Tell ‘Em Steve-Dave! #667: Evil Plus One

Date: March 2, 2026
Hosts: Bryan Johnson, Walt Flanagan, Brian “Q” Quinn, Frank “Frank Five” Santoro
Special Guest Appearance: Pam Johnson (Bryan’s Mom)

Episode Overview

This episode of Tell ‘Em Steve-Dave! blends the show’s trademark irreverent humor with heartfelt moments, discussions of pop culture oddities, and tales from the hosts’ personal lives. The group dives into birthday celebrations, plans for future trips, reflections on aging, classic TV ephemera, the grind of comedy events, and the joy (and misadventure) of late-night road trips. Packed with quick-witted back-and-forths, plenty of friendly ribbing, and a nostalgia-driven tour through lost media, the episode spotlights why TSD remains a fan favorite among podcast listeners who appreciate both depth and ridiculousness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Birthday Call & Reflections on Aging

[02:01-05:20]

• The crew calls Pam Johnson (Bryan’s mom) for her 80th birthday.
  • Light-hearted banter about how to celebrate milestones and growing older.
  • Pam imparts classic wisdom: “Always only admit to being 29.” — Pam Johnson [03:56]
  • Pam is flexing high-roller status with a Michelin-star brunch in Palm Springs.
  • The guys joke about one-upping Pam’s “other son” who’s flying her first class, with Walt saying: “You gotta one up him when she gets back.” [06:08]
• Discussion about celebratory expectations:
  • Q marvels: “Wow, that’s a major buck. Did he fly her out?” [05:48]
  • Walt: “He flew her out first class.” [05:51]
  • Bryan: “He’s one-upping big, the big bro.” [05:55]

Summer Plans & Universal Studios “Monster Island”

[06:26-08:55]

• Frank Five joins to discuss plans for the annual Flanagan–Frank Five family summer trip.
  • The destination: Universal Studios’ “Epic Universe” and the Monster Island attraction.
  • Their wives are less thrilled — “They don’t do any of the rides…they don’t have any reference for the monsters.” [07:05]
  • Bryan jokes that Mary will be “weighed down like a pack mule going across the desert” with all the souvenirs. [07:38]
  • Q gives a roller coaster warning: “If they get nauseous, don’t even think about going on that werewolf ride…it spins.” [07:50]
• Travel logistics:
  • Overnight auto-train from Virginia to Florida, sleeper cars, shower onboard—mix of “roughing it” and glamping.
  • Frank describes driving to Key West from Orlando, noting, “There’s no way you can keep up the conversation when you’re driving. So what do you do with Mary?” [09:51]
  • Walt confesses: “We drive home together. Silence. If I don’t put on the radio or something, there’s silence.” [10:25]

Road Trip Talk, TSD-Style

[10:35-12:16]

• Comparing friend groups versus married couples for road trip conversation quality.
  • Bryan: “With us TSD guys, it’s all up the scenarios of whose dicks you’re gonna suck, why you’re gonna have to suck it, and how gay you are for doing it.” [10:41, also callback from the cold open]
  • Brian Q: “I guess married men just don’t want to do that…” [10:56]
  • The guys reminisce about bizarre ‘what if’ road trip discussions of the past, including superhero adventures, historically problematic hypotheticals, and recurring bits.

Q’s New Jersey Comedy Roast Anxiety

[12:29-18:38]

• Quinn is prepping for a roast at a high-profile New Jersey event (possibly not for charity!).
  • Q laments he couldn’t get the TSD guys in the audience, though he included jokes for them.
  • He debates roast strategy — “Do I play the bashful good guy or the stone face killer?” [17:00]
    • Walt: “You’re too lovable as a Joker to come in like the killer.” [17:48]
  • They highlight a risky joke: “I go like: Bar A… Bar AIDS. And I turn to Tiki Barber and go: That spells AIDS, Tiki.” — Q, [14:48]
  • The group ponders the dark art of roast comedy—how far can you go, especially in 2026?

Stand-Up Mishaps: Stuttering John’s Cringeworthy Set

[19:32-24:27]

• Walt braves the NYC commute for a night of Stuttering John Melendez’s stand-up—a “shit show like I’ve never seen before.”
  • John is “heckled off stage” after reading Anthony Cumia’s rap sheet instead of telling jokes.
  • Walt explains the ‘LOLcow’ concept: “A person whose eccentric or foolish behavior can be exploited to amuse onlookers.” [22:19]
  • Recall of TSD-related ‘LOLcow’ moments—Ming as the show’s possible first “LOLcow.”
  • Walt swears: “Never again will I go to New York. It took me two and a half hours to get there.” [23:42]
  • Everyone laughs at Walt’s misadventure—both at the traffic itself and the anticlimax of the show.

Old Men on the Road: Night Driving Woes

[25:38-27:08]

• Walt confesses: “I don’t think I can drive at night for the most part anymore. I couldn’t see shit, dude.”
  • The group shares tips about “blue blocker” glasses for night driving.
  • Light banter about aging and marital driving dynamics: “Why don’t you have your 20-something-year-old wife drive? She can see in the dark.” — Bryan [26:41]
  • Walt: “I’m the man. There you go. See, don’t forget who the man is.” [26:46]

The Haunted Hamburger House Excursion

[27:33-29:47]

• Frank and Bryan recount an excursion to a haunted hamburger-themed restaurant on Long Island.
  • Slow traffic, existential second-guessing, and risking it all for a Stranger Things burger night.
  • Bryan: “It needs an investor to dress it up a bit…a bit more budget, they could do something cool.” [29:00]
  • Highlight: A van with a loudspeaker and TV playing religious music—the guys are convinced Bryan’s “satanic” comic project is being divinely interrupted. [30:37-31:06]
  • Bryan: “I’m like, ‘Oh my God, God’s talking to me. He wants me to stop doing this comic book because it’s too satanic for my soul.’” [31:03]
  • Frank wants to call the cops on the van for distracting drivers; hijinks ensue.

Lost TV, Plex, and the Pursuit of Obscure Media

[41:17-49:48]

• Bryan discusses his Plex crusade—friending strangers to gain access to obscure TV and variety shows from decades past.
  • Bryan: “I want somebody with the biggest Plex library to friend me, that has everything from when TV began to now.” [44:07]
  • The ethics of “stealing” old or lost TV: “It’s a victimless crime. We’re talking about shows from the 80s…unavailable other places.” [45:21]
  • Lost episodes of "Run, Joe, Run"; the allure of “Pink Lady and Jeff”; and why Bryan relishes “so bad it’s great” TV.
  • Dialogue on media preservation: “Does anybody give a fuck enough to hold on to it all?” — Q [47:27]
  • The strange afterlife of media: “There’s only four episodes of Run, Joe Run to be in known existence…” — Bryan [46:01]

Reflections: Robin Williams and Celebrity Nostalgia

[51:06-56:13]

• Extended chat about Robin Williams’ TV and movie legacy.
  • Bryan describes an episode of “Mork and Mindy” where Robin Williams befriends Robbie the Robot, and the robot’s on-screen “death” devastates Mork—a surprisingly heavy storyline. [51:06]
  • Coco the gorilla and Robin Williams’ real-life connection: “He came to see Coco on Coco’s deathbed and when he saw Robin for the first time in a long time, he signed ‘friend.’” — Bryan [54:00]
  • The group reminisces about favorite Robin Williams dramatic roles and comedy, the nature of public perception, and acquaintances with other late comedians like Gilbert Gottfried.

Final Comic Cruise & Friendship Dynamics

[55:24-58:00]

• War stories from having Gilbert Gottfried on the Impractical Jokers cruise.
  • Q: “The first thing he did when he got on the boat…‘Can I do one set, half an hour?’…Just wanted to do as little as possible.” [56:12]
  • Gottfried’s legendary thriftiness and penchant for crashing craft services across Manhattan.
• The bonds of true friendship:
  • “Would any of your buddies do your laundry, your specifically your underwear?” — Bryan [58:05]
  • Walt: “I would do it for you too.” [58:12]
  • Q, out the door for the theater, closes: “I gotta be at the theater three minutes ago.” [58:25]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Turning 80:
  Pam Johnson: “Always only admit to being 29.” [03:56]

• On the awkwardness of marital road trips:
  Walt: “We drive from the studio home together. Silence. If I don’t put on the radio or something, there’s silence.” [10:25]

• On TSD’s classic road trip banter:
  Bryan Johnson: “It’s all up the scenarios of whose dicks you’re gonna suck, why you’re gonna have to suck it, and how gay you are for doing it.” [10:41]
  Brian Quinn: “I guess married men just don’t want to do that…” [10:56]

• Comedy Roast Anxiety:
  Brian Quinn: “Do I play the bashful good guy or the stone face killer?” [17:00]
  Walt: “You’re too lovable as a Joker to come in like the killer.” [17:48]

• Stuttering John LOLcow drama:
  Walt: “All he did was sit on stage…read Anthony Kumia’s rap sheet…He was heckled off stage.” [21:02–21:56]

• On lost media and nostalgia:
  Bryan (on Pink Lady and Jeff): “It’s so bad, it’s great. I cannot stop watching it. I’d rather watch that than something critically acclaimed.” [49:17]

• Reflection on friendship:
  Walt: “That’s the kind of buddy. I don’t think Carl would pick up my underwear.” [58:01]
  Bryan: “Would any of your buddies do your laundry, specifically your underwear?” [58:05]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Pam Johnson Birthday Call: [02:01–05:20]
• Universal Studios/Monster Island Summer Plan: [06:26–08:55]
• Marriage vs. Road Trip Banter: [09:51–12:16]
• Q’s Comedy Roast Prep: [12:29–18:38]
• Walt’s New York Stand-up Adventure: [19:32–24:27]
• Night Driving/Senior Moments: [25:38–27:08]
• Haunted Hamburger House Saga: [27:33–29:47], [30:37–31:06]
• Bryan’s Plex/TV Nostalgia Crusade: [41:17–49:48]
• Robin Williams & Childhood Comedy: [51:06–56:13]
• Gilbert Gottfried on Joker’s Cruise: [55:24–56:13]
• Bonds of Friendship, Laundry Edition: [58:00–58:28]

Tone & Style

• Witty, brash, and occasionally sentimental.
• Relentless ribbing and in-jokes among the hosts.
• Heartfelt nostalgia contrasted with raunchy humor.
• Honest, uncensored reflections on aging, friendship, and the value of finding the right media (or burger).

This episode captures everything that keeps TSD loyalists coming back—raunch, sincerity, pop culture obsession, and the occasionally earnest meditation on what it means to grow older beside your best friends.