Wrestlemania Explained & A Survivor 50 Check in

Summary

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The Nightly — Wrestlemania Explained & A Survivor 50 Check-In

Podcast: The Nightly by Hatch Podcasts
Date: March 26, 2026
Hosts: Sophia & Jacquis

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Nightly is a cozy deep dive into two pop culture obsessions: the upcoming WrestleMania and the current 50th season of Survivor. Hosts Sophia and Jacquis bring their signature warmth, humor, and friendly banter to explain wrestling storylines (for newbies and superfans alike) and to enthusiastically check in on the latest Survivor twists. The vibe is light, funny, and ultra-relaxed—perfect for bedtime and anyone wanting to stay up to date on the big moments in pop culture TV.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pop Culture Nostalgia Trend: "Dad, What Were You Like in the '90s?"

[00:41–04:20]

• Jacquis highlights a trending meme/video format featuring celebrities (and even cultural artifacts like the dollar bill), set to the Goo Goo Dolls’ "Iris", looking back on the '90s.
• The trend is lighthearted nostalgia, with users reflecting on how things (and prices) have changed.
• Sophia expresses confusion when Jacquis describes "The Dollar" as a star, which leads to playful banter.
• Notable Quote:
  • Jacquis: “It was like, dad, what were you like in the '90s? And it just showed how far the dollar used to go.” [02:28]
• Both hosts riff on how old pop songs become viral again thanks to trends, and the possibility that artists or their teams might try to orchestrate these comebacks.

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2. WrestleMania Explained for Newcomers

[04:48–15:12]

What is WrestleMania?

• Jacquis breaks it down as "wrestling’s Super Bowl," held in huge stadiums, with tens of thousands attending and many more watching at home—including non-wrestling fans.
• WrestleMania is now a two-night event, heightening the spectacle.

Main Events for This Year

• Location: Las Vegas (second consecutive year, a rare occurrence) [06:25]

• Main Event 1: Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton

  • Cody is the top "babyface" (good guy), Randy is a legendary "heel" (villain), but has played both roles.
  • Recent storyline: long-time friends, Orton betrays Cody dramatically, setting up a heated championship showdown.
  • Notable Quote:
    • Jacquis: “He [Randy Orton] snapped on Cody Rhodes… and it is beautiful. It is beautiful. I am so excited.” [08:02]
  • Stakes: Randy is vying to become a 15-time champion, moving him higher up the all-time list.

• Main Event 2: Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk

  • Roman Reigns: considered the era’s top star, member of the storied Samoan wrestling family ("The Bloodline"), with a near four-year championship reign.
  • CM Punk: beloved Chicago-bred underdog, known as one of the best wrestlers in the world.
  • Storylines are getting personal, with high emotions and family legacies at play.
  • Notable Quote:
    • Jacquis: “CM Punk was just like, I’mma bury you right next to your dad… it’s getting personal.” [11:08]

Women’s Matches and Notable Undercard Bouts

• Liv Morgan (heel "badass Barbie") vs. Stephanie Vacair (scrappy immigrant champion).
• AJ Lee (returning after 10 years, real-life wife of CM Punk) vs. Becky Lynch (arguably best female wrestler ever)—set to be a must-watch.
• Brock Lesnar vs. Obafemi (newcomer from Nigeria). Both are huge, physically imposing athletes. Jacquis encourages Sophia (and listeners) to watch clips of Obafemi’s "strut".
  • Notable Quote:
    • Jacquis: “You got two beefy big men about to just like, break the ring. My God. And I’m so excited for that.” [12:51]

Behind-the-Scenes Notes

• WrestleMania storylines and outcomes are scripted, sometimes with last-minute changes for dramatic effect.
• Real-life drama can occasionally bleed into the script, blending reality with performance.
• Sophia draws parallels to theater and soap operas, admiring the mix of athleticism and storytelling.

Personal Fandom

• Jacquis has attended four WrestleManias in person but is watching from home this year.
  • Notable Quote:
    • “I've been to four WrestleManias in multiple cities.” [13:09]

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3. Survivor 50 Check-In

[15:14–19:56]

Survivor’s Returnee Season

• Sophia is deep into Survivor’s landmark 50th season, which features only returning players—rare since season 40.
• The social experience of watching weekly with friends and obsessing via group chat is a highlight.

Key Players and Moments

• Mike White (creator of White Lotus) was just voted out—a moment that hit Sophia especially hard as a fan.
• Christian (fan favorite and “awesome narrator”) is getting an unusually positive ("hero’s") edit. Sophia is nervous this might signal he’ll be targeted soon.
  • Notable Quote:
    • Sophia: “He's getting an edit that is actually scaring me a little bit.” [17:24]
• Sri Fields—Sophia’s favorite player ever—remains in the game, giving her hope and excitement.

Celebrity Cameos: The Zach Brown Segment

• The show featured country star Zac Brown hosting a reward challenge, fishing and cooking for the cast and singing.
• Fans reacted negatively, feeling the segment took too much airtime away from strategizing and gameplay.
  • Notable Quote:
    • Sophia: “It was just funny because it was like 30 minutes of this guy and everyone, all the fans were like, this is not what the fans want to see.” [18:52]
• Despite mixed reactions, Sophia notes the power of country music stars and their wide but sometimes hidden fame.

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4. Reflections and Wrap-Up

[19:58–20:41]

• Both hosts remark on the drama and competitive spirit uniting WrestleMania and Survivor: “Both of ours are very, like, combat… or drama.” [19:58]
• The episode closes with playful predictions and bedtime wishes:
  • Jacquis dreams of his "tribal chief" (Roman Reigns) winning, despite also loving CM Punk.
  • Sophia is ready to “dream about surviving.”
• Memorable Send-Off:
  • Jacquis: “I’m a dream about my tribal chief whooping CM Punk’s butt. And I love CM Punk. I love them both. But I gotta go with my tribal chief.” [20:23]
  • Sophia: “And I hope you dream. You dream about surviving.” [20:35]

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Segment Timestamps

• [00:41–04:20] — ’90s nostalgia trend, the power of meme music
• [04:48–15:12] — WrestleMania deep dive (explainer, match highlights, inside stories)
• [15:14–19:56] — Survivor 50 update (players, social fun, Zac Brown cameo controversy)
• [19:58–20:41] — Wrap-up & mutual admiration for dramatic TV

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Conclusion

This episode is both an explainer and an ode to the things we’re obsessed with—whether the pageantry of wrestling or the endlessly fascinating maneuvers of Survivor. Sophia and Jacquis are the perfect cozy guides, delivering laughs, nostalgia, and enough pop culture insight to keep you plugged in, with just the right dose of late-night “pillow fort” relaxation.

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Transcript

[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.

[B]

Hey there. I'm Sophia.

[A]

And I am Jacques. What's up, everybody? Welcome to the Nightly from Hatch, a slumber party for the pop culture lovers. We're here.

[B]

We are here. Oh, we're here. How are you?

[A]

I'm good, I'm good, I'm good. I. I've been looking at some. Some trends lately, and I want to talk to you about one that is, like, really popular now. Which is the dad, mom, or whoever were you, like, in the 90s?

[B]

Wait, what is this?

[A]

Have you not seen this? It's basically a bunch of celebrities, or just people in general who were popular in the 90s. And it's set to the Google dolls or what I think that's the name of it is. I'll give up forever to do that.

[B]

Yeah, that's all we can say. Cut it. Cut it there.

[A]

Yeah, cut it there. Dca. Cut it. And it's set to that. And. And then it like, it's them currently, like, dad, what were you like? You know, and then it just pops to a bunch of pictures of them from, like, the 90s and when they were popular.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And stuff. It's very cute, but everybody's jumping on it.

[B]

I love a nostalgia.

[A]

Yeah, everybody's jumping on it. But I saw one recently that made me really laugh.

[B]

Who was that?

[A]

It was the dollar. The dollar bill.

[B]

I was like. I was like, the dollar. Oh, my God. That is a cultural blind spot for me. I don't know who the dollar is.

[A]

Oh, see, that's interesting. That's your first instance of, like, am I getting too old for.

[B]

I thought I was like, is it someone on a sitcom that I never saw? Like, what's going on?

[A]

I'm so happy to see in real time you have one of your first. I think I might be aging out of pop culture.

[B]

It's like, it's just the money been around forever.

[A]

Just a dollar. Just a dollar. It was like. It was like, dad, what were you like in the 90s? And it just showed how far the dollar used to go.

[B]

Yeah. Was it the evolution of what it looked like?

[A]

No, it was just like, things that the dollar could buy. Like, you can get, like, the McDonald's dollar menu or gas is 98 cents a gallon or things like that.

[B]

That's tough.

[A]

Yeah, it was very, very discombobulated to witness. Yeah, it's Always interesting to me, too, when trends like this at least pop into the zeitgeist.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And, like, the Goo Goo Dolls was just, like, chilling. Like, you know, I don't even know I know music anymore. It was just chilling. And all of a sudden, they probably, like, wait a minute. Residual checks, like, again, like, what's going on?

[B]

Like, I know.

[A]

Popular again, which I think is always funny.

[B]

It's fun. There's so many songs that have found many, many new lives from going viral, which I think is beautiful.

[A]

I think it's dope. Do you think, like, some of these OG artists are trying to, like, start trends themselves? Like, have their teams, like, yo, yo, man, throw. Throw mama number five on something?

[B]

Yeah. Come on.

[A]

Come on.

[B]

I mean, they must be right. It's, like, such a genius thing to do.

[A]

Yeah, that would be interesting.

[B]

I mean, if they're not. They're leaving money on the table, is what I'll say. Lots.

[A]

Lots of money on the table.

[B]

I don't even know if that's true.

[A]

Yeah, it's probably not true.

[B]

Probably not. Probably a couple. A couple bucks. Yeah.

[A]

They're leaving a couple hundred dollars on the table.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Google Dolls. The song has been placed 7 billion times, and they got $3 and 72 cents for it. They're probably like, man, leave us alone, bro.

[B]

Literally.

[A]

We was chilling, man. Now you remind us how much money we not making.

[B]

Exactly. Okay, well, speaking of what you've been seeing online tonight, I think we're gonna just keep on keeping on with what we're doing, and we're gonna check in on the night Guist. Oh, do you have something else that you wanted to tell me about that's. That's lighting up your feet, or should I. Should I start?

[A]

You know what? I'll.

[B]

I'll.

[A]

I'll kick it off. I'll kick it off.

[B]

Please do. I'm excited.

[A]

Let me tell you what's lighting up. Not only lighting up my feed, it's also lighting up my television screens, and it will be for the next, you know, few weeks, because as it is no secret to anyone. I am a wrestling fan, and it is no secret to anyone. I am a WWE fan, and it is currently WrestleMania season.

[B]

Oh, my God. I'm excited to hear about this, because I really only know about, like, the. Like, I've. I'm, of course, familiar with the name WrestleMania, but I don't. I don't know what it entails, and I'm excited to learn.

[A]

It's. You know, it's for anybody out there. That's new. And don't know what WrestleMania is. It is basically wrestling's Super Bowl. It is the biggest wrestling thing just in general in all wrestling promotions. And it's like a spectacle, you know, like they, they, they rent out football stadiums so like 80,000 to a hundred thousand plus people go to it. It's watched people who even don't like watch wrestling, like Watch WrestleMania. It's like one of those things.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

The road to WrestleMania kicks off in January with something called the Royal Rumble. And you know you have all the matches and all the storylines coming to a head and like the championships are on the line and things like that. So we are smack in the middle of it. And this year we have two main events because now WrestleMania is a two night event. It used to be one night, now it's a full two night event.

[B]

Wait, did you say sorry.

[A]

Where they hold it this year is in Las Vegas. Although this year is in Vegas for the second year in a row, which is rare, that rarely ever happens where they do back to back cities. And our two main events are Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. And Cody Rhodes is the babyface. He's a white hot babyface. He is QB1 in WWE right now and he is facing OG Randy Orton who has been wrestling since 2003.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But when he came into the business he was the young kid, the youngest champion of all time. Like he was and he was. Randy Orton is considered to be one of the top heels in the wrestling industry of all time.

[B]

The top heels, what does that mean?

[A]

So you have baby faces? You have heels. Baby faces are the good people, heels are the bad people. That's kind of how it breaks down.

[B]

Got it.

[A]

Randy Orton is known to be one of the top heels in the industry.

[B]

The heroes and the villains.

[A]

Yes, exactly.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But Randy Orton has been doing it for a long time and usually when you are around for two plus decades, no matter what, people are gonna like you. People grew up with you, right? So people are gonna like you. So he's been a face for a very long time and Randy Orton is known for being the heel. Okay, but he's been like a good guy. People singing his song, he high fiving children and coming down the ramps. But he snapped on Cody Rhodes. He snapped on him.

[B]

Oh my God.

[A]

And he, he's gone back to being despicable heel Randy Orton. And it is beautiful. It is beautiful. I am so excited.

[B]

What does this mean?

[A]

So like so they, they were signing a contract for the championship match. Cody Rose is the Champion Randy Orton has also won the world championship 14 times, which makes him number three of all time. And he wants to win 15 to. He's tied for three. He wants to win 15 to move into number three all time by himself behind John Cena and Ric Flair. Wow.

[B]

I always forget, like John Cena, it's so interesting.

[A]

He. Well, John Cena main event at WrestleMania last year and it was his last one ever, he retired.

[B]

Oh, he. He did it again after last year?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Oh my God, I didn't even know he was still doing it. Wow.

[A]

He doesn't do it often, but he's now he's done. He's retired from now.

[B]

He did his little, like his victory.

[A]

He did his retirement tour 100%. Okay, so Randy Orton and like Cody Rose were signing the contract and like they're known as friends in real life. Like when Cody Rose came into the industry, Randy Orton like took him under his wing and blah, blah, blah. So they've always been boys, like brothers. And Cody was like, randy, don't let this be hard. Like, I'm gonna love you no matter what after the match. And like Randy, like hugged him and then kicked him in nuts and then like just beat in his butt, like hit him with steel steps, put his head between two steps and then smashed it with the chair. Like just crazy. Like, he got the chair, he went wild and like, wow. And like those dead eyes came back. He snapped right back into that heel character. So that is what people are looking forward to. Okay, on one side, our second main event. Our second main event is Roman Reigns versus CM Punk. And Roman Reigns is this generation number one star. He is like the guy. Even though Cody Rhodes is QB1, Roman Reigns is, you know, the universe that everybody lives in, like in the wrestling industry right now. He was the champion for almost four years, which is. Nobody does that, okay? Nobody does that. Like, that's very rare. And now he's facing CM Punk, who is a Chicago guy. He's known as one of the best in the world. It's like a dream matchup. Like they've never faced each other at WrestleMania and like, it's getting personal because Roman Reigns is a part of something called the bloodline, okay? And the bloodline is all the Samoan family in the history of wrestling.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

So we're talking the Rock, we're talking all the Samoans wrestling now. We're talking Yokozuna, we're talking just like decades of a bloodline. And Roman Reigns is the tribal chief. He's like, I'm the head of the bloodline. Like, I'm number one and like, people love him. And so you got the bloodline versus CM Punk. It's getting personal. CM Punk was just like, I'mma bury you right next to your dad.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

And like, it's getting personal.

[B]

It's getting, like, it's getting serious.

[A]

People are picking sides. People are ready. People are ready for this fight. So you got two big fight feels coming into the main event, which is very fun. And then I'll say a couple other things because we got some fun matches.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

On the women's side, we have Liv Morgan going against Stephanie Vacair. Liv Morgan is like the it Barbie girl, but she's like, she's a heel, she's a back.

[B]

She's badass Barbie.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. And she's going against, like, you know, an immigrant champion who's like, worked hard all her life and, like, scrapped for everything and is the champion. Now we have CM Punk's real life wife, AJ Lee, who went away from wrestling for 10 years, is back and fighting, like, who is probably the best female wrestler of all time. Becky Lynch. That's gonna be fun. And the number one thing I'm excited about and Sophia, I want you to go watch clips of this tomorrow is Brock Lesnar versus Obafemi. Brock Lesnar, we probably all know that name because he's been around for a long time. Big dude. He's like the beast. He's a monster. Okay, there's this new kid from Nigeria and his name is Obafemi.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I'm looking at him and he walks down. He walks down to the ring and he does his Obafemi strut. And like, everybody's doing it. It's just like he's walking down. Ready?

[B]

Are all the guys this big?

[A]

No, these two.

[B]

Because I'm looking at photos and they are gigantic.

[A]

Like, these are two beasts of men.

[B]

I can't even imagine.

[A]

Like, and they're about to fight each other. So you got two beefy big men about to just like, break the ring. My God. And I'm so excited for that.

[B]

Are you going or watching?

[A]

I'm watching.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I'm watching. I was.

[B]

Get you there.

[A]

I've been to four WrestleManias. I've been to four WrestleMania.

[B]

Oh, my God. Okay, perfect.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. In multiple cities. I've been to four WrestleManias in multiple cities. So I was going to go, but Vegas is. I just got back from Vegas. I mean, is expensive, which is okay with me.

[B]

Yeah. But I'm like, there's not.

[A]

Vegas is a lot.

[B]

It's a lot and there's not much to do other than the. The lot. You know what I mean? Like, like it'd be one thing if you could be somewhere where you're like, oh, I'll go watch this and then like hang out, chill, whatever. But that's not really the vibe. It's kind of like it's not. There's your free time. You kind of have a couple options and maybe they're not the most appealing.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And this is my like, silly question that is that I always, I, I have a hard time keeping track of with the WrestleMania, how much of like, you know how some fighting is like, it's a bit of state, like they kind of know who's going to win. Stuff like that.

[A]

Yeah, it's all scripted. It's all scripted.

[B]

This is scripted. Okay. I just never remember which of the fighting like sports are scripted which aren't.

[A]

UFC is, is just real fighting. Boxing is real fighting. WWE pro wrestling is scripted.

[B]

Okay. It's UFC and WWE that I get confused and I'm like, which one?

[A]

Which are both owned by the same company now.

[B]

Oh, look at that.

[A]

Yeah, but, yeah, but WWE sometimes like real life issues bleed into the storylines.

[B]

Yeah, that makes sense.

[A]

But as far as like knowing who's going to win, that scripted. And it can change it. Sometimes it changes literally in the match.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

They'll get something in the back saying like, hey, so and so is actually going to win. Relay that to them and then they'll change it up. Like literally right there.

[B]

God, it's so interesting. It's just, it's theater. It's 100 theater and incredible athletic ability, of course. But it's so, it's just so interesting to me.

[A]

I've never watched it with stage combat.

[B]

Yeah, literally.

[A]

That's also a soap opera.

[B]

Yeah, I mean I completely get the draw.

[A]

I love it.

[B]

I completely understand why it's like so compelling. It's amazing.

[A]

That's what's been in my. That's what's been on my mind.

[B]

Well, thank you for sharing.

[A]

I, I'm so sorry I took up so much time, but I do want to hear what's on your mind, what's in your zeitgeist.

[B]

What's been in my zeitgeist? I mean, I've been locked in to the 50th season of Survivor that's currently airing and it's been amazing. I, I feel like I've found a beautiful community of like minded individuals. I've Part of what I love so much is that every Wednesday night I get to hang out with my friends and watch tv. TV together. And now I'm in a group chat that I feel like is constantly sending videos and cl. Everything of. Of so much, so much information. But basically they're doing a returning player season right now and it's. It's shaping up to be an awesome season. Like in the pat, they haven't done a returning player season for. Since season 40, I think, and now it's 50. And I feel like the last one I watched I was not pleased with what happened. It was just like sometimes when they bring everyone back, everyone kind of like cannibalizes and then all the people that you're most excited to see just go out really early and you're like, okay, because they're like, we want to get out, get rid of the big players or whatever, which hasn't really been happening. So I'm excited about that. The last episode we had one of my favorites. But I'm okay to see him go. Mike White went home.

[A]

Oh, of course. I feel like I know that name.

[B]

You do? He's the creator of White Lotus.

[A]

Creator of White Lotus, that's right. Yeah.

[B]

And he, before he did White Lotus, he was on. Of course he did many other. He's been writing like he was on Survivor credit. But yeah, he, he was on a season of Survivor before he did White Lotus. And it's interesting because I always feel like I watch White Lotus I can see the Survivor influence in terms of like the way it looks and the sounds and all this stuff. But he got voted out last, the last episode that I saw. I. There's gonna, I think, yeah, there might be another episode coming out in between then that I have not. I've yet to see. But he got, he got taken out by my. One of my real favorite players, this guy named Christian who is so funny and he is getting an edit that is actually scaring me a little bit. He's like this super smart guy. He's like awesome on tv. He's a great narrator. But he's getting an edit that is a bit heavy handed in my opinion. Like it feels too obvious and I'm like, I think he's gonna. I'm afraid he's gonna be taken down soon because he's getting a bit of a hero's edit. He's getting a lot of time very early on in the game, so that's making me a bit worried.

[A]

That's tough. Yeah. Those people usually don't last. I know, I know just from an editing. Just from like a. I know how they edit these type of shows perspective.

[B]

And I feel like he's just getting so much more airtime than everyone. So I'm scared. But of course, interested to see what happens. But it's also fun because, like, I love him. But then there's so. There's just so many people that I love. Like, my favorite player ever is this woman named Sri Fields. She to me is just an icon and she's like the best to ever do it. And she's in and she's still in the game. And so I'm excited to see what happens with her. But, yeah, they have. They've been doing this crazy thing where they bring on some celebrity fans of the show. So the last episode that they had, they had Zach Brown on from Zach Brown Band, which was honestly, I think people. I think that everyone was actually pretty pissed about.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Just because. Just because his segment took up so much time that everyone was like, wait,

[A]

he's never been on.

[B]

No, no, he just came to visit.

[A]

He just came to visit.

[B]

They get a reward if you win a challenge. And he was. He.

[A]

The.

[B]

The reward for the challenge was that he went out into the ocean with a spear fishing gun and caught fish and then grilled it for them. Like, cooked the fish for them. And they all ate together and he sang to them, which is very funny.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And of course, as he would. As he would, of course. And it was just funny because it was like 30 minutes of this guy and everyone, all the fans were like, this is not. This is not what the fans want to see. This is too much background. I'm completely disinterested. I want to see the people talking and strategizing and playing. So I, I'm. I saw some stat that was like some, like, tweet or whatever that was like the. This is the second lowest rated episode of Survivor on IMDb or something because everyone was so pissed off that he

[A]

took up our screams.

[B]

But, yeah, which it is an interesting choice. I mean, also, guys like that are like, I. I know who he is and I've heard the music. But I was watching my friends and they were like, how famous could that guy be? And I'm like, I think that guy is, like, more famous than we could possibly imagine. Like, country musicians in particular. I'm like, I' super familiar with them and my friends aren't super familiar with them, but, like, they are. I feel like the most famous, very famous artist often of, like, anyone and so I'm like, I think. I think he's really, really famous. So maybe it helped with the ratings or something, but maybe.

[A]

Who knows?

[B]

I know. Who knows?

[A]

Well, I love this. I love it. Both of ours are very, like, combat. Not combat, but very, like drama.

[B]

It's a challenge. There's drama. There is some physical challenge to Survivor as well, so. Yeah. Well, you know what, Jacquees?

[A]

What?

[B]

I think we did it. I think we. We gave everyone a perfect rundown of. Of the night, guys. So I think it's time for me to turn in.

[A]

I think it is. I think it is. I'm with dream. I'm a dream about my tribal chief whooping CM Punk's butt. And I love CM Punk. I love them both. I love them both. But I gotta go with my tribal chief.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I hope you dream. You dream about surviving.

[B]

I will.

[A]

And until the next time, good night, Sophia.

[B]

Good night, Jacquis.

[A]

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