TBTL #4565: “One Abbey After Another”

Date: September 30, 2025
Hosts: Luke Burbank & Andrew Walsh

Episode Overview

In this vibrant Tuesday episode, Luke and Andrew wind their way through classic TBTL terrains: cozy weather chat, film reviews (with an in-depth look at Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest), and a truly epic recounting of Andrew’s near-bar-fight encounter. Expect musings on moviegoing etiquette, DiCaprio’s career, and the art of the passive-aggressive glass return, all delivered with the show’s signature blend of dry wit, self-deprecation, and vivid storytelling.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Morning Mood and Cozy Season (01:58–03:14)

• Luke opens with a classic TBTL weather moment, transitioning from cozy rain and soup to surprise blue-skies:

  “And then I looked out the window this morning when I got up and... It's just beautiful. Bright blue skies and it's absolutely gorgeous here. So we'll take it.” (02:47–03:06)

• Sets the scene for fall, both in actual weather and “TBTL season” spirit.

2. The End of a New York Times Favorite (03:16–03:53)

• Luke laments the New York Times rolling up a feature he loved, despite his ongoing loyalty/curiosity as a subscriber (03:16–03:41).

3. Paul Thomas Anderson Film Deep Dive (03:53–07:44)

• Andrew is hyped about PTA’s newest film, One Battle After Another, calling it possibly his favorite so far:

  “I went to see One Battle After Another yesterday… I’ll just say this film really worked for me. It really worked for me. It's a three hour film and you feel like you ran a race by the time you leave the theater.” (04:26–04:46)

• Luke details his “PTA movie journey”—loving Boogie Nights and Hard Eight from the start, but finding most of Anderson’s films require time and discussion to fully appreciate:

  “Upon first viewing, most P.T. Anderson movies for me, I watch them and I'm...entertained and deeply confused...then upon rewatching or talking to you or other people, then I become a bigger fan, in retrospect, of the film.” (04:46–06:08)

• Andrew notes There Will Be Blood isn’t a favorite due to the “scenery chewing” style, preferring more subdued work:

  “There Will Be Blood is like, my least favorite. I've never gone back to rewatch it. I'm not a big fan of what I…call...scenery chewing.” (06:08–06:36)

4. Accidental Movie Theater Mishap (07:44–20:30)

• Andrew recounts, in classic TBTL digress-o-vision, getting set up to see One Battle After Another—buying a ticket, grabbing popcorn, sitting in a (wrong) theater, second-guessing, and ultimately watching the opening of the wrong film (Downton Abbey).
  • Realizes the error when he spots Paul Giamatti’s name in the credits, not DiCaprio’s (“I saw Paul Giamatti's name and I'm like, he's not in this. Paul Giamatti is not in this movie.” – 15:49).
  • Uses his phone discreetly to check and confirms:

    “And I see what comes up and Downton Abbey comes up and I'm like, I'm in frickin Downton Abbey.” (16:04)

• The hosts riff on movie theater robots, buying tickets without human interaction, the nostalgia for ticket booth glass, and the “senior baby discount.” (17:48–18:19)
• Ultimately, Andrew trusts his “paranoid” instinct and doesn’t miss a minute of the real movie:

  “But in this case, my instincts were right. I was in the wrong theater.” (20:29)

5. DiCaprio & The Art of Choosing Good Projects (23:44–27:49)

• Luke and Andrew reflect on Leonardo DiCaprio’s career and his commitment to interesting, ambitious films, never really cashing in for a blockbuster paycheck role:

  “I can't think of a movie right now where you see it and you go, oh, he just did that to make a bunch of money.” (26:26)

• Brief detour reminiscing on Critters 3 as one potential exception from DiCaprio's youth (27:31).

6. Andrew’s Bar Confrontation: “One Abbey (Altercation) After Another” (27:59–74:25)

Story Setup (27:59–35:18)

• Andrew tells the story of a “near-miss” bar confrontation in painstaking (and hilarious) detail.
  • Context: Friday evening, at Bleachers in Greenwood with Genevieve and friends, watching a Mariners game at their usual casual spot.
  • Atmosphere is friendly; bartender recognizes him but he’s not a “regular.”

The Incident (35:45–41:23)

• Andrew brings an empty pint glass up to the bar to help bus tables.
• Unbeknownst to him, he sets it in front of a temporarily vacant stool occupied by “bicycle rights–looking guy.”
• Guy returns, slams glass down in front of Andrew, and is confrontational:

  “Don’t put your glass in front of me or something…He slams it down in front of me.” (38:27)

• Andrew, flustered, sarcastically retorts:

  “You seem like a really great guy. You got a lot of friends or something like that.” (40:09)

• Guy responds:

  “Yeah, you seem like an asshole.” (41:06)

• Andrew is most annoyed by the woman with “Bicycle Rights Guy” laughing at the insult (“She laughs like he burned me so good.” – 41:06).

Escalation & Passive-Aggressive Retaliation (41:23–54:51)

• Andrew, stewing, places a plastic cup near “the guy” before going to the bathroom—taking passive retribution.
• As Andrew heads to the bathroom, the man follows, confronts, and attempts to throw the water cup at him (weakly):

  “He throws it weakly, and it maybe goes a quarter of the way of the hallway...It is so impotent.” (51:45)

• Andrew enters the bathroom, feeling adrenaline and noting the “cinematic” awkwardness.
• Another patron in the bathroom becomes his “bodyguard” as Andrew preps for further confrontation (54:51).

The Showdown in the Bathroom (55:06–63:28)

• The man “bursts into the bathroom” to yell more about bar etiquette:

  “He does burst into the bathroom and he starts yelling, what are you doing? Putting your cup...He's just yelling.” (57:01)

• Andrew, saying little, is supported by the audience of one (“my friendship army”) in the bathroom, quietly holding his ground.
• No blows are exchanged; the aggressor leaves after failing to get any rise from Andrew, the tension fizzles:

  “I just let him…sound like a crazy person for a while...I just stood there and just kind of stared at him.” (58:18–60:15)

Wrap-Up, Debrief, and Reflections (62:00–67:36)

• Andrew is proud for not escalating but admits his ego was bruised (“I don't like the fact that I was like…provoked into feeling that way.” – 64:44).
• Luke reassures Andrew he handled it well:

  “I am personally glad…you did push back on him a bit instead of just, you know…I don't like people that are going around being rude for no reason.” (67:52)

• They joke about the two “wolves inside Luke”—one prone to headbutts, the other inclined to tell the bartender (70:11).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Passive-Aggression:

  “I'm not going to give him the last word. And the last word is him just calling me an asshole and then somebody laughing as if that was an actually funny thing to say.”
  — Andrew (41:23)

• On Cinematic Showdowns:

  “This is actually kind of cinematic to me because you go into—I'm picturing you as Leo DiCaprio. There’s been an incident. You now go into this bathroom, you're washing your hands. At any moment that door could open...”
  — Luke (53:43)

• On Adrenaline and Aftermath:

  “You’re my bodyguard now, man. …I haven't started yet, but I'm going to get some (Bitcoin) soon, and it's all yours. Thanks for being my bodyguard.”
  — Andrew, bantering post-confrontation (62:00)

• On Leo’s Career Choices:

  “He is a…person who is drawn towards projects that I…generally vibe with...I can't think of a movie right now where you see it and you go, oh, he just did that to make a bunch of money.”
  — Luke (26:26)

• On the Joy of Minor Vindication:

  “But I never gave him any indication that I was mad. It was just very much like, you tripping, bro. Like, you know, like, I didn't ever say anything else…”
  — Andrew (66:03)

• Luke’s Take on Defending Friends:

  “I'm earholing this motherfucker…I am like…This is like in football, they don’t let you do this anymore…but…you just absolutely lay him out.”
  — Luke, hypothetically backing up Andrew (49:03)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Cozy Season & Weather Chat — 01:58–03:14
• NYT Feature Lament — 03:16–03:53
• PTA Movie Discussion — 03:53–07:44
• Andrew’s Theater Mishap Story — 07:44–20:30
• DiCaprio Film Reflection — 23:44–27:49
• Bar Incident Setup — 27:59–35:18
• Bar Altercation & Escalation — 35:45–54:51
• Bathroom Showdown & Aftermath — 54:51–67:36

Engaging Moments & Episode Tone

As always, Luke and Andrew demonstrate their commitment to charmingly obsessive detail and reliving moments for maximum comedic effect—whether analyzing director filmographies or the logic of bar customs. The tone is wry, self-effacing, and deeply relatable—whether celebrating a cinematic masterpiece, musing on Leo’s acting integrity, or transforming a nearly pointless bar spat into an epic of low-grade male anxiety and redemption.

Conclusion:
This episode of TBTL is classic comfort-listening: funny, meandering, and revealing, with a recurring reminder to “trust your fears”—whether in movies, movie theaters, or standing up against a guy over a glass at the bar. Lettuce not forget: “No mountain too tall, and good luck to all.”