New Stranger Things & Shoe Updates

Summary

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The Nightly – “New Stranger Things & Shoe Updates”

Date: November 26, 2025
Hosts: KP and Jack East
Episode Theme:
A cozy, easygoing late-night chat about the ever-evolving world of shoes and a deep dive into the return of “Stranger Things,” all designed to help listeners unwind and drift off for the night.

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Nightly wraps listeners in the friendly warmth of a pillow fort, as KP and Jack East settle in for a relaxing, lightly comedic discussion. The episode opens with an update on KP’s ongoing “new shoe journey”—a whimsical exploration of their ever-changing shoe rotation—before seamlessly shifting gears to dissect the evolving release schedule and cultural meaning of “Stranger Things” season five.

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1. Shoe Updates and Sneaker Culture

[00:51-07:12]

KP’s Shoe Journey (00:51–02:34)

• KP reveals several new additions to their shoe rotation:
  • “Ballet flat esque” mesh Mary Janes with a strap—“helpful but...their time is almost up due to the mesh of it all.” (01:21–01:46)
  • Short, black, alligator-skin boots—untested but intended to “plus up an outfit.” (02:02–02:13)
  • Neon, tennis ball-colored Adidas sneakers—perfect for “really get[ting] a boring outfit better.” (02:14–02:26)
  • Pale yellow loafers—a stylish, gentle touch to the rotation. (02:26–02:34)
  • Notably, an “old shoe that got brought back up” after nearly being donated—“I saved it from death.” (02:39–03:06)

Notable Moment

• Jack East (on shoe resurrection):

  “You are what the shoe world calls a savior.” (03:09–03:15)

Sneakerhead and Shoe Shopping Insights (03:18–07:12)

• Jack East laments the current sneakerhead culture:
  • The bubble has “started to burst,” with resellers and unattainable price points sapping the fun. (03:47–03:56)
• On places to buy shoes:
  • KP: Most shoes come from thrift stores or online resale (e.g. Depop).

    “I’m kind of going for really good quality. Like, somebody bought them, realized they don’t fit, and then put them online. That’s perfect for me.” (04:43–04:51)

  • Jack East: Prefers specialized outlets or brand stores for sneakers, avoids department store selections (“there is a certain man who wears the JCPenney Nike...the 60 year old suburban white man.”) (06:18–06:55)
  • Both share a mild disdain for stores like Ross, TJ Maxx, or Marshalls for shoes—KP notes, “Too many people have them or worse, too many people said no.” (05:45–06:18)

Core Tone

• Playful teasing with real affection for the quirks of sneaker culture and personal style.
• Both are honest about their preferences but nonjudgmental, keeping conversation gentle and inclusive.

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2. Pop Culture Transition: “Stranger Things” Season 5

[07:15–17:46]

Return to Hawkins: Stranger Things Discussion (08:17–17:46)

• Choice Mechanic: Jack East offers two topics—KP picks “B,” Stranger Things wins.

Declining Viewer Engagement

• KP admits they “haven’t tuned in since season two.”
• Jack East:

  “Most people haven’t...the show had its ups and downs...season[s] seemingly took two years plus to come out.” (08:27–09:07)

• Delays attributed to pandemic, strikes, and industry upheaval.

Release Format Changes & Weekly Drops

• KP misses the “weekly drop”—feels binge models hurt discussion and continuity among friends.
• Jack East:

  “The upcoming season is actually going to be released in three parts...Thanksgiving weekend, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and the finale on New Year's Eve.” (10:02–10:46)

  • Points out Netflix’s strategy: “If you release them all, people only gotta resubscribe for one month...this way you get two months out of this with no break.” (11:24–12:11)
• Both express skepticism about dumping episodes around major holidays, with KP remarking:

  “I like to talk to my friends about a show...it is easier when it is a weekly model...But maybe that’s old head of me.” (10:46–11:24)

The Catch-Up Problem & Binge TV Fatigue

• Jack East voices common Netflix fatigue:

  “I don’t remember a damn thing from the movie or from the TV show...I don’t want to go back and rewatch four seasons to be caught up.” (13:14–13:28)

Serial TV Pacing & LOST Burnout

• KP, burned by “Lost,” fears shows that “add more questions every season” without resolving them, and shares:

  “I’m still wondering what happened with that polar bear.” (14:28–14:34)

• Jack agrees and commiserates about long, narrative-heavy shows testing viewer patience.

Aging Casts & High School Realism

• Both chuckle over how the once-child actors are now adults:
  • Jack East: “These kids were literally 10, 11 years old...now they all have kids of their own probably.” (15:04–15:08)
  • They joke about Stranger Things (and Euphoria) struggling to keep adults as believable teens.
  • KP: “At least season one they cast the correct age, whereas like Euphoria...they were already 22 in playing high school.” (15:57–16:16)

The Challenge of Skipping Ahead

• Jack notes that Stranger Things can’t time-jump like Euphoria due to the narrative stakes:

  “The monster don’t care about y’all no more. Why you coming back?” (16:43–17:05)

• Both imagine the villain waiting around while the cast ages unrealistically.

Closing Sentiments & Winona Ryder Love

• Both hosts ultimately commit to seeing the show through to the end:
  • Jack East: “I will complete the journey. I’ve put nine years of my life into it. This is the last season. That’s it.” (17:19–17:34)
• KP beams:

  “You know, my favorite actress of all time is Winona Ryder. When she wins, we all win.” (17:46–17:54)

• Both agree she’s fantastic and unique.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• KP (on rescuing shoes):

  “I saved it from death. It was on the way out.” (03:05–03:06)

• Jack East (on sneaker culture’s bubble):

  “It’s lost the fun, the flavor.” (03:45–03:47)

• Jack East (on the Netflix model):

  “If you release them all, people only gotta resubscribe for one month...this way you get two months out of this with no break.” (11:24–12:11)

• KP (on dropping shows with endless questions):

  “Lost did this to me...I’m still wondering what happened with that polar bear.” (14:28–14:34)

• Jack East (on aging Stranger Things cast):

  “That child is not in high school. Stop that kid.” (15:08–15:57)

• KP (on Winona Ryder):

  “When she wins, we all win.” (17:54)

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Important Timestamps by Segment

| Timestamp | Segment | Key Moments | |-------------|-------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:51–07:12 | Shoe journey & sneaker talk | KP’s shoe updates, sneakerhead culture, shopping habits | | 07:15–08:17 | Pop culture topic switch | “A or B” decision; leads to Stranger Things | | 08:17–17:46 | Stranger Things season 5 | Show delays, release model, binging fatigue, aging cast, expectations | | 17:46–18:12 | Closing sentiments | Love for Winona Ryder, winding down |

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Episode Flow and Vibe

• Warm, witty, and soothing: The hosts’ banter is gentle and often playful, with genuine shared insights but never veering into harshness or negativity.
• Nostalgic and relatable: Whether talking shoes or TV, conversations are deeply relatable to anyone plugged into pop culture and fashion.
• Inviting, never exclusionary: Even as they poke a little fun at retail chains and Netflix strategies, hosts carefully ensure that all styles and choices are valid, keeping the mood friendly and open.
• Tailored for winding down: The pacing, laughter, and structure lightly encourage the listener to relax before sleeping, ending with intention:

  “I think I’m gonna do the same. I’m gonna turn on this hatch, listen to some beautiful ocean sounds, and drift away into dreamland.” (18:12–18:29)

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In sum:
This episode is a perfect listen for winding down—offering in equal parts nostalgia, pop culture analysis, gentle humor, and an invitation to embrace the quirks of both our wardrobes and our streaming habits.

Transcript

[A]

Hello.

[B]

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.

[A]

Hello and what a wonderful evening. Evening it is. I am kp.

[B]

And I am Jack East. Welcome to the Nightly on Hatch plus, where the room is cool but the blankets are warm. Kp, it's so good to be here.

[A]

With you, don't you think?

[B]

So good to be in a pillow fort. It is. I do, I do.

[A]

I'm. I'm biased, but I have a good time over here.

[B]

Me too. I've been wanting to ask you something that we talked about a while ago now and you were on like a. A new shoe journey.

[A]

I was on a new shoe journey. Are you checking in?

[B]

I'm checking in, I'm checking in. I want to know what those shoes are talking about.

[A]

Okay. What has been done since my new shoe journey that I spoke of? So I think two new ones have entered the rotation. Honestly I think three, but one was an old shoe that got brought back up, which is rare, I think.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

So since last we spoke, I got a pair of like kind of ballet flat esque, but they have sort of like a strap over them. So like a little bit of a Mary Jane.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And they are see through mesh. So like a mesh ballet flat Mary Jane. Okay, those have been helpful but I think their time is almost up due to the mesh of it all. It is almost fall and we have.

[B]

To remember that you don't want the feet to be cold. I get that.

[A]

That one had a peak and now perhaps it's nearing its end. Okay then brand new into the rotation, some kind of black alligator skin esque boots.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[A]

Shortish, not, you know, not all the way to the knee, but a boot.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I haven't even taken those for a spin yet really. But they're going to come in handy I think to plus up an outfit.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Okay, listen, there's actually four Love this. I got a quick Adidas that is kind of like tennis ball colored so like quite neon. Like a nice little sneaker that really gets a boring outfit better.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Okay. And then lastly is a really pale yellow loafer that I think is kind of nice looking. Those are my shoe updates. What do you think?

[B]

Those are your shoe updates. I love this. I love this, I love that, I love that an old one came back into the rotation.

[A]

Yeah, that felt good.

[B]

Yeah. When you can restore a shoe and not saying your shoe needs to be restored, but just Restore its glory to the outside world is a fun thing. As a sneaker head, I appreciate that.

[A]

And this one, I mean, the shoe that was coming back in, I mean, I really rescued it. It was in a bag that I was getting ready to donate, and I saw it, and I go, well, I don't know if I want to donate anymore. And I brought it back, and now it's.

[B]

You brought it back.

[A]

I mean, that was really. I saved it from death. It was on the way out.

[B]

You are what the shoe world calls a savior.

[A]

Yes. Yes. I identify with this.

[B]

I love it. I love it. I love the three new ones, too, The Adidas. Do you have a cause, like, for a lot of sneaker heads? And, like, I think the sneakerhead is kind of, like, waning a little bit just cause. Okay, yeah, everybody is broke. And more than that, like, just the industry has kind of gotten too body and to, like, kid in his mom's suburban basement buying 100 shoes to resell them for three times the price.

[A]

It's lost the fun, the flavor.

[B]

The bubble has started to burst a little bit. But, you know, the sneaker head still exists, and obviously. And it's not, like, gone away, but it's waning a little bit.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Do you have, like, a place that you, like, don't shop for shoes at? Because, like, a sneaker head, for instance, like, there are certain places I would never buy a shoe at. Is very bougie. But, like, you know, there are certain places I would buy shoes at that I'm like, oh, but let me, you know, buy it from here. Do you have places like that?

[A]

I really don't. I think I'm so out of the journey that I. I don't know what's good or what's bad, but usually most of my shoes are coming from a depop or a thrift, to be honest.

[B]

Thrift. Okay. A depop. I don't know what that is.

[A]

Oh, Deep Hop is like an online. You're selling your clothes, so you're just listing all of your clothes. So it's like a kind of online reselling app.

[B]

Got it, got it, got it, got it.

[A]

So most of my shoes. Yeah, I'm kind of going for really good quality. Like, somebody bought them, realized they don't fit, and then put them online. That's perfect for me.

[B]

Okay. I love it.

[A]

What's an example of one where you're like. That just, like, wouldn't be where I get my shoe.

[B]

Well, with the shoe that I wear, like, I'm not getting Shoes from like department stores, right? Yes. Or anything like that.

[A]

Like a dsw. That's not gonna work for you.

[B]

Not, not, not like sneakers or anything. I'll get like a other like a dress shoe or something like that. Yeah, that's fine. But sneakers. No, no, no. I e. I get a lot. I get most of my shoes online now, actually. Or I'll get them at like some type of like an urban shoe store or clothing store. Or I will still get a shoe, depending on what I'm looking at. At, like right from the source. Or like right from the Nike store. Yeah. Or even like Finish Line, JD Sports, The Shoe Palace.

[A]

Oh, yeah, the Shoe Palace. I know the Shoe Palace.

[B]

Well, Shoe palace be having some hits in there.

[A]

Honestly, now that you said it, I'm like, I won't do like a Ross or a TJ Maxx or a Marshalls just because I feel if they made their way there, too many people have them or worse, too many people said no. So it's like you both don't want the most popular ones and I don't want the least popular ones. Absolutely. Those stores kind of. I often think there must be something. Even if I think like maybe it looks okay, I go, why isn't everyone. Or no. Wearing these?

[B]

Exactly, exactly. You know, like there is a Nike, a certain Nike style that is only sold at like JCPenney.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And, and look, nothing, nothing against JCPenney. I got a JCPenney credit card. So I'm not bagging on JCPenney. I'm not bagging on anybody who buys a shoe for comfort. Anything. But like, there is a certain man who wears the JCPenney Nike, and it is, you know, the 60 year old suburban white man.

[A]

Yeah. And you're not identifying with that.

[B]

I'm just like, not my style.

[A]

That's not your demographic.

[B]

You know, can't do it. I could still deal with a little bit of heel pain.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

You know, I'm not quite there yet, but maybe one day I will be. And when I get there.

[A]

Totally.

[B]

We'll still be hearing a pillow fort talking about it.

[A]

Absolutely. Well, Jacquis, what if we switch gears perhaps a little bit? Because I want to talk about things happening in pop culture or online that have caught your attention.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

What do you. What has come across your desk that you want to share with me?

[B]

You know, I got two things on my mind, and I'm a collaborative person.

[A]

Oh, that's really. I know that about you.

[B]

I'm gonna, I'm gonna throw it to you to tell me what to talk about. I'm gonna give you, like to just say A or B. So A is gonna be one thing, and I'm putting in my head what A is right now, and B is gonna be the other.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

You pick a letter, I'll pick a topic.

[A]

I'm gonna go, B. What do you have?

[B]

B? We're gonna talk a little bit about the upcoming Stranger Things season.

[A]

Okay. Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You're gonna have to hold my hand through this one a little because I haven't tuned in since season two.

[B]

Most people haven't. Yeah, yeah. One of my biggest things with the show. So the upcoming show is season five of Stranger Things, to my knowledge. And I want to check the pillow fort encyclopedia because I'm almost sure that this show started in, like 2015, 16 somewhere around there, I think.

[A]

That's right. Yeah. 2016.

[B]

So somewhere like nine years ago.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And a lot of people fell off for a few reasons. One, you know, the show had its ups and downs through those seasons, but season seemingly took two years plus to come out.

[A]

Totally.

[B]

Now that a big reason why this has happened is because our industry has also had a lot of upheaval. We had the pandemic. We had the strikes. We had a few things that, like, of course, you know, delayed things.

[A]

Yeah. I can't blame them for certain world events, of course.

[B]

Absolutely. But that does make a lot of people drop off. So you're not alone in that.

[A]

Now. Can I say something on just that? Please do part here? I think what usually would help, because this is not that new, that it takes about a year to make a season. Two years is long, but okay, that's not that new. What I think usually helps is when you release episodes weekly. That takes up more time. And people, I think, I don't know, I guess I'm just like, I miss a weekly drop. Personally, I don't remember if Stranger Thing did that.

[B]

Did it the first two or three seasons were they dropped all of it, just like the normal binge model.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And then I think with the last season, they did a part one, Part two. I'm almost positive Stranger Things was like the first Netflix show to do that. That could be wrong, but, like, it was one of the first ones. And so this upcoming season is actually going to be released in three parts.

[A]

So, like three episodes at a time.

[B]

So I think there are eight episodes or something like that coming out. And how they're gonna do it is like four of them are releasing on Thanksgiving weekend, and then the other three Episodes are gonna release on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and then the finale is going to release on New Year's Eve.

[A]

What it. Okay. I mean, I am lost. I just am like, is it not insane to do a weekly if you're gonna kind of do that anyway, you wanna be messing up every holiday? Come on, give me a break. I can't. Because here's my thing with the like. I like to talk to my friends about a show I'm interested in. Of course. And I find it is easier when it is a weekly model to be like, well, now I know we all watched this week. Let's talk about this current app. But maybe that's old head of me. Maybe I. Maybe I just. But I. They do this with reality shows still, and I think it's quite successful. Like Survivor. I go, we all watched the same episode. We're all on the same app.

[B]

Yeah, you're all on the same page. So I. Here's the thing, and I'll talk about the show in a little bit. But I know why they're doing this. They're doing it because, like, people are going to probably resubscribe to Netflix to watch it. That's what they're hoping. And it will happen to a degree. But if you release them all, people only gotta resubscribe for one month. You do it in the way you're doing it. You know, the next one comes out a month later, so they gotta re up. That's two months.

[A]

And then like, you know, January, you got another one.

[B]

You know, you got the next one coming out on Christmas or New Year's Eve. So you get two months out of this with no break. And so for a lot of people, they're like, well, if you get two months, you know, Netflix is going to drop other things and new stuff.

[A]

You'll. You'll get hooked in.

[B]

You'll get hooked in.

[A]

That's interesting.

[B]

I don't know if I love the whole holiday drop.

[A]

I think it's a little, you know.

[B]

I'm busy, I'm busy. I think they're banking on the fact that those like Christmas Day, nobody's doing anything and Thanksgiving week people are off. So they're banking on people being at least at home, near their TVs, with their families, things like that. But, like, what's gonna happen is people are gonna watch them and be done with it in two days, talk about it for a week and then like, move on, right? Cause that's kind of what happens. So that's gonna be interesting. Now the show Itself. The issue with them taking so long because of circumstances and because they want to film eight feature length movies.

[A]

Totally.

[B]

And these ain't even like 90s feature films where movies were only 90 minutes. These are 2010s. The movies are two hour long movies. Like, you know what I'm saying?

[A]

Oh my goodness.

[B]

I don't remember a damn thing. I don't remember a damn thing from the movie or from the TV show. Like, I truly and like, I don't want to go back and re watch four seasons of this show to be caught up.

[A]

You're gonna have to do like a YouTube summary video.

[B]

I hate that way of watching television now where like you come back to a TV show and I don't remember anything in Stranger Things is the biggest offender to that model that I can think of.

[A]

Well, I think it also is because it meanders a bit. Well, this is why I dropped off. And not to say anything bad, I think it's like I dropped off for my own reasons. But one of the reasons was I've been burned before via Lost, the television show, one of my favorite shows of all time. Where more questions keep getting added every season.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

And that makes me feel like I've played this game before. You guys are gonna take your sweet time answering these questions. And I'm an impatient soul. And so I dropped off because I go, well, it doesn't feel exactly like I'm gonna get answers this season. I'm gonna have to wait three seasons for answers. Lost did this to me.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I'm still wondering what happened with that polar bear. I'm still questioning, is that the bottom.

[B]

Of the water swimming? It's not dead, it's swimming. It's at the bottom of the water swimming. I hope the show does well. I will be watching it. I have stayed current. I'm not gonna watch like recap. I may watch like one 10 minute to 15 minute YouTube recap, but that's, that's all I can do. Then I'll jump into the season. Like these kids were literally 10, 11 years old and they all have kids. Some of them have kids of their own probably.

[A]

Or Millie does. Millie has her own kids? Yeah.

[B]

That's wild. That's.

[A]

Isn't that interesting?

[B]

Like, and they still are playing like high school students, which, like, you know, kids of their age can still play high school students. I know that. But we've also seen them grow up. We're like, that child is not in high school. Stop that kid. Because we got to watch them grow. That kid Looks so old. Like, the girl that plays Erica in season one and two of that show felt like she was five years old. Now she feels like she's in college. Yeah, she looks like she's. And she is in college in real life, but, like, she looks like, too. And I'm like, you know, the men got to shave their beards off and, like, relate acne their faces and, like, lower their voices. It's like, crazy. It's crazy. To me.

[A]

The good thing, at least is season one, they cast the correct age, whereas, like, Euphoria, they were already too old. Season one, like, season one, they were already 22 in playing high school. So now in season four, they're truly 36.

[B]

Yeah. And that show is skipping. That show is skipping ahead.

[A]

That show has to. Because they are truly ancient.

[B]

Right.

[A]

They've become ancient characters. So. I know.

[B]

Well.

[A]

Cause Alexa Demi, I think in euphoria, she was 31. I think on season one, playing a high schooler, I mean, she looks incredible. There's just no feasible way that's a high schooler now.

[B]

Yes. And the problem. The problem.

[A]

And to piggyback on that.

[B]

Yes, yes, yes. And also with, like, the Stranger Thing, kids, you can't jump ahead like, you can with Euphoria, and not so much because they're in high school, but because it's like, yo, man, all this crazy evil stuff is happening, and now you're like, five years later, I'm like, yo, the monster is the monster. Don't care about y' all no more. Why? Why you coming back?

[A]

We gotta take care of this right now. We don't have time.

[B]

Yeah, he ain't got y' all in five years. Like, he ain't gonna get y'. All.

[A]

He's here right now. He's knocking down the door.

[B]

He's here right now. He's knocking down the door. We can't skip ahead.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So, yeah, but I'll be watching it. I'll be watching it. We'll see. I will complete the journey. I've put nine years of my life into it. This is the last season. That's it.

[A]

Okay. So this is like, you gotta. Yeah. We've made it this far. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right. I mean, I'm sure I'll see clips. I'll see what people thought. It'll come across my desk once it's.

[B]

All over, I'll give my final grade of what it is, and look, it'll probably be great.

[A]

It'll probably be great. You know, my favorite actress of all time is Winona Ryder.

[B]

So fantastic. She's fantastic.

[A]

When she wins, we all win. I like that.

[B]

I love her. I love her so much.

[A]

She just is a kindred spirit to me. I think she's lovely. Yeah, she's got an interesting way about her. Jacques I think we said all the right things, but now it's time to do all the right things and go to bed. I'm getting pretty sleepy and I'm gonna turn in.

[B]

I think I'm gonna do the same. I'm gonna turn on this hatch, listen to some beautiful ocean sounds, and drift away into dreamland. So good night, KP Good night, J?

[A]

Sa. Sam.

[B]

To learn more about our phone free light and audio experience, head to Hatch Co. You can also follow us at Hatch Podcasts.