The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Postgame Show: The Drama

Date: April 8, 2026
Setting: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Episode Overview

In this postgame show, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and the crew dive into their usual blend of sports, pop culture, and personal banter. The episode’s unexpected centerpiece is a deep analysis of a buzzy new film starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, humorously titled “The Drama.” The group’s playful, irreverent style persists as they dissect the movie’s marketing, the shocking plot twist, and its emotional impact—while weaving in classic show chemistry and inside jokes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Greg Cody's Tennis Racket Destruction (00:32–02:04)

• Greg Cody attempts to destroy a tennis racket:
  The episode opens with laughter about Greg Cody’s attempts—a nod to his “successful dismantling,” though it’s quickly clear Greg struggled to make a dent at first.

  • Memorable quote:
    • “There were three hits before it was even dented.” – Chris Cote (00:44)
    • “Like, maybe it was only my trained eye who could see it, but after the first slam, it was no longer a perfect egg shape or whatever the hell shape a racket's called.” – Greg Cody (01:05)

• Show-and-tell on a podcast:
  Jokes abound regarding Greg drawing illustrations to show off the damage (which, as Chris jokes, is not helpful for the audio audience).

  • “What are you drawing?” – Audience confusion, with much laughter at Greg’s efforts (00:57–01:41)

• Hair jokes:
  Mike Ryan draws a fun comparison between Greg Cody and Bill Murray’s “Kingpin” character, praised for its accuracy.

2. Deep Dive: Zendaya’s “The Drama” (02:06–08:55)

The Movie’s Mysterious Hype and Marketing (02:06–03:37)

• Jeremy raves about “the new Zendaya movie”:

  • The film is shrouded in secrecy, its marketing culminating in a fake wedding announcement for Zendaya and co-star Robert Pattinson in the Boston papers.
  • “They just took out an ad in the Boston Herald, I believe, or the Boston Globe for, like, a wedding celebration...a photo of Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.” – Jeremy (02:30)

• TMZ’s spoiler controversy:

  • Days before release, TMZ leaks hints about a shocking plot twist.
  • Discussion of a Reddit theory: Producers of “Euphoria” might have sabotaged the movie due to Zendaya’s lack of promotion for the show.
    • “Some people online theorize that it’s actually the producers of Euphoria that leaked it to TMZ because Zendaya wasn’t promoting. Sabotage. Trying to sabotage her movie.” – Jeremy (03:13–03:39)
  • The panel debates whether this theory holds water.

First Impressions & Reception (03:46–05:34)

• Crew reactions:
  Both Jeremy and Mike Ryan saw the movie and found it “vastly entertaining” and “captivating.”

  • “I was captivated the entire time.” – Mike Ryan (04:29)
  • The film draws comparisons to Reddit’s “Am I the Asshole?” threads, putting audiences in an ethical “what would you do?” position.
    • “The entire premise...is like one of those ‘am I the asshole?’ posts on Reddit.” – Jeremy (04:02)
    • “How much would I forgive someone who I love?” – Jeremy (04:25)

• Audience response:

  • The movie evoked audible gasps; a divisive twist means some love it, others are offended.
    • “The twist is one that people are gonna have feelings about.” – Mike Ryan (04:41)
    • “For some folks, this is deeply personal. In fact, the audience has a rooting interest in one of the characters that is speaking to how personal one can take this.” – Mike Ryan (05:35)

• Critical reception:

  • Rotten Tomatoes: 75% critic, 80% audience scores.
    • “75%...80%...I understand where the 25 and 20%...would take genuine offense.” – Mike Ryan (05:15–05:34)

• Genre & Tone:

  • Mike Ryan: “A really good dark comedy”—though he admits the film’s darkness may turn off some viewers.
    • “For people that like dark comedies...this is certainly one of those films.” – Mike Ryan (06:33)
  • Jeremy pushed back: “I didn’t even really find it, like, funny in that respect. It is just dark.” (06:45)

Spoiler Reveal: The Shocking Twist (06:52–08:55)

• Build-up:
  The team carefully debates whether to spoil the movie—spoiler alerts are emphatically issued.

  • “Spoiler alert! Spoiler Stop listening if you don’t want to know the premise.” – Jeremy & Stugotz (07:16–07:17)

• The twist explained:

  • At a pre-wedding dinner, guests play “what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”
  • Zendaya’s character confesses—with a trigger warning—the worst thing she ever did was plan a school shooting as a teenager, going so far as to bring a gun, film a video, and select a target, but ultimately not going through with it.
    • “She brought the gun to school and everything...Never followed through...She had a target, 15 years old, someone was kind to her, and she decided to change her mind about it. But she reveals this.” – Jeremy (08:10–08:22)
  • Her fiancé, Robert Pattinson’s character, and the rest of the table, never knew.
    • “Nobody knew.” – Jeremy (08:24)
    • “The rest of the movie is a roller coaster of what would you do in this scenario if you learn this about a loved one?” – Jeremy (08:25)

• Immediate reactions:
  The cast acknowledges the gravity and originality of the premise.

  • “Goosebumps. Like, wow. It’s—It’s—I’ve never really seen anything quite like it.” – Jeremy (08:25)
  • “That makes me want to watch it.” – Dan Le Batard (08:43)

• Viewing advice:

  • Best watched streaming, not a theater experience.
    • “You watch it or not? Should watch it streaming. Sure. Not a movie you’re gonna go to in the—” – Mike Ryan (08:44)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There were three hits before it was even dented.” – Chris Cote on Greg’s racket skills (00:44)
• “Maybe it was only my trained eye who could see it, but after the first slam, it was no longer a perfect egg shape...” – Greg Cody (01:05)
• “It’s an excellent call, though, by Mike Ryan. That Greg Cody...there is a resemblance to Bill Murray in Kingpin.” – Stugotz (01:49)
• “The entire premise...is like one of those ‘am I the asshole?’ posts on Reddit.” – Jeremy (04:02)
• “How much would I forgive someone who I love?” – Jeremy (04:25)
• “[The twist] is one that people are gonna have feelings about…I kind of have a dark sense of humor. So I found this film to be a really good dark comedy, a really interesting one that's performance driven...” – Mike Ryan (04:41)
• “For some folks, this is deeply personal…” – Mike Ryan (05:35)
• “She brought the gun to school and everything…Never followed through...she had a target, 15 years old, someone was kind to her, and she decided to change her mind about it.” – Jeremy (08:10–08:22)
• “The rest of the movie is a roller coaster of what would you do in this scenario if you learn this about a loved one?” – Jeremy (08:25)
• “Goosebumps. Like, wow. It’s—I’ve never really seen anything quite like it.” – Jeremy (08:25)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• Greg Cody’s tennis racket fiasco: 00:32–02:04
• Movie marketing & TMZ leak discussion: 02:06–03:37
• Film reactions, tone, and divisiveness: 03:46–06:50
• Spoiler reveal and group reaction: 06:52–08:55

Summary

This postgame episode is a quintessential example of the Le Batard Show’s blend of laughter, culture, and left-turn discussions. Greg Cody’s comic attempts at tennis racket destruction give way to a genuinely thoughtful analysis of “The Drama,” a daring and dark new film. The crew unpacks its risky marketing, explains the central dilemma, and navigates sensitive ground with their trademark candor—leaving listeners both entertained and genuinely intrigued by this unorthodox pop culture talking point.