The Nightly: Hide & Go Seek w/ Garrick Bernard

Podcast: The Nightly
Host: Hatch Podcasts
Guests: Garrick Bernard (comedian, actor, writer)
Date: March 31, 2026

Episode Overview

This cozy, late night episode of The Nightly invites listeners to unwind with comedian, actor, and writer Garrick Bernard. From sleep struggles and comedic lifestyles, to nostalgic games and pop culture musings, hosts KP and Sophia guide Garrick through a playful tour of Kiss/Marry/Kill games covering everything from board games to TikTok archetypes and legendary sci-fi franchises. All is delivered in the show’s trademark gentle, friendly, and pop-culture-savvy tone, focused on relaxation and a sense of communal nostalgia.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sleep and the Comedy Lifestyle

Timestamps: 01:05 – 03:35

• Garrick's Sleep Habits:
  • Garrick shares that while he has "no problem falling asleep anywhere,” staying asleep is tough. Magnesium has helped, a tip from his fiancée:
    • “I feel like my fiancée put me on magnesium, and I haven’t looked back since.” (A, 02:04)
  • There’s much banter about magnesium being the new wellness trend, replacing melatonin:
    • “Melatonin...she got ousted. She was turning everybody crazy with crazy dreams.” (B & C, 02:16–02:22)
• Night Owl vs. Early Bird:
  • Garrick has turned into a night owl due to stand-up work:
    • “I used to be an early bird, and then I started doing standup comedy ... really turned me into somebody I would rather not be.” (A, 02:38)
  • Comedians' social obligations post-show keep them out late:
    • “They don’t let you leave until it’s midnight. ...You have to go to a diner, and that diner is not going to serve you until you’ve been sitting there for an hour and 45 minutes.” (B & A, 02:59–03:22)

2. Kiss/Marry/Kill Game: Games Edition

Timestamps: 03:44 – 07:52

• Prompt: Kiss/Marry/Kill: Puzzles, Board Games, Card Games
• Garrick’s Choices:
  • Marry: Card Games (“I’m a big Magic: The Gathering player.”)
  • Kiss: Board Games (“The kiss could be on the cheek...” Respectful but not passionate).
  • Kill: Puzzles (“The actual jigsaw, putting a puzzle down—it’s a lot.”)
• Hosts’ Agreement: Both hosts echo Garrick’s hierarchy. They admit to occasionally enjoying puzzles in specific circumstances (e.g., rainy cabin days), but would never buy one for themselves.
• Sophia’s Note: If allowed to swap, she’d replace board games with “question games” like Hot Seat or Salad Bowl—games focused on conversation and social connection.

3. Nostalgic Hide & Seek and “Sardines”

Timestamps: 06:58 – 09:44

• Sardines:
  • Sophia explains sardines as “reverse hide and seek” where everyone squishes together in the hiding spot (“like a can of sardines”).
  • Memorable moment:
    • “At one point, my friend Hannah was hiding just simply under a blanket in the closet. And I found her first. And the way that I had to sink to the ground...I was melting into the ground with you.” (C, 07:33)
• Hide & Seek YouTube Genre:
  • Garrick reveals a love for “aggressive Hide and Seek” on YouTube—people painting themselves as camo or building elaborate hiding spaces.
    • “They will paint their faces to look like…like a Peeta Mellark in Hunger Games.” (A, 08:46–09:00)
  • Example: Someone builds a “water fountain hiding spot” with a fake water fountain concealing a secret cubby.
    • “He built it in front of a hole…that led to a nice little cubby for himself. And of course, he won.” (A, 09:24)
  • Hosts: Amused and slightly claustrophobic at the lengths people go to hide.

4. Kiss/Marry/Kill Game: TikTok Influencers

Timestamps: 10:21 – 15:00

• Prompt Options:

  1. Finance bro explaining compound interest
  2. Guy reviewing sandwiches in his car
  3. Overly productive girl who shares her 5am morning routine

• Garrick’s Choices:

  • Kill: Finance Bro
    • “All I hear is, you’re a bad financial advisor. So you have to do YouTube now…You failed.” (A, 11:47)
  • Kiss: 5am girl
    • “That’s cool. That’s grind culture…good for you.” (A, 12:14)
  • Marry: Sandwich reviewer
    • “I love you so much…You don’t have to be doing this. It’s so funny.” (A, 12:41)

• Hosts' Takes:

  • KP echoes marrying the sandwich reviewer—“I’ll eat a sandwich every day of my life.” (B, 12:58)
  • Sophia: “Maybe if I kissed her, she [the 5am girl] wouldn’t have to wake up at 5am. ... I can change her, y’all.” (C, 14:43–14:46)

5. Kiss/Marry/Kill Game: Sci-Fi Classics

Timestamps: 15:02 – 21:28

• Prompt: Kiss/Marry/Kill: Star Trek, Star Wars, Dune

• Garrick’s Perspective:

  • Kiss: Dune (enthused by the new films, loved the books)
    • “I was not somebody who read the book early on, saw the first part...and immediately went and read the book because I loved it so much.” (A, 15:51)
  • Marry: Star Trek (deep comfort, optimism, “incredible to fall asleep to”)
    • “...It is one of the greatest things to fall asleep to. ...Life actually could be pretty beautiful if you really just try to be optimistic about what the future could be...” (A, 17:05)
  • Kill: Star Wars (except “Andor,” which is “absolutely worth it”)
    • “Everything else since [the original trilogy] has been like, this is cool... but if we had to do everything in the Star Wars ups and downs, mostly downs...just to get to Andor. Absolutely worth it.” (A, 17:53–18:21)

• Hosts’ Reflections:

  • KP: Agrees, sees Star Trek as more “community focused”—Star Wars is “hero on my high horse.”
    • “I think that sometimes the Disney of Star Wars lets it be a little like I'm a hero on my high horse. And I think sometimes Star Trek...we’re community together.” (B, 19:50)
  • Sophia: Admits to little direct exposure, but chooses based on her sister’s preference and “Dune is kind of sexy.”

6. Garrick’s News & Sign-Off

Timestamps: 21:34 – 22:47

• Project Plug:

  • Garrick announces: “Season 9 of Rick and Morty is coming out. ...We’re cooking with gas, baby. It’s a good season.” (A, 21:42–21:54)

• Closing Ritual:

  • When asked whom he’d say goodnight to:
    • “I would like to say goodnight to Serenity...my fiancée and I...took a long night walk...such a beautiful like fairy-esque type of vibe.” (A, 22:08)
  • Hosts agree night walks are among life’s quiet pleasures:
    • “When it’s the summer, it’s hot outside, you go out in the night, the air is like the same exact temperature as my skin.” (C, 23:02)
    • “That really is the most comfortable.” (B, 23:05)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the downside of melatonin:
  • “She was turning everybody crazy with crazy dreams.” (B, 02:22)
• On board games:
  • “You’ll have a fling...the kiss could be on the cheek. ...It’s a friend zone almost.” (A, 04:48–04:55)
• On the magic of community in Star Trek:
  • “Life actually could be pretty beautiful if you really just try to be optimistic about what the future could be and what it could hold.” (A, 17:05)
• On passionate food reviewers:
  • “If I make money doing it, great. If I don’t, it’s all good. ...It’s a passion.” (A, 12:54–12:58)

Recommended Timestamps

• Sleep routines & magnesium vs melatonin: 01:05 – 02:29
• Night owl lifestyle for comedians: 02:35 – 03:35
• Kiss/Marry/Kill (games): 04:01 – 07:52
• Sardines & Hide and Seek nostalgia: 06:58 – 09:44
• Kiss/Marry/Kill (TikTok types): 10:21 – 15:00
• Kiss/Marry/Kill (Sci-Fi edition): 15:02 – 21:28
• Garrick’s project plug & nighttime serenity: 21:34 – 22:47

Episode Tone & Style

• Warm, playful, and nostalgic—designed for relaxation.
• Emphasis on gentle ribbing, shared memories, and thoughtful pop culture musings.
• Casual, inclusive language and banter between friends.

Takeaway

This episode delivers classic comfy podcasting with a mix of relatable sleep struggles, infectious enthusiasm for games, and easygoing humor about pop culture. Whether debating sardines or defending the sandwich reviewer, the group bonds through gentle, witty conversation and a sense of cozy nighttime camaraderie. As always, Garrick Bernard brings an earnest, funny, and warmly genuine presence, closing things out with praise for tranquil night walks and good vibes.

For more restful, phone-free experiences, visit hatch.co.