The Antihero Broadcast – "The Night Shift" (12/11/25): LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL

Podcast: The Antihero Podcast
Episode: The Night Shift: LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL
Date: December 12, 2025
Audience: Veterans and First Responders
Tone: Unfiltered, irreverent, brotherly banter, candid discussion

Episode Overview

This episode of "The Night Shift" is a lively, marathon-style conversation aimed at veterans, first responders, and the wider military/law enforcement community. The hosts—Tyler, Jimmy, Mike, and Lewis—with occasional appearances by Matt and others in the chat, reflect on professional experiences, current controversies in veteran circles, policing tactics, and the cultural tribes of their community. The episode features classic Antihero banter, dark humor, behind-the-scenes stories, and interactive community games (like naming their fanbase and "Guess That Race"). The show is at once rowdy, raw, and insightful, alternating between comic relief and sober perspectives on law enforcement, military culture, and urban violence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Banter, Technical Difficulties, and Studio Shenanigans

• Opening (00:00–03:30): The team jokes about technical glitches, livestream setup, and quirky product ads (Ghost Bed, Elevated Silence). The playful, irreverent tone is set quickly, with Tyler and Jimmy riffing on "everything for the bedroom," leading into light roasting and sarcasm.
• Running Joke: Jimmy’s “performance-diminishing drugs” (vodka) are referenced repeatedly.
• Long-running technical woes: Frequent camera mishaps and cluttered studio cables become both a frustration and comedic fodder.

“At least it’s not your... We can see the door, Lewis. We don't want to see the door.” — Mike (02:51)

2. Controversial News: Veteran "Bro Vet" Lawsuits

• Dan Crenshaw sues Sean Ryan (04:00–05:12): Real-time reaction to unfolding controversy in the social media "bro vet" space. The hosts criticize politicians/luminaries using lawsuits for attention and legacy positioning, drawing explicit parallels to other self-promoting controversies.
  • Notable Quote:

    “Everybody’s suing everybody. ... That’s a real—that he’s gonna lose his election, he knows it. He’s trying everything, just like another guy that’s irrelevant, that’s trying everything to get back in the spotlight with lawsuits.” — Jimmy (04:24)

• The team trades jabs at the “sue-happy” former Navy SEALs, making cracks about washed-up operators and referencing hip-hop rivalries for comic effect.

3. Tribal Identity: Naming the Community

• (08:12–10:54): Tyler proposes finding a nickname for their audience, comparing possible group monikers to those from Barstool (“Stoolies”) and McAfee’s “militia.”
• Suggestions:
  • “Common Sense Crusaders”
  • “The 99%”
  • “The Rejects”
  • “Section 8 in the Trap Boys”
• "The 99%" is favored, drawing a distinction between the vast majority of “just did the job” veterans/LEOs and the visible 1% “tip of the spear” types.
  • Notable Exchange:

    “At the end of the day, right? So I mean, the 99. I mean, forget. That's 1%. And they get 99 of the attention.” — Lewis (10:01) “It's less than 1—less than 1% of the casualties that are in the GWOT were SOF guys.” — Mike (10:09)

4. SWAT Culture, Ego & "Bro-ness"

• Long Form Dialogue (14:13–21:47): Tyler and Jimmy narrate their “SWAT bro” origin story, contrasting old-school, rigorous tryouts marked by discipline and humility with current, less stringent standards and shifting generational attitudes. Anecdotes underscore the tension between cockiness and professionalism.
• Notable Story: Jimmy relates earning SWAT at 42 after years in law enforcement, emphasizing pride in overcoming adversity rather than swagger.
  • Notable Quote:

    “I earned my way onto that team. That tryout was miserable. Miserable. So that’s one of the things I’m most proud of: my military service and making SWAT—not so much to say I was a SWAT guy, but to say I earned my way through one of the most miserable days of my life...” — Jimmy (21:13)

• Discussion of how military/LE shooting schools and standards have changed over time, with humor about egos, generations, and “being on PEDs vs PDDs.”

5. Audience Interaction & Games

• Super Chats & Toasts (06:13, 13:12, Throughout): Frequent shoutouts to chat participants—many with inside jokes or direct interaction with loyal listeners.
• Community Game: "Guess That Race" (53:03–58:13):
  • Tyler challenges the crew to guess the demographics of a group of teenagers arrested for shoplifting in Florida, based solely on names.
  • The bit is unfiltered, politically incorrect, and clearly aimed at an audience comfortable with sharp-edged, dark humor.
  • Memorable Banter:

    (In unison, after hearing names) “Black. Next.” — Jimmy & Crew (54:08)

6. Contemporary Policing: Tactics, Failures, and Critique

• Body Cam & Case Review (33:54–38:26, 101:06–105:14):
  • The hosts dissect bodycam and viral videos, analyzing police chases, pursuit tactics, and use-of-force incidents—often critical of poor training and lack of tactical proficiency.
  • Key Debates:
    • Pursuit/pit maneuvers and dangers of improper vehicle tactics.
    • The tension between “cop haters” and critical professionals within the community.

      “I am a cop hater. And I'm telling you right now, those are piss poor tactics. I don't give a what you say.” — Mike (36:15)

    • The problem of cops and firearms basics: undertraining, poor gear setup, and lack of range discipline.

      “Cops get the most humbling two places they'll ever go: a muscular cop will walk into BJJ the first day ... and then you go ‘I’m a SWAT guy, I’m gonna go to the steel challenge’ … and you get worked by Bob the Builder from Home Depot.” — Jimmy (106:07)

7. Urban Violence, Witness Culture, and the "No-Snitch” Paradigm

• Street Violence and Murders—Firsthand Narratives (84:14–96:10):
  • Lewis shares about a close friend murdered in ATL and the culture of street silence.
  • Jimmy and Tyler reflect on unsolved murders, the trauma of next-of-kin notifications, and the long game involved in cultivating informants.
  • Discussion of the difference between the “old school” code of the streets and today’s lawless, chaotic environment.
  • Notable Quote:

    “The OG hood ... they have their rules, they will not talk to you ... But if the detectives said ‘it’s for child sexual offenses’—point right to them. … There’s a code of conduct—it’s like prison. … In the new hoods, it’s lawlessness.” — Tyler (87:10)

8. Culture Wars: Media, Free Speech & Generational Shifts

• Contemporary Bro Vet/Online Culture Wars (75:00–81:45):
  • Candid takes on the recent normalization of previously "cancelable" guests and extremists on social media platforms and legacy media.
  • Skepticism over cultural trends: “You don’t have to agree with these people to resonate with them … I’m glad someone’s pushing back against the people that oppress me.” — Tyler (76:55)
  • Lewis emphasizes the fragile, hyper-reactive nature of younger generations shaped by short-form media and tribal news consumption.

    "They have short attention spans. They're the most easily propagandized generation there is ... they're the most easily manipulated." — Lewis (78:13)

9. War Stories, Dark Humor, and Camaraderie

• Alcohol, Gambling, and Confessions (49:00–53:16):
  • "Who went on a road march drunk?" turns into a roundtable on the shenanigans and self-destructive tendencies tolerated or encouraged in service.
  • Jimmy recounts a story of accidentally drinking a cannabis beverage, resulting in unexpected paranoia and potent nostalgia.
• Recurring In-Jokes:
  • Icebreaker mints, chicken patties, the ever-present homemade 'PDDs' (Performance Degrading Drugs), and "wire issues."
  • Roasting each other's drinking, gym habits, and toughness.

10. Policing Skills/Training: The Reality Check

• (104:44–114:47):
  • Critical scrutiny of police firearms proficiency. The crew discusses "cruiser ready" vs. duct-taped tactics, the problem with undertrained shooters, the difference between Marine/BCT weapon familiarity and typical law enforcement agency standards, and the value (or lack thereof) of carrying too many fancy tactical gadgets without fundamentals.
  • Notable Quotes:

    “You bring the average service member out there and they’ll outshoot most cops…” — Tyler (105:36) “They can't reload their gun. They don't even know how … their radio was in the way. … Good thing this wasn't at a scene where somebody is pulling a gun on you, ‘cause you would not have gotten it out.” — Jimmy (108:43)

11. Viral Video Reactions

• Body Cam Analyses (e.g., 33:54, 42:32, 53:03, 118:10):
  • The crew runs through viral body cam and dashcam footage—taser fails, officer-involved shootings, and infamous "Las Vegas shooting" conspiracy footage—with technical breakdowns and well-aimed critiques.
  • Recurring Theme: The gap between policy-driven risk aversion and street realities.

    “Cops will call me a cop hater for saying that’s … I get it all the time.” — Jimmy (36:15) "I am a cop hater. ... those are piss poor tactics." — Mike (36:19)

12. Infantryman's Creed—Final Sobriety Test

• (140:50–145:14):

  • As a semi-serious closer, the chat has Mike perform the Infantryman’s Creed (from memory and with a hint of bravado), closely graded by Jimmy and Tyler.
  • Memorable Moment:

    “Are you ready? … I am the infantry. I am my country’s strength in war...” — Mike* (142:06)
    (He completes the creed, getting a 98% accuracy from the crew.)

• Final DUI-style field sobriety test (145:39–146:28): Mike performs surprisingly well after admitting to being quite buzzed.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Naming the Tribe:

  • "I'm liking the 99". — Tyler (10:45)
  • "That's what we represent at the end of the day. I was just a Mariner." — Lewis (10:54)

• On Bro Vet Lawsuits:

  • "Navy SEALs that have no friends in the SEAL community suing. Familiar?" — Mike (04:55)

• On SWAT Tryouts:

  • “I earned my way onto that team. That tryout was miserable. Miserable.” — Jimmy (21:13)

• On Modern Policing Skill Deficiency:

  • “You see cops, they get to the range ... it's a 27 second reload. … you can’t reload your gun. You don’t know how.” — Jimmy (108:43)

• On Street Violence and Silence:

  • “He was the door guy at the club. … drives home, gets ready, walk in his front door and gets smoked ... Unsolved. Nobody will talk about it.” — Jimmy (86:31)

• Comedy in Chaos:

  • "Am I all right? I'm doing this time."
  • "Alcoholics are disgusting." (Lewis and Tyler, during Lewis’s Rubik’s Cube speed runs, 148:02)

Important Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment Description | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------------------------|------------------| | Opening, ads, studio antics | 00:00–03:30 | | Dan Crenshaw v. Sean Ryan lawsuit discussion | 04:00–05:12 | | Naming the community (“The 99%”) | 08:12–10:54 | | SWAT culture, the “old vs new” debate | 14:13–21:47 | | Audience games, “Guess That Race” segment | 53:03–58:13 | | Bodycam reaction: vehicle pursuit fails | 33:54–38:26 | | Critical breakdown: officer shooting video | 101:06–105:14 | | Street violence & unsolved murders | 84:14–96:10 | | Infantryman’s Creed (drunk recitation/“sobriety test”) | 140:50–145:14 | | Rubik’s Cube “autism battle” | 147:29–152:02 | | Episode wrap-up & next show teasers | 153:16–end |

Final Impressions

• The Night Shift remains a cathartic campfire for veterans and LEOs—equal parts roast session, cultural critique, and support group.
• The episode demonstrates both the gallows humor and the persistent sense of mission endemic to the community.
• The hosts pull no punches in their critiques of policing, “bro vet” drama, and bureaucratic failures, but always find relief in jokes, games, and pure camaraderie.
• Unfiltered, honest, and sometimes uncomfortable—the perfect snapshot of this unique slice of American service culture.

*For full context, listeners are advised that The Night Shift is unmistakably intended for a mature audience with some firsthand knowledge of veteran or law enforcement realities, and who appreciate candid, occasionally un-P.C. humor.