Table Read – “Small Block” Act One | Episode Summary
Podcast: Table Read | Date: Nov. 11, 2025
Written by Ashley Lauren. Performed by a 20+ member cast, with cinematic music and sound.

Episode Overview

Main Theme:
“Small Block” Act One introduces us to P, a high schooler wrestling with identity, masculinity, and friendships during the mid-1990s. Through immersive dialogue, everyday absurdities, and razor-sharp nostalgia, the episode explores coming of age, parental expectations, toxic masculinity, and the push-pull of adolescent relationships.

Key Discussion Points & Segment Highlights

1. Opening Scenes: P’s Private Turmoil

(00:43–03:22)

• P meticulously shaves and changes shirts, clearly grappling with body image.
• He's writing something meaningful but ultimately burns his note (implied suicide note) in the bathroom sink, intercut with nervous rituals (the notepad, knife, phone).
• The significance of scent and appearance is established with P’s careful use of cologne.
• He chooses to call a friend, Kev, instead of making a more drastic choice, grounding himself in friendship.

"He gingerly lowers the pen to the counter. Hand trembles. He reads the note silently, face resigned."
(02:00, Narration)

2. Friendship and Insecurities: Conversation with Kev

(03:22–04:29)

• Kev and P quote and reference rock lyrics, hinting at their outsider status.
• Discussion of the upcoming dance and romantic uncertainties—P is anxious about ex-best friend Bex.
• Mirroring home conflicts: Kev’s dad shouting about AOL, and Kev’s wish to live with his mom instead.

“You gotta chill about Bex, man. You're my best friend now. You, not her. And you're cool as shit.”
– Kev (03:49)

3. Family Dynamics and Strict Perfectionism

(06:22–11:43)

• P’s Dad obsessively makes Beef Wellington, using it as a metaphor for protection and the need for layers to bring things alive.
• The family banters about movies, gender, and old Best Picture winners, with casual insensitivity.
• P’s dad throws away a perfectly good Wellington, revealing his perfectionist tendencies.

“A Wellington is a body, an ecosystem. Tenderloin is tender but there's no fat, no flavor. You have to put flavor around it for it to come alive first. What do we have under our skin and muscles? Organs. Thus…”
– Dad (08:05)

4. School Rivalries & The Gender Divide

(11:43–15:54)

• Quiz show scene in Mr. Welch’s class: Girls vs. Boys, with Bex leading the girls’ team.
• The battle over a Joan of Arc question becomes charged with gender politics.
• P gives up his chance to answer for Kev, setting up tension and guilt as Kev botches the movie trivia.
• Underlying resentment, performance, and rivalry—especially involving Bex.

“As captain, I elect Kev to answer.”
– P (12:54)

5. Hallway Taunts & Social Stakes

(16:14–18:28)

• The fallout from class: P and Kev are ribbed about the movie loss and perceived betrayals.
• Bex confronts P: “Is it cause I’m a girl?” (18:17)
• Social cruelty, fatphobic and homophobic putdowns, and group dynamics swirl.
• P’s sense of alienation deepens.

6. Band Practice – Making & Breaking an Identity

(18:47–21:46)

• Metal band Shadow King jams in Dizzy’s garage, bickering about musical direction (underground or popular).
• Discussion of image vs. authenticity: Korn, Pantera, and the power of “selling out.”
• P’s anxious intensity about meaning and legacy clashes with others’ pragmatism.

“Shadow King needs to make epic shit that changes people's lives. Dizzy, you don't want to sell out.”
– P (20:51)

7. Group Home Life – Closeness and Prejudice

(21:46–25:32)

• At Dizzy’s home, his mom (Mrs. D) lovingly prepares food, playfully joking with the boys.
• Tension as Dizzy makes an offhanded remark about getting treats “when I’m dying," hinting at an ill relative.
• Bandmates bond, review the yearbook—Kev feels bruised by Bex’s presence in P’s past and is deeply insecure.

8. Watching Ace Ventura – Comedy and Cringe

(25:41–26:58)

• The boys’ favorite scene is an aggressively transphobic gag, illustrating the pervasiveness of toxic humor in the ‘90s.
• Mrs. D’s confusion about the scene opens space for uncomfortable hilarity—highlighting generational and cultural divides.

9. Late-Night Banter: Masculinity, Death, and Funerals

(28:27–32:27)

• The boys riff on funerals, masculinity, and who would make the “best funeral mixtape.”
• Banter includes unfiltered, often phobic language, showing both period realism and thematic intent around self-worth, gender, and belonging.
• A stray, older, “man’s man” is imagined as a threat, echoing the dangers of toxic masculinity and fear.

10. The DeLorean Moment

(32:27–36:43)

• The plot pivots when a sleek DeLorean, driven by the enigmatic Ms. World, appears.
• The boys are awestruck; Ms. World surprises them with her encyclopedic metal knowledge.

“Girls aren’t always what you'd think.”
– Ms. World (35:10)

• P awkwardly tries to impress her with his song lyrics. Ms. World seems genuinely interested but also keeps boundaries firm.
• The encounter ends with Ms. World dropping sage advice:

“My biggest regret is the amount of regrets I have.”
– Ms. World (36:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• P’s early struggle:
  “He gingerly lowers the pen to the counter. Hand trembles. He reads the note silently, face resigned.” (02:00)

• Dad’s culinary metaphor:
  “A Wellington is a body, an ecosystem…” (08:05)

• Bex challenges P:
  “Is it cause I'm a girl?” (18:17)

• P to Ms. World:
  “Sorry I say stupid things sometimes.” (34:29)

• Ms. World’s genre breakdown stuns the boys:
  “So Megadeth, Slayer... Early Entombed and Obituary, though maybe Morbid Angel. Oh, and some Korn.” (34:45)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-------------|---------------------------------------------------| | 00:43–03:22 | P’s private turmoil, burning his note | | 03:22–04:29 | Kev & P’s friend call - emotional support | | 06:22–11:43 | Family cooking, movie talk, and perfectionism | | 11:43–15:54 | Classroom quiz showdown | | 16:14–18:28 | Social fallout, hallways, and group tensions | | 18:47–21:46 | Shadow King band practice | | 21:46–25:32 | Dizzy’s home, group banter, yearbook confessions | | 25:41–26:58 | Watching Ace Ventura, phobic humor | | 28:27–32:27 | Night banter, masculinity, death | | 32:27–36:43 | The DeLorean scene, Ms. World’s appearance |

Tone & Language

The episode masterfully shifts between biting humor, raw vulnerability, period-perfect slang, and uncomfortable but necessary depictions of prejudice. The dialogue is authentic to 1990s adolescence, blending teen crudeness with moments of pathos and empathy. The musical and pop culture references are vital texture throughout.

End of Act One.
Themes of regret, self-image, and adolescent longing linger, as P and friends look to the dance, wary but hopeful for connection or escape.