The Book Lisp with Jon Ryan & Sarah Colonna
Episode: "It Was All a Dream"
Date: March 16, 2026
Overview
In this lively, unscripted episode of The Book Lisp, married co-hosts Jon Ryan and Sarah Colonna embark on their customary week-three tangent episode—riffing on cultural topics sparked by themes related to this month’s book club pick, One Day by David Nichols. The main review awaits next week; for now, Jon and Sarah hilariously spiral through 80s TV history, family nicknames, the questionable legacy of “it was all a dream” plot twists, parental openness about sex, childhood career aspirations, and controversial musical preferences. The episode is a meandering but tightly connected conversation, blending heart, nostalgia, and lots of playful teasing.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Cohabiting & Catching Up (00:19–02:44)
- Jon and Sarah joke about being home at the same time for the first time in six weeks. They riff on plans (“So many activities I don’t like… I have so much planned” – Jon, 02:19) but ultimately concede that their idea of activity is “a few times at Tipsy Cow and being home, watching our stories” (Sarah, 02:37).
- Sarah plugs upcoming stand-up dates.
2. School Nicknames & TV Nostalgia (03:13–07:12)
- Prompted by the book’s characters, Jon lists childhood nicknames: “Jr, JB, JD, Jono, Junt Boy...” (Jon, 03:32).
- This leads Sarah to connect “John Boy” to The Waltons, sparking a nostalgic deep dive into 80s TV lore.
3. The Ultimate TV Plot Twist – “It Was All a Dream” (05:28–09:21)
- Jon and Sarah recall iconic plot devices including Dallas’s “Who shot JR?” and Bobby’s “It was all a dream” shower scene:
“I think what happens is they killed him, then got a lot of letters, and someone goes ‘What if it was just a fucking dream?’”
— Sarah (07:57) - They compare to Roseanne’s dream season, calling such moves “the ultimate writer’s cop-out” (Jon, 08:24).
- Both agree: “The lesson probably was: think twice before you kill one of the most popular characters, because backtracking’s tough” (Sarah, 08:46).
4. Soap Operas & Wild Plot Devices (09:21–12:31)
- Sarah recounts soap opera logic, like One Life to Live’s “underground city” and children aging a decade overnight.
- “It's kind of a writer's dream, you just write whatever the fuck you want...the most outlandish shit and keep on going” — Jon (10:11).
- Jon notes some soaps started as radio dramas, leading Sarah to declare, “I'm not going to fact check you because it sounds right, and if it’s not, I don’t want it to be wrong because it sounds fun” (Sarah, 11:53).
5. Family Openness & Awkward Boundaries (16:01–24:24)
- Drawing from One Day, they discuss the boundaries (or lack thereof) in parental openness about sex:
“I’m not trying to have conversations with my mom about sex. Never try to have. No, not your mom, not my mom, not my stepmom, not my dad, not my stepdad”
— Sarah (17:55) - Sarah retells with comic mortification the time her mom nonchalantly admitted to googling porn (“I just almost crawled inside my own body”, 20:27).
- They reflect on generational changes in comfort levels, the value of openness, and the limits of what anyone wants to hear from their parents (“You want to feel like you can talk to your parents about anything. But do you want your parents to be able to talk to you about anything?” – Sarah, 24:24).
6. Parental Encouragement & Chasing Unlikely Dreams (26:04–31:54)
- The conversation pivots to supporting children’s ambitions. Sarah laments protagonists with unsupportive parents (“Can you imagine having a parent that kind of laughed in your face about what job you wanted to do?” 26:04).
- Jon recounts how his parents had “blinders on” and unwavering support for his NFL dreams, even as he admits, “We just assumed you were going to do it…now looking back, oh shit, we really put all our eggs in one basket. Thank God we did.” (Jon, 27:41)
- Bob Ryan’s practical advice: “Professional football is right now, but this school will always be here.” (Jon, 29:13)
- Sarah reflects, “We all go through our things. And we don’t necessarily open up to our parents…” (26:05).
7. Childhood Career Aspirations (31:54–35:48)
- Jon reveals football was always his goal, but he’d give rote fallback answers as a kid (“I think when I was in high school…I wanted to be a high school teacher. Like, not really, but that’s what I would tell people…” 31:54).
- Sarah always wanted to act, with a brief fantasy of being a lawyer—“I used to picture myself in a courtroom as a lawyer. Then as I got older… I realized I just want to be an actress that played a lawyer” (Sarah, 35:06).
- Both relate stories of friends and family who achieved childhood dreams (Jon’s friend Peter Reed became an RCMP officer).
8. Roles, Typecasting, and Aspirations (35:48–38:22)
- Sarah laments being typecast as a comedian: “People just think…you’re gonna do the wacky one-liner, play the wacky best friend…They don’t realize you can also be a good dramatic actor.” (Sarah, 35:48)
- Jon: “You had a really good dramatic role in Battle Creek with Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters.” (35:52)
- She campaigns openly for a “hero lawyer” TV role: “If any casting directors…are listening…I think I should get a shot at being a lawyer on tv.” (36:49)
9. Random Cultural Pet Peeves (38:22–45:56)
- Prompted by One Day’s jabs at Tracy Chapman and political t-shirts, the duo debate much-loved music/bands they don’t care for:
- “I’ll skip a Peloton class if there’s Red Hot Chili Peppers. I don’t think it’s good. Come at me.” — Sarah (39:50)
- Jon confesses childhood disdain for Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell 2 (“Even the voice…now fast forward 30 years…I love that song!”), but overall, he’s “a musical chameleon” (42:17).
- Both defend Nickelback as “cheesy rock”—“Everyone hates Nickelback and then they sell out every fricking concert.” — Jon (43:21)
- Jon believes the people-watching at a Nickelback concert would be fascinating: “They’d all watch UFC and then go eat some Kentucky Fried Chicken and then they’d all go to Nickelback.” (44:08)
- Discussion of attending a Papa Roach concert together; Jon jokes about the archetypal rock show crowd.
10. Full Circle, Upcoming Content & Sign-Off (46:19–47:17)
- The episode wraps with Jon and Sarah laughing about their penchant for digression: “They’re all random, as they always are. And that’s why we have fun…” (Sarah, 46:23).
- Teasing next week’s full discussion of One Day.
- Reminder: April’s pick is Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier; plus, Patreon content updates.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 02:19 | Jon | “So many activities. So many activities I don't like. I have so much planned.” | | 07:57 | Sarah | “What if it was just a fucking dream? What if we never killed him?” (On the Dallas writers) | | 08:24 | Jon | “It just seems like the ultimate cop out—a writer’s cop out.” | | 10:11 | Jon | “In a way, it's kind of a writer's dream because you just write whatever the fuck you want—the most outlandish shit and just like keep on going, no problem.” | | 17:55 | Sarah | “I'm not trying to have conversations with my mom about sex. Never try to have. No, not your mom, not my mom, not my stepmom, not my dad, not my stepdad.” | | 20:27 | Sarah | “I just almost crawled inside my own body.” (Reacting to her mom’s confession about internet porn) | | 24:24 | Sarah | “There's a level of openness that's nice to have, but then all of a sudden, do you want your parents to be able to talk to you about anything?” | | 27:41 | Jon | “We really put all of our eggs in one basket. And thank God we did.” | | 29:13 | Jon | “This school is always going to be here. Professional football won't be... but this school will always be here.” | | 35:06 | Sarah | “I used to picture myself in a courtroom as a lawyer. And then as I got older…I realized I just want to be an actress that played a lawyer.” | | 39:50 | Sarah | “I'll skip a Peloton classic... I never enjoyed Red Hot Chili Peppers. It gives me anxiety. I don't think it's good. Come at me.” | | 43:21 | Jon | “Everyone hates Nickelback and then they sell out every fricking concert across the fricking world.” |
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:19–02:44 Cozy couple catch-up, trip plans, stand-up tour plugs
- 03:13–07:12 Childhood nicknames, 80s TV (“Dallas”, “The Waltons”)
- 07:12–09:21 “It was all a dream” TV plot contrivances, narrative cop-outs
- 09:21–12:31 Soap opera logic, underground cities, rapid aging
- 16:01–24:24 Parents, sex, and generational comfort zones
- 26:04–31:54 Parental support, unlikely dreams, making the NFL
- 31:54–38:22 Childhood dream jobs & typecasting in showbiz
- 38:22–45:56 Musical pet peeves, concert crowd comedy
- 46:19–47:17 Next week’s book, Patreon tease, sign-off
Tone and Style
The entire episode flows with Jon and Sarah’s typical warmth, teasing chemistry, and freewheeling comic rapport. Their open-book vulnerability and shared laughter make for a thoroughly enjoyable listen, mixing book-club thoughtfulness with pop-culture nostalgia and riff-heavy banter. The tone is both affectionate and irreverent—they don’t shy away from poking fun at themselves, their parents, or each other.
For Next Week and Beyond
- Full in-depth (spoiler) review of One Day by David Nichols
- April’s pick: Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
- Patreon bonus: Famous Once by Jane Green – now available
For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In:
This episode is less a book discussion and more a rollicking, heartfelt gab session between two funny, thoughtful partners, using One Day’s characters and themes as a springboard into everything from childhood ambitions to awkward parental confessions to the quirks of 80s/90s TV and music. You’ll leave both entertained and feeling like you’ve just hung out with good friends, ready for next week’s substantive book analysis.