confronts Tim, who gaslights, promises change, and delays again.
  • She calls his "ex" Stephanie’s house; suspicion heightens.
  • Ultimately—after sneaking into his phone—she discovers clear evidence of Tim living a full double life, sending the same photos and pet names to both women, and that his family group chat includes both his mom and Stephanie.
  • She writes Stephanie a detailed letter—with photographic evidence and matching date logs.
  • Aftermath: Tim ghosted her, immediately defriended her and her family online; Stephanie never responded. OP seeks therapy, intent on healing.

• Hosts’ Closing Thoughts:

  • Shane: “You, like, oh, I now know you're so bad. And then you get the like, oh, and you're even worse. You're double bad. You're double bad.” [70:21]
  • Chance: “You’re not the only person to be tricked like this, to be manipulated like this. That is a very common experience, actually...hopefully she's now a very strong, powerful, awesome 30 year old.” [75:19]

Recurring Themes & Moments

• Pop Culture References: Thanos, Nicole Kidman, Hamilton, Resident Evil, Catfish, Eat Pray Love.
• Age Gap and Power Imbalance: Several stories underline how age and experience often play into questionable dating dynamics.
• Communication Failure: Lack of clear communication—whether about money, boundaries, or expectations—proves disastrous.
• Comedy & Empathy: The cast continually balances moments of comedic riffing with real empathy for the people in these stories.
• Updates Obsession: The hosts are visibly distressed when a story doesn’t provide closure—chanting “Update!” for every cliffhanger.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "You just collect [dates] like Infinity Stones." – Angela [02:18]
• "You can’t make an Excel sheet and add a tab for your girl.”—Angela [15:45]
• "It’s Giving Jafar. I’m gonna get in charge of this whole kingdom so I can marry the princess.”—Shane [42:31]
• "Report, report, report." – Angela [21:53]
• "You’re not the only person to be tricked like this." – Chance [75:19]
• "Obituary? A fare caught via obituary is wild." – Angela [59:42]

Structure and Riffs

• Each story introduced with excitement and sometimes confusion; Angela often demands theatrics or dramatizations for updates (“Do the thing!” [18:15]).
• Frequent breaks for meta-commentary: such as noticing “commenters” with gun-to-the-screen ranting energy and pop culture parallel universes.
• Moments of genuine advice: Not just roasting, but actual consensus for healthy boundaries and respect in dating.

Final Takeaways

• If your date bills you retroactively, run.
• If your therapist marries your ex, absolutely report her.
• Friends, respect people's boundaries—especially in setups.
• Never ignore your gut if someone is hiding their life from you (or you find yourself in an obituary).
• Healing is the real update.

Suggested Next Themes

• Unbelievable Breakups
• Roommate From Hell
• Office Romance Nightmares
• Internet Dating Disasters

(End of summary. All segments, tones, and quotes preserved to reflect the humor, horror, and humanity of the Smosh cast.)