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A
Hello. You're about to drift into an episode of the Nightly, a podcast designed to help you unwind and relax. For the full phone free immersive light experience, visit Hatch Co. Enjoy. Hey there. I'm Wills.
B
And I'm Josh. Welcome to the Nightly from Hatch, where your late night thoughts go to rest. You know what? This is what I want to ask you. What book have you had on your bedside table?
A
Oh, my God. Do I have something to share? Well, I. I just finished the Lena Dunham memoir, which I actually bought a physical copy of, which I almost never do because I read things on Kindle. And after I bought the physical copy, I was like, wait, why did I. I kind of like forgot that it was available on Kindle. I think because I got swept up in the fact that it was new. And then I was like, now I have this book to lug around. But I ended up. Actually, I read some of it and then I ended up listening to it, mostly because I had been reading it and I knew they had the audiobook available, like free on Spotify or whatever. And so I had been reading it and then I was, like, going to do some stuff and I was like, I want to keep reading this in my ears. And then when I started reading it, I actually was enjoying listening to her narrate it, obviously, because Lena is the one who narrates it. And I was finding that there were. It really was like, I feel like specific. She is very funny in a very specific way. And, like, I was. I felt like I'd been missing some jokes and hearing her read it, I was able to.
B
Because you weren't hearing the tone.
A
Yes, like, completely. Which I. Then I was like, okay, well, I gotta. I listened to it. So. I love any story, of course, that's, like, about people who are extremely talented and their career. I'm like. So I was completely enthralled hearing about all the Making of Girls and all that stuff and her early life. It was long. I think the AudioBook was like 11 hours or something.
B
Wow. Yeah. That's substantial.
A
Yeah. But I was interested the entire time. And then I started rewatching Girls, which is just. I mean, it's just one of the best shows of all time. It's so good.
B
I've never seen it and I think I need to.
A
Oh, Josh, you should watch it. You really should.
B
I think I would really like it.
A
I mean, it's like, literally an incredible show. I mean, everyone says it and it's so boring because I feel like there's been the Backlash. And now we're in the backlash. The backlash. And so everyone is kind of back in their, like, I love Lena Dunham bag or whatever. But it's just truly an incredible show. It's so, so funny and it's really compelling. Like, I literally am like, can't stop watching it.
B
Wow. I guess I. I know Lena Dunham as a public figure, but, like, what about her to you? As the most compelling, as like a, a creator of, you know, narrative fiction and as a memoirist.
A
I think she is extremely meaningful to a lot of people. Like, particularly, I mean, I feel so. I watched Girls, like when I was younger. I have a lot of friends. I know a lot of people who I feel like have watched it a billion times, like over and over. They know it's front to back, whatever, which I don't think is. That's not where I'm coming from. I know people who I. Who literally are like, I moved to New York because of Girls. Like, I think it had a similar kind of like, Sex in the City effect to people. But I mean, it certainly, it's meaningful to me in that I watched this show when I was like, younger and I really, really enjoyed it. I also think that to be 24 or like 23 or whatever and make this show that is like, truly phenomenal is so incredible and so impressive that I'm like, it's just undeniable and I'm. I'm fascinated with that. So I definitely feel like, fascinated by her success or whatever.
B
Sure.
A
And then I also think I. In rewatching Girls, I have felt genuinely inspired to create some stuff on the one hand, because the show is so good and I'm like, oh, it's just so amazing. And like, it reminds me of the magic of tv, which I often feel a little bit like that. It's hard for things to remind me of the magic of tv, given the current landscape of entertainment. In particular, Hannah Horvath, the main character, is this very wayward 23, 24 year old who wants to be a writer but isn't necessarily creating the art that she wants to create or whatever. That has also acted as a bit of a scary mirror for me where I'm like, to create art, you have to create art. And so I think the two things are working at once, which is like, the show is phenomenal. And I'm like, oh, I don't want to be anything like that character.
B
Yeah. It's like a cautionary tale in the text and an inspiration as a work of art.
A
Yeah. Which I think creates this very interesting dynamic as a viewer, especially if you're a viewer who wants to make art. I can't believe you never watched it. Have you seen any of it? No.
B
No.
A
Oh, my God.
B
Almost none.
A
I don't know if you know about this, but there is a scene where Allison Williams character Marnie sings an acoustic version of Stronger by Kanye at her ex's, like, corporate work event.
B
Yeah.
A
And I think it happens in season two. And I was like, damn, this show is just completely magnificent. It's like. It's so good. It's so, so good.
B
That's like one of the legendary, fraught, intimate musical performances in television. Right. It's up there with, like, the Zhu Bijou Bijou from Madman.
A
Oh, yes, yes, yes. Madman.
B
Madman.
A
Madman.
B
Madman.
A
Mad Max. Sorry.
B
To me, it's the story of one Madman.
A
And honestly, it is, by the way, it basically is.
B
That's right. Kenneth Cosgrove, published author.
A
Yes.
B
And then the Kendall Roy hip hop performance. Completely in honor of Logan. Right? Yeah.
A
Yes, Totally. A big part of the book. She talks about her falling out with Jenny Kohner, Connor Kohner, who is the. Was the. Her co. Showrunner. Or I forget her exact title, but they, like, work together on Girls. And someone was like, she needs to write a show about a friendship breakup. And I was like, she really does need to write a show about a friendship breakup. I think that could hit very, very hard.
B
What do you think are the best friendship breakup shows and movies?
A
I don't even know. What. Do you. Do you have any? I'm like, none are, like, coming to mind.
B
The first one that pops into my head is the Banshees of Inisherren.
A
Oh, I haven't seen that, but I've heard of it.
B
Yeah. And that's a friendship breakup movie.
A
I'm like, there's not enough media about that. Despite it being like, a canon event for, like, I feel like 90% of people.
B
Yeah. Because it's. It's like. I think we do. We think a lot. Romantic breakups. Right. And like, obviously it's a really intense feeling and it's a very. A nearly universal experience, but I think it's not like you're also friends with everyone you've ever started being friends with. And sometimes that's totally normal of like, oh, yeah, we went to, like, elementary school together and then stopped hanging out because one of us moved to another town. And we were sad, but we got over it because we were 10.
A
Yeah. Literally.
B
And then sometimes it's like, oh, yeah, the Person who was, like, the best man in my wedding, and I had a terrible falling out.
A
I think the reason those types of situations can be particularly so painful for people is that it's different from a romantic breakup in that it's like, oftentimes the reasoning isn't maybe as clear.
B
Right. And the way polyamorous talk about love. Right. Of like, oh, I have love for more than one person. Romantic love for more than one person is, like, I think the way most people feel about friendships. It's not like, my friend cheated on me with another friend. It's like, you don't think about the things that would violate a friendship or, like, cause a friendship to just kind of dissolve over time in the same way. And it's not part of the narrative of, like, most romantic relationships you'll be in will end, and that will be, like, either exhilarating. Right. You're like, I'm out, or heartbreaking.
A
Yeah.
B
And you don't know how to feel
A
when a friendship ends and someone needs to write that story.
B
Yeah.
A
And it could be Lena Dunham, but it could also be anyone else but Josh. I'm interested. Do you have anything on your mind that you've been, I don't know, reading, watching, thinking about?
B
We finished a little late. We finished DTF St. Louis.
A
I started it because you told me about it.
B
Oh, yeah. Well, I would love to hear your thoughts, because I loved the first five out of the seven episodes. I was like, I am fully on board. Love everything that's happening here. I'm really intrigued by the friendship story. I'm really curious about this kind of strange sexual dynamic, this love triangle that's happening and the levels at which it's romantic for some people and just platonic for other people. And then I thought the last two episodes were, like, not boring, but they just didn't take. I felt like every episode, the story was going to a new and interesting place. And then the last two episodes got, like, successively less interesting.
A
That is tough because it is, like, you want the last two episodes to be the most compelling episodes of the whole thing, obviously. So it's hard for it to kind of peter out like that. But, I mean, I liked what I saw so far.
B
I think it's worth watching in that it's, like, short and mostly super compelling to me. If people haven't seen any of it. It's kind of a murder mystery, but, like, it's the. The way that the people investigating the mystery keep finding out, like, oh, it's more complicated than it seems. It's not like the traditional narrative of like, oh, this goes all the way to the top. It's like actually some of these things that look really sinister are not sinister. Or some of these. Yeah. Some of people's motivations were really complex and layered and no one was being evil to one another, which is like. I thought that was like a lovely emotional and like narrative progression, but the way they tied up the actual mystery, I was like, all right, that's enough of that.
A
I know. I mean, a classic thing, which I think you probably know of, like if you're trying to like sell a show or something, is it's like make it a murder mystery. And so I feel like these shows that actually maybe weren't even necessarily about the murder mystery of it all will throw in a murder to have it be a little bit hooky or whatever. And then it's like, well, that actually wasn't even the point. The person who was making this didn't even feel like that was really the point of it. So it shows a bit that it was a little bit half hearted or whatever. That part of it.
B
Yeah. Right. I think there's a lot of comedy mysteries that exist along the spectrum of. Is it very funny?
A
Yes.
B
Is it very compelling as a mystery? And the one I haven't seen this actually. I should watch Maris. Watch. It was out of Town, but season two of Deadlock. I don't know if you've seen it.
A
I haven't.
B
It. Season one was so good. It's D E A D L O, C H and it's Australia and it's like a small town detective story that is super, super funny and really twisty and turny. Yeah, it's co. Yeah.
A
I'm like trying to think of what I mean. Of course there's always White Lotus, which White Lotus is so kind of a classic example of the one where it's like. I think Mike White has even said, I just put the murder in there to make it whatever a show that people do.
B
And now there's one in every season, right?
A
Yes, exactly. But yeah, I'm trying to think of any other murder mysteries that are so, so funny to me. I don't know. I have a relationship with only murders in the building, which is that I've watched every single episode of it and I don't remember any of it.
B
I made a gentle exit last season.
A
Gentle. That's very. That's a kind way to put it.
B
I had watched all of it up until Friends that work on it and like, it was so charming. Those, like, central performances are so charming. The guest stars are so wonderful. But I kind of lost the thread of, like, wait, what are we doing?
A
I mean. Yeah, I mean, it's just the show. It's one of those shows where it's like, well, the problem is that they want it to keep being a mystery, and then, like, you have to keep inventing mystery on top of mystery. And it gets. Yeah. A little bit convoluted.
B
I think kind of every show, right,
A
where it's like, yeah, it's impossible.
B
A person who is not in a. In an official capacity to solve a mystery solves a mystery. And you're like, well, that was season one and then season two, where they go back to being an actuary.
A
No, it's like, well, we need another mystery.
B
Yeah. And it's like, and why does this person solve it? And I feel like that happens across
A
so many shows completely.
B
You know which one? I thought it handled it so well. And this is, like, a few years old now, but. Search Party.
A
Oh, I mean, I love Search Party. Oh, my God. I mean, Search Party is a show that, like, went off the rails in the most beautiful way possible. To me. Like, I think that show, like, watching it heighten season and season and just season after season and just get more and more absurd and, like, more and more crazy. I was like, yeah, oh, my God, this show. And I. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I truly believe that John early deserves an Emmy for the work that he did on that show. Like, he.
B
I honestly think that that the core cast. Right. It was John Early. I always say her name wrong. Alia.
A
Alia Shawkat. Yeah.
B
Meredith Hagner, I believe is her name, and John Reynolds were unbelievable.
A
Oh, I love that show. That's a really good one. But that show also is, like, so it's so not about the mystery. And also, I think because that show exists in this kind of. It's not, like, grounded in our world. Like, it's like, in this kind of strange, absurd world. There was less issue with the thing of being like, how do we keep making it a mystery? Because it's like, oh, well, the world is just absurd. So absurd things can keep happening naturally.
B
I do think they grounded it in a way, because the first season, if people don't know the first season is Alia Shakat. Her character is, like, this girl that we went to college with disappeared, and I'm gonna find her, and she's like, my life kind of doesn't have A lot of meaning. I'm a personal assistant to this. This eccentric rich lady. I just don't care about anything. And this is where I'm gonna invest my kind of, like, quarter life crisis energy.
A
Yeah. She's like, let me make this disappearance about myself.
B
Yeah. And it's so compelling, and it's such a strong satire of millennial ennui in a way that is not just like, look at these stupid young people. It's like, these people are facing such unpleasant conditions, and everyone's kind of dealing with it in their own weird ways.
A
Completely.
B
And then something really bad happens at the end of season one.
A
Yes.
B
And. And then season two is, like, a much darker show. And so it's grounded in a way that, like, that lets it not go to the moon right away. Although by season, the last season, I think, was five. And it is, like, so zany.
A
It really, really is.
B
And it does the thing of, like, you care about the stakes of the mystery that's being solved.
A
Yeah.
B
And then they. They. It's not just like, okay, now the gang has to solve a new mystery together.
A
Yes. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. It's like.
B
Which I think is really tough.
A
Yeah. I think it's, like, crazy things keep happening, but it's not. Yeah. It gets to be a bit much when you're like, another murder. Interesting.
B
Yeah. Like, did you watch any of the after party on Apple?
A
No. Who was.
B
That was essentially like a high school reunion. There's a murder at the after party and, like, the home. The one member of the class has become a celebrity, and he has everybody over at his home, and he's murdered at this after party, and it's like, everybody has to solve the murder before daylight, essentially. And it's like, great, great cast. Sam Richardson and Alana Glaser and Dave Franco. And then season two is the same main character who's Sam Richardson's character, who plays an escape room designer who, like, that's why he's helpful solving this murder.
A
Amazing.
B
Again, great cast. Really fun individual scenes and episodes. But, like, he's now at. It's like he's meeting his. His girlfriend's family, and there's a murder there. And it's like, that's so messed up to be, like, a guy in the house for two murders.
A
Yeah.
B
I mean, come on, like a year apart or whatever. It's like, that's so unsettling. And it's just like, well, gotta put on my detective hat again.
A
Gotta put my escape room hat back on.
B
Yep. And so it's Like a tough. It's tough when you have to keep putting like someone who is so ill equipped to be solving intense crimes in a position to keep doing. Or you just have to go full Murder, She Wrote and be like, someone gets murdered every week. She solves it every week. Shut up.
A
That's just part of it. That's just part of it. Yeah, it's hard. And I do think that type of thing often is best with a limited series where it doesn't have to be the same person over and over again or whatever.
B
Right, right, right, Totally right. Limited series where you can do multiple seasons of, of the setting is the same or whatever, but we're with different characters or just it happens once. Like we do 10 episodes and that's it. Or eight episodes and that's it.
A
That's it. Can you imagine?
B
You're done. You're no longer involved in solving crimes. You can just live your life.
A
You're free to go. What do you think it is, like, about murder mysteries that are so compelling to, I guess, us or the audience or anyone?
B
That's such a good question. I think it adds stakes.
A
Yes.
B
To something that's otherwise very light. You know, like, it's like, oh, we want to get these people all in one location, having a good time. It's people you love to see acting with each other. And the mystery gives it like, ooh, I'm on the edge of my seat now. That's, that's why I'll watch next week rather than it's just like, you know, just a hangout comedy or like even a light film.
A
Yes.
B
And I think it adds this, this element of drama.
A
Yeah.
B
But I find like sometimes it's like, it's more than I need sometimes.
A
I agree, I agree. I mean, as I said before, I think a lot of it is like the hook of it all. And maybe I'm being so like, no, I'm with you industry minded or whatever. But just like knowing that like people who work in entertainment or whatever are like, we don't want, we don't want hangout shows. We don't want like, for example, they're like, we don't really want like another Girls right now or whatever. We don't want like a show just about people hanging out. We want, we want something. We want some. There, there.
B
I also think like from that point of view, right. Because it's. Because media is so diffuse and shows aren't given, you know, like there's all these legendary stories about like this show. Nobody watched it for the first two seasons, but the head of the network believed in. And they. They. The season three was a massive hit. It broke through. And, like, you're just not allowed to do that anymore in this media environment. People just. They'll pull the plug too fast. And so I think they're trying to do something that people kind of, like, sit up and take notice of, of, like, ooh, this is why I should watch this, rather than, like, it's good.
A
That's why it does give people something to talk about, which is kind of what you were saying, which is like, you know, like, I like discussing shows and whatever, in whatever way with people, but it's very easy to be like, the show. You watch the show with your friends, or your friends are watching it and you're like, so who do you think did it? Which is like, I'm always watching White Lotus being, like, totally aware of the fact that it's not the point at all and still completely trying to guess who. Who's going to die or who did it or whatever.
B
You know, which one of these I really liked was. And they. Netflix canceled after one season. I thought it was terrific. Was the Residence.
A
Oh, that one's with the.
B
Did you watch it?
A
No, but I've heard of it. It's the one with. Yeah, okay. Okay. Yes.
B
It was so good. She was so good. It's like a great cast. Again, it's like one of those where it's like. And the cast is huge. And I think it was, like, a Shonda Rhimes production.
A
I think so, too.
B
And it was so, so funny and so compelling. And I think they did, like, a 95% impeccable job, like, tying up all the loose threads that they introduced. And it was just like. And it was real. I was like, I would watch. I liked that character. Like, I would watch her in a series of movies even more than, like, Daniel Craig and, like, the Benoit Blank. Like, she's just so compelling and so charming.
A
Totally. Yeah. I mean, I should. I should watch that. You know what, Josh? All this talk of solving mysteries has completely tuckered me out. I think I'm gonna go to sleep, and I hope and pray that when I wake up, I have the answer to some of these mysteries. So good night to you and honestly, good night to. Good night to everyone who's ever written, starred in, produced, the amazing new slate of murder mysteries that we have currently.
B
And a good night to everyone who's ever been enlisted to solve a crime against kind of against their will and against their priority professional experience. Good night to them and good night to you. Wills.
A
Good night. Sa.
B
Foreign.
A
To learn more about our phone free light and audio experience, head to Hatch Co. You can also follow us at Hatch Podcasts.
Date: May 10, 2026
Hosts: Wils Pelton (A), Josh Gondelman (B)
This soothing, late-night episode of The Nightly dives into three interconnected themes: the enduring impact of Lena Dunham and her series "Girls," the complexities of friendship breakups, and the irresistible, ever-evolving allure of murder mysteries in pop culture. Through witty banter and candid reflections, Wils and Josh unpack why these topics captivate us, all while keeping the mood cozy and conversational—perfect bedtime listening for pop culture fans.
Lena Dunham’s Memoir:
Rewatching "Girls":
Lena Dunham’s Impact:
Iconic TV Musical Moments:
Absence in Media:
Why They Hurt:
Call for Stories:
DTF St. Louis:
Comedy Mysteries and TV Trends:
Search Party:
The Constraints of the Genre:
Why We Love Murder Mysteries:
"The Residence":
On Lena Dunham and Girls:
“It's so, so funny and it's really compelling. Like, I literally am like, can't stop watching it.”
—Wils (02:29)
On the friendship breakup genre gap:
"There's not enough media about that, despite it being like, a canon event for, like, I feel like 90% of people."
—Wils (06:56)
On repetitive non-detective mysteries:
"That's so messed up to be, like, a guy in the house for two murders."
—Josh (17:12)
On why murder mysteries work:
"I think it adds stakes to something that's otherwise very light."
—Josh (18:32)
On what “Search Party” delivered:
"Search Party is a show that, like, went off the rails in the most beautiful way possible. To me."
—Wils (13:27)
The conversation is playful, relatable, and gently self-aware, constantly circling back to the late-night, dreamy vibe of “Nightly.” The hosts riff with natural chemistry, toggling between critical insight and good-natured ribbing, never taking themselves too seriously but clearly passionate about the nuances of pop storytelling.
“All this talk of solving mysteries has completely tuckered me out. I think I'm gonna go to sleep, and I hope and pray that when I wake up, I have the answer to some of these mysteries. So good night to you and honestly, good night to... everyone who's ever written, starred in, produced, the amazing new slate of murder mysteries that we have currently.”
—Wils (21:34)
“And a good night to everyone who's ever been enlisted to solve a crime against kind of against their will and against their priority professional experience. Good night to them and good night to you, Wils.”
—Josh (22:03)