Loading summary
Transcript281 lines
- [00:02]
A
This episode is brought to you by Fandango. People say fans are too distracted these days, but the truth is when a great movie hits the screen, you show up. You stay glued, invested, part of the story. And without fans like you, there'd be no cinema magic, no shared moments. So head to fandango.com to get tickets, stream or rent or buy top movies and series. Fandango loves fans.
- [00:27]
B
Spring Black Friday is on at the Home Depot. Save on grills and patio sets that will be sure to bring your hosting game up a notch. Fire up your feast with help from the Home Depot and save on grills like the next grill 4 burner propane gas grill was $249. Now in special buy for one 99 or give everyone the best seat in the yard. With the Hampton bay Mayfield park four piece conversation set for only $399. Save on grills and patio sets with low prices guaranteed during Spring Black Friday only at the Home Depot now through April 22nd while supplies last exclusion supplies. See homedepot.com Pricematch for details.
- [00:57]
C
Foreign. Hello. Welcome back to the Prestige TV podcast feed. I'm Joanna Robinson.
- [01:19]
A
I'm Rob Mahoney.
- [01:20]
C
We're here to talk to you about the Pit. We're almost done with the season of the Pit. Rob,
- [01:26]
A
what am I supposed to do with myself?
- [01:27]
C
I know. Heavy sigh. We've been, we've been on this beat for months. This is our long term relationship with any show is the Pit. So.
- [01:35]
A
And a meaningful one. I'm not ready to say goodbye. It looks like we're gearing up for an incredibly depressing finale potentially, or at least an emotional one. I'm not ready to unpack all that yet. I'm gonna hold on tightly to the Pit as long as I possibly can.
- [01:48]
C
It is episode 14. It's 8pm Monica and Donnie have clocked out.
- [01:54]
A
They have
- [01:57]
C
some guy got Iwo Jima in a bar.
- [02:00]
A
Did you know that was a verb?
- [02:02]
C
Love to love to learn it. And Robbie gave Dr. Langdon a compliment.
- [02:07]
A
He sure did. Just in time for Langdon to go take a drug test so he could barely receive any of it.
- [02:14]
C
I loved it. Okay, so listen, pressutv@Spotify.com if you want to reach us or Dr. Sidebangsmail.com if you want to reach us. A lot going on in the feed these next couple weeks. We are wrapping up the Pit. Euphoria is kicking off so you can join us Sunday nights for Euphoria coverage. Also next week, Beef Season 2 is dropping on Netflix and we Will be doing a couple episodes on that, so there's a lot going on in the feedback. Uh, we hope you'll join. Join us for all of it. I really hope you guys join. I mean, I know a ton of you are watching the Pit and listening to us talk about the Pit. That's great. I think you should hang with us for Euphoria, even if you think Euphoria isn't your thing. Like, even if you. I actually. What do you. What do you make of this, Rob? Do you think someone could jump into season three of Euphoria? Not having watched the first two seasons,
- [03:02]
A
I think they probably could, but should you?
- [03:05]
C
No, they shouldn't. If that's a barrier of entry for you, I think it's enough of a soft reboot that you could, like, figure out how to join us for Euphoria, if not for Beef or something like that.
- [03:15]
A
And, yeah, Beef will be a hard new show right out of the gate, so don't even worry about it.
- [03:19]
C
In terms of mailbag, I don't have a ton of mailbag to get to this week, but we did get a bunch of responses from people for our coverage of last week, where when Robbie sort of gives this revelation to Dana about his mother, a lot of people were sort of curious why we didn't dig into that more. And I want to talk about it here at the top, but I will just say in sort of like a blanket way, I think, because we learned in season one that he was raised by his grandmother, wasn't, like, terribly surprised by this revelation. But being specifically abandoned by his mother could shed new light on the baby Jane Doe situation. His sneering at Samira about her mommy issues, like, you know, all this sort of stuff. I do want to read this. A bit of an interview that Noah Wylie gave to Megan o' Keefe at Decider at the end of season one. Just about sort of how they think about the personal lives of these characters and how they want to sort of roll that information out. Right. So in response to her asking about the Robbie raised by his grandmother, info that we learned in season one, Noah Wylie said, I love that this is a clue path that engages people, because I think it's interesting, and I think the less detail you give sometimes, the more you engage that clue path. So when we started writing the show, it was like, okay, where do we begin? Does Robbie wake up in his house, apartment, townhouse? Is he flopping on a friend's couch? If he's got an apartment, what's on the wall? Is he alone? Does he have a dog? Does he take a shot of whiskey? Does he drink orange juice? Like every choice defines and limits at the same time. And suddenly your every man becomes that man, depending on how the art director has decorated the apartment set. And I didn't want anybody to know this man except in a professional capacity until it became impossible for him to keep up his professional mask anymore. And then you get to know about his personal life. That was a sort of rule for everybody. Like, the less we know about them personally, the more professional, the better. And then we'll learn a nugget or two. And that nugget will be defining in that moment, but it'll be specific to that moment. The audience will then get a glimpse when it's appropriate. So everything on that front was by design to not define him. But you want to know that he didn't handle loss well. He has an abandonment issue. He didn't deal with the loss of his mentor and having to be responsible for that as well. Whether that's the only time he's experienced that or whether abandonment is triggering thing for him that predates Adamson is something that we are I am playing with. So whether that becomes revealed or not, blah, blah. So I think this is something that Noah Wylie had in his mind as sort of like a biographical sketch for his character. And then he just decided to say the thing in the last episode. I thought it was like, fairly awkwardly executed in that Gentleman, so that might be a reason why we didn't dwell on it. But anything else you want to say either about, like, what Noah Wylie was saying about the balance of what we learn personally about these characters versus professionally, or this very specific psychological component of Dr. Rabinovitz.
- [06:08]
A
Well, let's start with the Noah Wylie part, because as you were reading his quote, all I could think about was this is the origin point for the Pit fandom more broadly. Like the clue path kind of approach to unpacking this show and taking all of these little breadcrumbs and morsels and extrapolating and projecting and trying to understand. It's become a huge part of what makes this show so appealing to so many people. And sometimes that leads people to watch what to me feels like a completely different show. But if you find that to be a rewarding experience, we support you. And as far as the Robbie part of it, I mean, look, the abandonment is like flooding into all kinds of aspects of his personality and his behavior right now, both in terms of how he treats other people, but also how he is treating the end of this shift, right? And how he is thinking about the people in his life. And it's. It's clearly so important to Robbie to try to take care of so many things as humanly possible before he rides off into the sunset. To the point that he's made himself a martyr. To the point that he's. He's like feeding his own hero complex kind of perpetually. It's just like the. The feedback loop of all of these things Robbie is going through. You can sense the way that they are facilitating each other in really unhealthy ways.
- [07:19]
C
This idea of him projecting the role of parenthood onto the way in which he thinks about this department. Like in his conversation that he has with Duke and multiple conversations with Duke inside of this episode. But they have this back and forth, right, where he's like, you know, get like, go to all your appointments, do all this, right? And Duke says, this record never stops. And Robbie says, dance til you drop. And then Duke says, then what? He's like, teach the kids the steps before you do. Hope they make it further than you, right? So, like, first of all, he's writing a song, I guess, as he's saying this. I think it's unhealthy in many ways. The way in which Robbie thinks of himself as like, the martyr and the lone, you know, sort of the only person who can keep this ed together and these are his children and stuff like that. Like, that's all very psychologically unhealthy. If it keeps him from motorcycling himself off a cliff, though, maybe I'm for it. So I don't know. What do you think?
- [08:16]
A
I mean, attachment is good, but, yeah, you don't want to create a level of attachment that then creates its own psychosis, both for Robbie and other people. And there's been so many interesting examples of that this season, Joe, where Robbie, like, inserting himself as a fatherly figure or an attempt to be a fatherly figure for these people is either receptive or not, or sometimes is in direct conflict with their own parents. Like, I was struck last week when he was talking to Javadi about I don't want to come back and see you in Durham. Which is basically exactly what her actual father was suggesting that she at least look into. And so taking levels of I know best to a degree that is attempting to supersede the other people in their life and is extremely Dr. Robbie shit. I also want to say, as far as the larger, like, mommy issues conversation here, it directly sets up, I think, what we See from Dana at the start of this episode where she's very emotional about what Robbie has just said about the what if I don't come back kind of cliffhanger of last week. But also when you think about what Abbott has just said to her before she breaks down, it's like you are the mama bear holding this all together, basically, which is kind of what Robbie effectively just said he didn't want from her and was resenting the fact that she was attempting to be motherly with him, which he clearly has an issue with.
- [09:29]
C
I. I need some, like, specific psych help on this because as we're trying to analyze, like what it is about Cassie McKay or Samir Mohan who like, or. Or Dr. Alhashimi who really, like, bothers him. Is it like. But I mean, Samir is quite young. It's not like older women, like his mommy issue stuff. He gets along well with Dana, so it's not like a sort of mommy transference thing. So I don't, I don't. I continue to ask questions about this, but I am curious. Baby Jane Doe is still here. Like, what role is that baby playing? In the finale I saw some people were like, robbie should adopt her. I'm like, absolutely not.
- [10:09]
A
Now will and should are different, right? Will he? Who's to say what this man will do? But should? We need to intervene with love and respect.
- [10:16]
C
And I thought this is a very good Robbie episode and I am like, really invested in his well being. But, like, don't bring that baby into it. Okay?
- [10:24]
A
You can't go from I'm talking openly about committing suicide to I'm going to adopt this baby. That's just not a thing that can be allowed to happen, I don't think.
- [10:33]
C
I hope he would not pass any of the tests you must pass in order to take control of a child. But who knows? Okay, so listen, that's all I have on the mailbag front. It's not even really a mailbag, but please do continue to email us, especially with your thoughts and feelings leading into the finale. What do you think is coming? What are you hoping is coming, whose plot line has not been resolved, that you need resolved, etc. I want to start with something that really bumped for both you and me, which I'm calling Tracking the Pop Culture References of the Pit. We already bumped on this early in the season, but it's just an explosion of pop culture reference inside of this episode. So I just want to track what we know about the people who work in this hospital. So Langdon and Donnie know the MASH movie reference they did that happened earlier in the season on a.
- [11:18]
A
On a quote level.
- [11:19]
C
On a quote level. Langdon and Ellis are conversant in Rumble Fish, a fairly obscure 1983 Francis Ford Coppola movie that I have seen, but I would not wager a lot of people have seen. Okay, but Ellis hasn't heard of sticks.
- [11:34]
A
No.
- [11:35]
C
In on Rumble Fish, out on Styx, Langdon loves a babe reference. Langdon and Whitaker know Gilligan's island, but Whitaker and I believe it was Mel have never heard of MacGyver and Abbott. I'm curious, when he calls Robbie ghostwriter, is this a comic book reference or a film reference? I don't know the answer. Here's what I'm willing to.
- [11:56]
A
It's a Nicolas Cage reference.
- [11:58]
C
Here's what I'm willing to engage with as this all adds up. Langdon, a movie guy. I can buy it. I can buy that. Langdon is like, I love mash. I love Rumble Fish.
- [12:08]
A
Yep.
- [12:09]
C
I watch a lot of Nick. You know, like, I watch tv. I'll watch. Like, this is his thing. Langdon's involved in, like, a disproportionately high number of these things. So I'm like, if that's a him thing. But I'm. I'm struggling with, like, Whitaker. Having, like, Whitaker being conversant in Gilligan's island is, like, genuinely insane to me. I went and asked someone I know who's Whitaker's age, like, because, yeah, Gilgis island was on Nick at night, like, et cetera, but Whitaker is even a little too young for the Nick at Night era. So, like, I asked people who are Whittaker's age, do you know what Gilligan's island is about? And they were like, not really, and certainly couldn't name specific characters from Gilligan's Island. So I thought that scene was very strange in general, but I thought the framing was, like, extra odd. What did you think?
- [12:55]
A
I want to come back to the larger scene because I also had some notes about that. But, yeah, the idea that he would not only reference Gilligan's island, but it would be the thing his brain reaches for in an angry, frustrated moment. Yeah, absolutely the fuck not. And it just.
- [13:09]
C
It.
- [13:10]
A
It. It felt like. And this happens a couple times in this episode, screenwriter Noah Wylie just speaking directly through Dennis Whitaker.
- [13:18]
C
Yeah. Do you want. Do you want to come back to the scene, or do you want to talk about it right now?
- [13:23]
A
I mean, we can talk about it now. I just thought it was probably the strangest and most left field scene we've gotten all season, and I have no idea what it's about.
- [13:30]
C
I. I'm really confused by it. Like, Langdon coming in to get some Advil for his messed up back, which was seated episodes ago, makes sense. Whitaker maybe like, giving him the side eye and Langdon being sensitive to it makes sense. Whitaker being testy with Langdon in general, but, like, maybe specifically because of how Santos is, like, struggling through the day makes sense to me. This, like. And Langdon being wounded that Whitaker's being asked to house it when he used to be the one who got to house sit and maybe sort of like lashing out slightly because of that. All of that makes sense. But then this whole don't patronize me thing from Whittaker is so confusing because I don't feel like that's been a constant of their dynamic and it doesn't feel like it.
- [14:23]
A
I don't think it's been in their dynamic at all. Maybe I'm just forgetting or we glossed over these moments earlier in the season, but I just don't remember any little buddying from Langton to Whitaker at any step of the way. And so I think this has been kind of an odd Whitaker season overall, and the show hasn't quite know what to do with him in the mix here. But for this to be honestly, like one of his biggest moments of the season and have it be utter nonsense, I'm just like, I really don't know what to make of any of it.
- [14:50]
C
Okay, I'm glad. Like, I. I really felt like I had missed something. And if we did, DrSybanksmail.com and let us know if that Whitaker scene worked for you or if there is like a larger through line context that makes sense. But like, you know, Whitaker being like the farm boy, the new guy, the huckleberry in season one makes sense to me. But, like, that's not how anyone's treating him this season at all.
- [15:14]
A
And certainly not Langdon.
- [15:16]
C
Yeah, you know, Langdon has been so deferential this season, you know, and like, you. You can feel however you want to. And like, Rob, you've certainly made some great points about his, like, behavior, but none of it has been, like, bullying or, or snide. You know, it's very. It's very odd.
- [15:33]
A
Yeah, he's really tried not to step on people's toes. And really their only interaction earlier in the episode is Whitaker has lost his badge and Langton's, like, trying to help him retrace his steps, be helpful and
- [15:43]
C
like, laugh at Trinity's Clue joke. Like, you Know what I mean? Like, he's trying to be like, I'm here. I'm in the. The club with you guys.
- [15:51]
A
You know? One theory I want to float by you, which is the existence of this scene and really the existence of the twisted and gnarled Gilligan's island metaphor that they try to project onto it. I feel like it was reverse engineered from one specific thing, which is Noah Wylie, or whoever came up with this term of an idea, had the line, play whatever part you like, just don't pick. Mine for me, feels like a very writerly construction. And it's like, how do we get a person to say that? And apparently Gilligan's island is the vessel by which he chose to do it.
- [16:20]
C
Dana is, of course, the skipper. Dr. Langdon is ginger. I'm sorry to tell him, but that is who Dr. Langdon is, the movie star. That's who he is.
- [16:30]
A
Who's Marianne, do you think?
- [16:32]
C
Whitaker. Whitaker's Marianne. That's true, obviously. Obviously.
- [16:36]
A
How dare you pick his part for him? That was a trick question and you failed.
- [16:42]
C
He's the coconut radio. That's who Whitaker is. Okay, Another important question for you, Rob Mahoney. What is the Spice of life? Dr. Shen and Dr. Abbott are debating this. No, we just get a. We get a quip about variety, how. How we watch Dr. Abbott and Dr. Shen talk about how they're going to divvy up the evening and should we switch at 1am Variety's Spice of life. You know, just to keep it fun. Honestly, the night shift seems enduringly cool and fun. And then AB Is like, oh, I thought it was garlic. Right?
- [17:14]
A
Is garlic a spice?
- [17:17]
C
That was one question I had. And the other question for you, Rob, is if it's not garlic, what is the spice of life?
- [17:24]
A
I mean, salt is not also not a spice, right? Because it's a mineral.
- [17:28]
C
Seasoning.
- [17:28]
A
A seasoning, certainly. So, like, what would be the single most common spice? I mean, in my house, I use a lot of dill, I'm going to be honest with you. But that's also more herbs. So, like, what are we doing, spice wise?
- [17:39]
C
I think let's you. Let's just say, like, what's a thing? Because I would say it's either cumin or cardamom.
- [17:44]
A
So cardamom is the spice of life
- [17:47]
C
in my house, you know.
- [17:48]
A
Joe, what are you cooking up with, like, copious amounts of cardamom?
- [17:52]
C
So many things. What are you making with dill in it?
- [17:55]
A
Well, what about black pepper? Is black pepper a spice?
- [17:57]
C
Sure, I guess.
- [17:58]
A
I Think that is the spice of life.
- [18:00]
C
So you're going to do S and P. That's your salt and pep is your answer.
- [18:04]
A
It's literally in almost everything for a reason. It is the baseline of modern cooking.
- [18:10]
C
On the. On the night shift front, we get. We get some information from Ellis that she was sort of covering for Langdon on the day. Like, worked a lot of the day shift while Langdon was gone and so spent a lot of time on Robbie. And Ellis is like, hey, I've been reading the Noah Wiley interviews, and I know exactly what Robbie is feeling around Langdon. And I can share with you. I would make more fun of this, except this is an ongoing thing with Ellis, because when Ellis came on the end of last season and sort of clocked the Santos Langdon dynamic, she had, like, some very perceptive things to say. So, like, Ellis is a person who, like, is quite perceptive about the emotional dynamics of the people around her, especially when they're worn out and tired. And she's fresh onto the day shift. The night shift is. I like it. And this particular sequence of, like, I worked the day shift before seems to be setting up what the casting news we already learned, which is that. And I'll just say this part of it, outside of a spoiler context, that Dr. Ellis is going to be a main character, a main part of the cast in season three.
- [19:12]
A
Yes. Which we're looking forward to very much. This episode whet my appetite for that a little bit. Cause I actually think the Ellis Langdon dynamic was really fun and getting to explore it a little bit more. Just. And that dynamic, to be very clear, is mostly him acting like a dork and her making fun of him about it. I just think it's great interplay for this kind of show and especially for people at their level to be riffing off each other in that way. Did I need the conversation you mentioned, which is like the eighth variation of the why is Robbie mad at me, Langdon? Chorus that we've been getting? I didn't particularly, but if we're gonna get it, I would like these sorts of responses from Ellis to really top it off.
- [19:48]
C
I think it was helpful to have it inside of this episode, which is the moment that, like, Robbie finally, you know, like, gives Langdon some quarter inside of the ED in this procedure. I really like the way this. This procedure where he adjusts this guy's neck and saves his, you know, saves him from becoming quadriplegic, et cetera. I love the way this is set up because we've already established Cruz as this sort of, like, hotshot, you know, does experimental things. It, you know, can do anything quickly and competently. And for him to be like, this is a scary thing to do that lets us know how high the stakes are, you know, for Robbie to say, doctor the fuck up. Like, I thought that was a. And then the, like, good job on the way out the door. And, like, Frank's face.
- [20:39]
A
I'm sorry, he's just not used to it anymore.
- [20:43]
C
He's just sort of like. It was like. It's like he's a sad, wilted houseplant that finally got some water. It was just like a very important moment. I've been waiting all season for it, and I needed it.
- [20:54]
A
It was awesome. I mean, Langdon coming up huge in exactly this sort of way, which is classic Pit style, right? It's this moment where things are very bad and could get immeasurably worse if you don't do something quickly, even if it comes at a certain kind of risk. And so there's the adrenaline rush, there's the creative problem solving, and there is the doctoring the fuck up of, like, part of what Robby respects in other doctors are people who are willing to take those risks because it is endemic to this kind of medicine. Like, you have to take a certain amount of risk and put it on your shoulders in a way that he couldn't even comprehend. Someone like Dr. Elashimi not being named in a lawsuit. It's like, right? It's like if you do this, it's kind of inevitable.
- [21:33]
C
Par for the course.
- [21:33]
A
Yeah, it's par for the course. And so seeing Langdon do the Robbie thing, I mean, it is like, you know, a work dad and work son kind of moment. It is an affirmation. It is, you know, the closest Robbie comes within this episode to feeling like he's leaving things in good hands. And for that to happen with Langdon, of all people, I thought was just like a really cool return on everything we've gotten from those two characters this season.
- [21:56]
C
As you mentioned, we see Langdon, you know, hightail it out of there to try to get to his drug test on time. Is this the last we see of Langdon this season? Do you think that's the end for him?
- [22:06]
A
I would be surprised. I think. I think we have to get Langdon back. I mean, a urine test can't take that long. I mean, not to insert myself into Frank Langdon's life too much, but I think he can get in and out of there in an hour.
- [22:17]
C
You've been watching a lot of Euphoria, so You know what it is to be drug tested.
- [22:20]
A
I do indeed. You know, maybe he too has a vial of someone else's urine on his leg.
- [22:25]
C
Who's to say Taped to his thigh. Yeah, I don't know about more Langdon. I guess the question is, are we gonna get more Langdon? Do we need another Langdon Robbie scene or does this feel like enough of a. You know, Dan is like, you don't have to say goodbye Robbie's. You get your wish. You don't have to say goodbye to Frank. Like, is this. Do you feel like that dynamic is concluded?
- [22:49]
A
That's my preference. Is that like this is. This feels like a great way to leave it. Which is Robbie is getting the thing he thought he wanted, but he doesn't care really want it anymore. He kind of wants that moment to talk to Langton after this procedure and seeing this impressive thing he did. And he kind of blew it with some of his behavior earlier in the day. As far as the chance to actually have a conversation with Frank on the
- [23:10]
C
like, they're having a really bad day. I need approval from Robbie Samira. We see we. We come upon Samira just like crushed at the bedside of the Diaz's. When Dana comes in, I'm like, oh, finally someone's here to like comfort Samira. But it was, we need the bed. Can you get them out of here? I mean Dana, she said it quite nicely.
- [23:30]
A
Yeah, gently for sure.
- [23:31]
C
You know, very gently. But she's like. And this is, you know, she does this all season. This is her thing is like hun, we need the bed sort of thing. But like she's not, she's not here for Samira. And then, but then we get a Robbie Samira moment. Like, how. How are you doing? Well, listen, you tried. I'm not sure what else you could have done. It's all again going pretty well. Honestly. Like this is, this is the Robbie Samira dynamic. Right? You're like, Robbie, you're doing it, it's happening. You're encouraging her and then not picking a higher spot to jump from.
- [24:02]
A
Yeah, I mean there is obviously there is the Robbie talking about suicide, asking like, honestly, like crying for help all day in ways that people cry for help. That's kind of in its own category. And it's looped in here. And we're going to talk about it in extended detail, I imagine. But there's also the is. Even if that is true, even if you believe it, even if you there. You really think that's what Orlando Diaz was attempting here? That is not what Samira Mohan needs to hear in this moment, like, it is the worst possible thing to say about the patient, that she feels right or wrong that she let get away
- [24:38]
C
at full volume inside of the halls of your busy ed.
- [24:41]
A
Now, multiple different parties have overheard you floating this theory at different points.
- [24:46]
C
Yeah. Yeah. How's it going to go for Samira next week? What do you think?
- [24:48]
A
Well, this is one of the things we have to get right. Langdon may be optional, depending on how much you want to loop him in with other stories we need, if not a sense of finality with Mohan's arc this season, at least some indication of what she wants to do with her career, what she. What's going to be happening in her life. Like, she has had an absolutely miserable day in terms of even the things about this job that she usually finds rewarding. So many of them have been turned against her as far as, like, trying to treat patients with this extra care and trying to go this extra mile, and she's been getting burned and having tough loss after tough loss after tough loss. It can't be this. Like, there needs to be one more note. I'm open to what that is, but, like, she has to be a big part of the finale, I would imagine.
- [25:30]
C
K Pop Demon hunters, Haja Boy's breakfast meal and Hunt tricks meal have just dropped at McDonald's. They're calling this a battle for the fans. What do you say to that, Rumi? It's not a battle. So glad the Saja boys could take breakfast and give our meal the rest of the day.
- [25:44]
A
It is an honor to share.
- [25:46]
C
No, it's our honor. It is our larger honor. No, really, stop. You can really feel the respect in this battle. Pick a meal to pick a side
- [25:58]
A
and participate in McDonald's while supplies last.
- [26:00]
C
I'm gonna ask you a question, and I hope it goes better than my spice of life question. Would you rather.
- [26:04]
A
What? You don't like salt and pepper?
- [26:06]
C
The spice of life is salt and pepper.
- [26:09]
A
Salt is literally a mineral that allows for life, you know, like, on a chemical level. It's part of us.
- [26:17]
C
I'm taking your first answer, which was dill. That's the kind of answer.
- [26:20]
A
It's not even a spice.
- [26:21]
C
It's the kind of answer I was going for. Okay, would you rather Cassie McKay's three Bs, which is book, bath, bed.
- [26:29]
A
Yeah.
- [26:30]
C
Or Monica's three Ms, which is mahjong, Margarita Maga?
- [26:35]
A
Well, you already know the answer to this, but I would say, you know, really, she's about the Four beasts. It's book, bath, bed, banks. Oh, she's an enthusiast. Yeah, she is who she is. But like Monica, I mean, I do enjoy a game of mahjong.
- [26:51]
C
I love a margarita.
- [26:53]
A
I love a margarita. Certainly. You had me at those two. Can we stop at the two M's, or does the third M have to be involved?
- [27:01]
C
If it's Monica, it's part of the deal, man.
- [27:04]
A
Well, then I'm out, and she's out for the day. She has removed herself. The old dinosaur is headed towards extinction, which is just a funny way to look. I'd give her that.
- [27:13]
C
What do you make of her? Like, glad I gave you a shot to Dana. Like, glad I was wrong about you. Okay. Okay, great.
- [27:19]
A
Whatever. Whatever, Monica.
- [27:22]
C
All right. This is a huge Duke episode. This is, like, why we torturously brought Duke into the ed. So that he could be here to work on the bike. Talk to Robbie before he does all that, though. And I thought all this. I thought Jeff Cobra was great that in this episode. And I thought all this stuff was really, really good.
- [27:41]
A
Truly.
- [27:42]
C
The Perla scene, though, when you don't
- [27:46]
A
want none of that, you're not ready for all that.
- [27:49]
C
She's out of your league. What league am I in? The old timers league. Like, this is a great Perla moment. I thought. I was wondering if, you know, he. She comes running in because he tries to take his leads off. And I was, like, wondering if this was like a. Like a Louis sort of trigger for her. For her. Right? Because, like, Louis sensor, like, going off all day and then it being false alarm. False alarm, then not so. I was wondering if that was part of the reason. But also, it was just like, a great Perla moment. And I'm a big fan in general,
- [28:19]
A
especially when she has to play all that with a poker face. Cause, like, she has seen Duke ct, so she knows what Robbie is gonna come in to talk to him about. And I feel like she's just like, perfectly attuned with. Just gentle enough, but also just kind of, like, poking fun at him in the way that someone like Duke would be receptive to it'. Like, it's great reading the room from Perla.
- [28:40]
C
How about the Robbie Duke, this is what's going on with you physically scene?
- [28:44]
A
I mean, Robbie's finally getting the chance to talk to him. I have to say, as far as what Duke's outlook is, it sounds quite promising if he gets this procedure. And so from that perspective, you can understand Robbie's anxiety about if I leave and you don't do this, it could be catastrophic. And if I leave and even give you a follow up call, maybe it'll nudge you in the direction. Although Duke rightly calls him out that he's not gonna be making that follow up call.
- [29:07]
C
Well, I think especially when Duke is asking, like, what will it feel like?
- [29:13]
A
Yeah.
- [29:14]
C
You know what I mean? Like, so if I don't do this, and if this happens. So if I die, I'm gonna die. I've lived my life, I'm gonna die. Maybe this is the way to go. You know what I mean? Is sort of the implication from Duke.
- [29:26]
A
It did sound maybe not painless, but relatively painless as these things go.
- [29:31]
C
Yeah, yeah. Some pain, and then you'll pass out and it'll be over. And then we get the. After the ambulance has hit Robbie's bike and Antoine is, like, surprisingly, like, very defensive and protective of Robbie's bike. I was very surprised by this.
- [29:47]
A
So I was wondering that there were multiple bikes.
- [29:50]
C
Do you think one of them is Antoine's? Is he? Maybe.
- [29:52]
A
Okay, yeah. I feel like maybe he was mad about his bike, but yeah.
- [29:55]
C
Do you think Antoine wears helmet?
- [29:58]
A
I would hope.
- [29:59]
C
Okay.
- [30:00]
A
I was. I would certainly hope. I would hope that everyone does. But that is the moment where, you know that things are really bad with Robby, which is. Yes, he has the, like, motherfucker outburst when he finds his bike. But the calm with which he receives the guy who is driving the ambulance is like, you know what? It's okay. I'm like, oh, this is bad. Like this. This man is in a horrible state. Maybe even worse than we've imagined.
- [30:23]
C
That's okay. But then he, like. But then chewing out the. The other drivers about where they placed the sensors on the woman with the larger chest. You know, Dr. Alhashimi thanked him for it. Santos was certainly really into it. Dr. Alashimi's like, I would have done it a little differently, but, like, thank you for standing up for us.
- [30:46]
A
If Santos agrees with your managerial style, it might not be the best sign.
- [30:50]
C
And this is. I mean, I actually. We've talked about this a little bit this season. The way in which Santos is, like, modeling her behavior off of Robbie, and it's just sort of like maybe not.
- [30:59]
A
You know, I learned it from watching you dead.
- [31:01]
C
Yeah, exactly. On the Duke and Robbie conversation front, I thought this was, like, really top like this.
- [31:09]
A
This is a good pick.
- [31:10]
C
I think I even liked it even more than, like, the Dana Robbie confrontation, because I think. I think that Dana Robbie emotional fights is supposed to be like, here's the pit taking its two heavyweight champions and having them fight each other. And that's supposed to be, like, the showstopper of the season. But there's something about this, like, quieter conversation where Robbie's allowing himself to be more honest with someone, a bit more honest with someone. And then Duke having this perspective. Duke being able to. Both Dana and Duke can see through Robbie's bullshit to a certain degree. But, like, Duke talking about, like, the things he had done in his life and the regret that he had. The bad things. Not just, like, the bad things anyone does, but, like, I went to jail. Cause I purposely hurt people. People, bad things. Yeah. I thought all of this was just, like, tremendously good. Do you feel like it changed Robbie's outlook at all? What do you think?
- [32:03]
A
I think maybe it's, like, starting to move the needle a little bit in a way that it hasn't all day. Right. Many people have tried to approach this thing as openly as you would with somebody in the middle of a workday.
- [32:15]
C
Right.
- [32:15]
A
Like, talking pretty clearly about what Robbie's intentions might be, how weirdly he's been acting and behaving and speaking to people all day. Like, people have tried. McKay has tried many times, for one. Ultimately, he's. I feel like he's more receptive to Duke. And I'm wondering if you have any ideas for why that is, Joe. And you mentioned, like, as being someone who has, like, lived through some shit and seen some shit. I think probably works in Duke's favor. Someone who's outside his normal kind of work orbit and is a different perspective might lead Robbie to be more receptive to him. He's also, like, clearly someone whose advice and opinion he takes seriously about other things. But do you see any other particular reason why Robbie might be open to this conversation at this time?
- [32:56]
C
Someone who doesn't trigger his mommy issues? I mean, that too, you know, that's what I think. And, like, I think that's why, you know, in this episode, we. This is a very Abbott light episode. But we do get Dana sort of, like, pleading with Abbott to have a conversation with Robbie. So I have to imagine that's something we're getting in the finale. And, you know, again, I think Abbott is well positioned to get through to Robbie in a way that Dana can't. And, you know, it's just like, I don't think Robbie never listens to women, but I think that there are just, like, certain things he can't hear from certain people, you know, So I want
- [33:29]
A
to see about The Abbott thing, because he's obviously a little resistant in this moment when Daena is bringing it up to him about whether he should talk to him, how he should talk to him. I can see the version of the finale where the conversation you're alluding to absolutely happens. And in terms of, like, heavyweight actors and characters on this show, it speaks.
- [33:47]
C
Let's put him back on the roof or whatever.
- [33:49]
A
Let's put him on the roof. It speaks to the. To that closure in season one. Like, I can absolutely see how we got there. I could also see this being more of a return to talk again with Duke or like a different version of that manifesting where Abbott, for whatever reason, has kind of like done this and feels like he can't get any further with Robbie and Robbie has to turn to someone else. Whether that's Duke or Dana or maybe somebody off the board who we're not thinking about.
- [34:14]
C
Feels like, you know, this is such a. This is such a Robbie, Duke, Langdon episode. And most like Santos and Whitaker, with the exception of that one, you know, and McKay and Mel are really just like on the charting beat. Like, that's. They're just like sort of background in this episode. Do you agree or what do you think?
- [34:34]
A
Yeah, I mean, they're barely. And I would say Giovanni as well, other than her uploading the video and having that conversation with Robbie.
- [34:41]
C
Yeah. What did you make?
- [34:43]
A
I mean, it's just like full condescending uncle dad mode right out of the gate from Robbie. And the unwillingness to even let her explain or talk about it at all is tough.
- [34:53]
C
Finish a sentence.
- [34:55]
A
Can you imagine?
- [34:57]
C
It was deeply aggravating to watch McKay coming back and being like, listen, actually she's trying to help Jesse. And also what she does is pretty cool. And this is like something that they. Again, this is just the pit. This is the pit saying the thing. This is something that they said they were going to do this season, which is like Giovanni and her social media influencer. But we're not here to make fun of it. We're here to, like, say, hey, it's actually kind of cool the way in which younger people can reach people. McKay just says the thing, though, once again, which is just not the most elegant way to translate that to us.
- [35:28]
A
Also, the way she says it, Jo, as like, it's kind of this badass. Self care is the most mom that McKay has ever sounded on this show.
- [35:36]
C
Yeah.
- [35:37]
A
Just the most distant and out of touch with anything. But she is trying to be nice. She is being supportive, as you mentioned. I Think the part of this that is Javati using her reach and her influence to try to get information on Jesse. That part I like. The, like, we're going to prop up this idea of who Javati is as a self care influencer also without ever showing you what her content even looks like. Like maybe just show us what it looks like.
- [36:00]
C
Well, that's what they said from the start, was that they weren't going to show it. But I was just like, so you're
- [36:05]
A
just gonna tell, not show.
- [36:06]
C
Yeah, exactly. I really wish you had shown it. And then I could at home, sitting here at home been like, wow, that's some badass self care. You know what I mean? And not had Cassie McKay just say the thing. I will give them this. No, Wylie's delivery of. We did have cell phones, maybe not in the beginning was very funny and very.
- [36:23]
A
That part is good.
- [36:23]
C
Really good. And then like the cases are all just kind of wrapping up. We get the Hansen family back again with the rope in the hand, which is one of the grossest things I thought I was, I thought I was done for the day in terms of like, they can't get me anymore. And then it was the rope in the hand and I was just like really upset by it.
- [36:39]
A
What do you think this guy's grandpa name is? He feels like a Pappy Hansen to me.
- [36:43]
C
Yeah, yeah. Oh, that's Pappy.
- [36:45]
A
He's definitely has pappy energy. Oh, I could see, I could see any variation of pop pop, Pop Pop. Yeah, Definitely in the zone for the Hansons.
- [36:54]
C
Do you have, do you call your grandparents any kind of like cute grandparent name or.
- [36:58]
A
One of my grandfathers we called Bear because he had like a big grizzly sort of lumbering gait.
- [37:04]
C
That's really cute.
- [37:05]
A
So, you know, you find it in sometimes the most unexpected places. But this is the joy of being a grandparent, I think, is you get to really reinvent yourself late in life.
- [37:13]
C
Yeah. Sometimes the names are hard to navigate.
- [37:16]
A
Okay, well, that seems like something from experience. Joe, what do we got? Did you have any grandparent names?
- [37:21]
C
No, my grandparents were all like, you know, grandfather, grandma and first name, you know, sort of thing.
- [37:26]
A
But like with my Grandpa Joe style with my.
- [37:30]
C
I mean, I don't want to throw my folks under the bus. I will just say that like my, my nephews call like their dad's parents grandpa, Grandpa. And so then my parents decided they needed something very distinct and so they went like real wild with the choices. It could not just be like, we're also grandma and grandpa, it had to be something very distinctive. So I'm having like a. I've had trouble with it, but it's not my business because they're not my grandparents. They're my parents. So also, on the caseload front, inside of this episode, it's very minimal. Just weird, wacky night shift stuff. It's nothing. We're wrapping up. It doesn't feel like we're gonna get any big emotional case other than Dr. Al Hashimi herself. But here at the end of the shift, what do you think?
- [38:17]
A
Yeah. So we have the Pappy Hansen tug of war case coming in. We have the dude who has fired a gun while wearing a pot on his head. And I guess, are we to interpret that the bullet, like, ricocheted or what happened with that guy?
- [38:29]
C
Right. Gunshot wound to the head. So, like, it's. Is it the bucket that. I don't know. We don't really follow up on that very much. Yeah. Okay.
- [38:36]
A
And there's also this. This woman who's wheeled in right at the end, who is climbing a dumpster to try to get onto a roof, has fallen and presumably broken her leg. I mean, I would be surprised if we barely hear anything about any of those cases going forward. And then the others, I mean, so this woman who came in with chest pain with the leads.
- [38:53]
C
Yeah.
- [38:54]
A
Maybe we get some follow up if she's okay or not or kind of what her symptoms are. Is there anything else on the board here that we need answers for or you feel like we're gonna get follow up on?
- [39:03]
C
I don't think so. Unless we're forgetting something. I will say that I think the Rolling Rock to the face. That's our pitting out with a pit moment, right?
- [39:13]
A
Oh, truly. I mean, tough break for Yingling, too. Like this. This was your moment and they just ripped it away from you.
- [39:20]
C
Are you a Yingling fan? Like, are you. Do you like that guy?
- [39:23]
A
Not particularly, but it's like, I would think that would be the go to poll in this particular situation. And Rolling Rock just snatched it out from under them.
- [39:31]
C
Whenever here, Yingling, I think of Brothers Bloom, right? When, like, one of.
- [39:36]
A
Wait, I don't even remember the Yingling
- [39:37]
C
drop in that one of the COVID names is Yingling. And someone's like, Yingling like the beer.
- [39:45]
A
You know what? This is a great invitation to revisit the amazing movie the Brothers Bloom.
- [39:49]
C
Yeah, exactly. Like, Lane, didn't we just love a movie? We love a movie reference. We love referencing movies no one has ever seen.
- [39:55]
A
That's who we Are.
- [39:56]
C
Let's talk about Dr. Al Hashimi and Robbie. So Detective Robbie has been on the case. Dr. Al Hashimi, like, literally runs out of the room at one point to sort of avoid his questions, but then brings him in. And this is how she's choosing to reveal the information. He has also chosen this moment to be the first time that he calls her by her first name, which is something she asked him to do at the beginning of the shift. And this appears to be the diagnosis that our medical professional listeners gave Dr. Halashimi many, many, many, many episodes ago. This idea of the absent seizures. So what do you make of this?
- [40:35]
A
I want to give the creators, the cinematographers of the pit credit, because I did my damnedest Joe to read this chart.
- [40:44]
C
Freeze frame Mahoney. They thwarted. Freeze frame Mahoney.
- [40:47]
A
They did an amazing job of keeping it perpetually just out of focus, where it's like you can kind of start putting the words together, but not with any level of certainty. So I really tried to dig in. So all we get is this initial information from Robby, but as you say, it's pretty much consistent with what a lot of people have been theorizing, that she's been having these seizures. Uh, I'm. I'm okay with this delivery system. It's a little coy, but, like, it's tv, and I think it plays well in the moment. And setting it up, as they've had this long shift together and have earned this begrudging respect, I. I kind of like how far Robbie and Alashimi have come together over the course of the day. It is a little bit undone by his whole detective search, and it leaves me wondering, did you need the detective search to begin with? Did you need that level of skepticism if you were just going to reveal it in this fashion?
- [41:36]
C
Right. Could this just have been more of a. Not. He's on my case, but I do trust him, and I can tell him this thing that I'm worried about, you
- [41:44]
A
know, and wouldn't it hit harder and be even more impactful if he had learned to trust her over the course of the day and then was kind of sideswiped by this thing?
- [41:52]
C
Yeah. So for. For folks who are listening to this who maybe didn't listen, because we kept a lot of our conversation about this in a sort of, like, medical spoiler section in previous podcasts. So, like, if you didn't listen to that previously, we were quite concerned with Dr. Al Hashimi's decision to practice medicine in this, you know, because absence seizures are very Rare in adults, but they can be triggered by stressful situations. And so, like, is the ED just, like a place that she cannot practice medicine because it is too stressful? Can she not practice medicine at all in general? I don't think so, because I think in like a sort of sedate, you know, GP or, you know, like specialist primary care peds. Yeah, there's just like, plenty of places. But in the, like, in the moment, you need to make a decision. And sometimes you need to, like, be physically acting. You need to make sharp mental decisions. You need to be able to, like, you know, dig in there and do something physically immediately. And if she is incapable of that because it's unpredictable when these things are gonna happen to her, can she physically run the ed? And then this is something I've just been worried about all season because then it's just like, okay, so then Robbie's right that, like, the woman who is hired to take over for him is unqualified to take over for him. And then, like, so he can't leave because his replacement is incapable. Is that, is that where we're headed? Like, I, I, I'm really curious how that all resolves in the finale because that's like, that doesn't feel, feels like no lessons learned for Robbie inside of a dynamic like that. You know what I mean?
- [43:26]
A
Well, I do think as far as that part of Robbie's whole deal, I do like the way the story treats the concept that he can do things other doctors don't do well. Right. He clearly is a great doctor. He identifies problems. He knows a lot of potential treatments and remedies and things that are not necessarily traditional but effective in this particular context. And so the idea that he has this God complex in the ED part of it is, I don't want to say well earned, but you can see how he got there. And so his sense of superiority feeding into the, like, the idea that, like, I am the person holding this together, that feels like a well sculpted character to me. How it is then fed in the way you describe by just like, I was skeptical of this woman and I guess I was right all along, and therefore I'm even more infallible. Clearly that's like a dangerous kind of affirmation, but also from a storytelling perspective, like, where does that take us? Like, where is the road? If Robbie was just right and Alashimi was just wrong. And yes, they've come to a great understanding of each other over the course of the day, but that feels like we didn't really go anywhere at all.
- [44:31]
C
Right. Yeah. I'm really worried about how this is gonna resolve. This is something I've been like, a little bit, you know, because, yeah, we have this moment of mutual respect, but how, like, is that just gonna go out the window once he, like, you know, we get the next part of this conversation, you know, the next part of the cliffhanger. I don't know. I'm really curious. Like, again, I don't need. I don't need characters. You really encapsulated it perfectly because, like, I don't need characters to be well behaved or, you know, all this sort of stuff like that. But for Robbie to, like, believes he's right and then just is right is so dramatically inert, you know, inside of a season. And like, when we are getting a character who is talking so steadily about ending his life, surely he has to have some sort of transformative epiphany to say, ah, it's worth going on, it's worth going forward. And if it's just, it's worth going forward because everything falls apart without me. And that's the dynamic that has put him in a place where he is considering ending his life in the first place. Like, yeah. Narratively, I don't know if that's satisfying.
- [45:42]
A
Yeah.
- [45:42]
C
So I don't know.
- [45:43]
A
I think the only reason I'm hopeful that that's not exactly what's gonna happen is just the way that they've been talking about what the messaging of season two is and what the messaging of season three potentially will be. That to me, like, the way they're framing those ideas suggests some level of growth that we haven't seen yet. And so, yeah, that epiphany, that moment, like, something has to turn within Robbie to pull him back from the edge. And again, there are a lot of different ways that could happen, but it has to be pretty significant in a way that the Pit honestly hesitates to go to. Right. Like, they've talked about with the show, there can only be so much of an arc over the course of a. Yeah, but this needs to be a life saving arc if Noah Wylie and Dr. Robbie are gonna continue to be
- [46:24]
C
on the show, which we want. Like, I want Dr. Robbie to be on the show. I love what Noah Wylie does with the role. I am interested. Like, this is such a extreme place to push someone in season two of a show that you want to run for a while. It's like season two is the season where he is like, is this gonna be a perpetual thing for Robbie? Robbie's always on the brink of something, maybe. But, like, I don't know, I'm just. I'm really interested to see. Is it an Abbott conversation? Is it a Duke conversation? Is it something with baby Jane Doe? Is Langdon coming back downstairs? Is Mohan gonna be like, you know, a conversation that. That is potential of just something, something? I don't know.
- [47:04]
A
What if baby Jane Doe is a conversation? What if baby Jane Doe could talk this whole time and is the one to have the heart to heart?
- [47:10]
C
Listen, Robbie, let me tell you what
- [47:12]
A
this is all about.
- [47:13]
C
I've been watching you all day, and I've gotta read for you. I did like the conversation that he had with Caleb, who's the psych doctor, who's been sort of like on the margins of this conversation all day. And Caleb being like, do me the respect, right? You're disrespecting me as a person. No pithy retort, you know, but just sort of this, you know, physician, heal thyself or something like that. But here's. Here's a physician whose job it is to diagnose things has diagnosed you with something quite seriously. And are you going to heal yourself or not? I don't know.
- [47:41]
A
It's the first time I would say all day that Robby has looked ashamed of his behavior. Right? Like, the. Like being forced to confront what he has just said about Orlando Diaz is as sheepish as we've seen Robbie. I did think it was kind of weird that Caleb, I'm sure not for lack of trying over the past months, because we're told, and it's alluded to, that basically he's been trying to get Robbie into treatment and he's been very resistant, but that this is all that Caleb is willing and wanting to do. Like, that's a pretty extreme thing to say out there in front of everybody. And Caleb is kind of just like, I guess you have my number. Please don't do this again. Bye.
- [48:20]
C
Did you like this episode? How did you feel about it?
- [48:23]
A
I don't know. Ultimately, I felt like it was a pretty good episode in what is a pretty good season and kind of was representative of a lot of the things that I've been left wanting with in season two.
- [48:36]
C
I think that Duke stuff is so successful for me in this episode that I think overall my review has to be high. Again, I think Jeff Kober is, like, perfect casting for this role. And I think he's just like, just an incredible character. Especially, like. Especially as we talk about how disconnected Robbie is and who in his life. Who in his life can help him. And it's like the guy, the random guy he met who worked on his bike. You know what I mean? It's not a family member, but it's this guy.
- [49:06]
A
And it's the Zen and the motorcycle maintenance go together.
- [49:09]
C
Right, Right. It's not Noelle. It's this guy Duke. And I just. I think other than Langdon and Dr. Al Hashimi right here at the end, everything else gets kind of sidelined in this episode for this Duke Robbie stuff as we build to a culmination. And they needed to land that in order for me to be satisfied with this episode, and I think they did. There's a lot of other things that I have questions about, but that is, like, all season, he's like, my buddy Duke's coming in. My buddy's Duke. Duke is coming in. And, you know, Duke has been waiting for his CTs and like, all this sort of stuff like that. And so, like, it had to pay off here, and I think it did.
- [49:47]
A
So, yeah, those scenes were so good that they sort of recontextualized the my buddy Duke is coming in stuff all day, where, I mean, to what we were talking about earlier, about why Robbie even has this conversation with him in the first place, I would imagine there's like, a part of that person of Dr. Rabinovitch that's like, I kind of know Duke will try to talk me out of some of this. I know that he sees me in a particular way that maybe other people don't or can reach me in a way that other people don't. And it's like, in the way that he's asking for help, begging his friend to come in to talk him out of doing the thing that he wants to do. I think he identifies that in Duke a little bit, and it does pay off. The scenes are incredible, and I think this is the only reason. I think I'm sort of interpreting the Daena stuff a little differently, where I'm with you, that they don't quite work. They don't quite hit. To me, they feel sculpted to be a little stunted.
- [50:38]
C
Right.
- [50:38]
A
It's like it's meant to be, not the big heavyweight bout, but like, a failure to launch conversation that doesn't quite work for anyone involved. And then he goes outside with, like, the actual. With Duke and has the actual conversation. And Jeff Kober sells it. And Jeff Kober all season, I think, has just been, like, a weariness to Duke that is really unique among this cast and has brought a different dynamic and energy to basically every scene. That he's in, in a way that we've seen from, like, guest stars on their, like, three episode arcs or whatever. But he's been around for a while now, and he's been having just like, fun conversations and lively conversations and now the real shit.
- [51:12]
C
Has that been like, the real success of the season? Cause we, you know, we talked about Digby being sort of like the highlight of last week's episode. Has that been, like, a way in which the Pit has really nailed it this season is in these sort of, like, side characters coming in?
- [51:25]
A
I think it's been pretty successful. And as far as most of my hesitations or my problems with this season have been more like, what are we doing with the main cast? What are we doing with these doctors and nurses that we know about and care about? The Pit is great at introductions. Like, they're great at throwing people into the mix and giving you a pretty clear version of who those characters are and then kind of paying them off. I think we're going to have to see over two and three and four seasons, or however long the show ends up running, what you do with Dr. Santos over four years, what you do with Whitaker over four years, how you write characters in and out of the show over time. It's not easy to do. And I think season two has kind of bumped up against the limits of the structure and the development cycle. And I say that in terms of, like, the character development cycle within the show. And they're trying to figure out, like, how to manage an ensemble that's this big.
- [52:14]
C
Who do you think has been the least well served this season? I think it's Mel. Dr. Mel King. Right.
- [52:22]
A
Mel feels like the go to Taylor
- [52:23]
C
Dearden is so good. And we, like, loved this character in season one, and I still love this character, but the whole deposition, like, the Becca stuff was quite good, but the Becca stuff was like, two episodes, you know, and so it's like, I really feel like, you know, we get another sort of, like, ren faire reenactor, you know, pitting out with a Pit sort of like, sequence with her.
- [52:42]
A
For McKay's also, like, that was bait. Like, her also liking the Civil War reenactors. That's just straight bait.
- [52:49]
C
But, like, yeah, Mel is a place in which they missed. And then Samira, it just. It all depends on how it resolves. Like, Mohan is. Has, I would say, has been like one of the doctors that the season is most interested in. Her psychological profile and the impact a day can have, a day in the ed can have on someone as capable as her. So I'll see how it, like, let's see how it all resolves. But that's. That's a way in which, like, they have a real chance to have, like, really done something this season with the character.
- [53:25]
A
So, yeah, very much so. I hope they land it. Especially because those two examples, like, those are people at the opposite ends of the screen time spectrum. Right. You can fail in both ways. You can succeed in both ways. It just really depends. I just. Of all the characters, I really hope they figure it out with Mohan.
- [53:42]
C
All right. Anything else you want to say about this episode?
- [53:45]
A
Joe, I do want to talk to you more about Styx. It never occurred to me, and I'm, like, vaguely familiar on a hits level with Styx's discography, that they would be a July 4th band. How familiar are you with the Independence Day lore of Styx?
- [54:02]
C
Rob, I'm so excited to learn this from you. What is this?
- [54:06]
A
Well, here's the thing. My problem was I'm familiar with many Sticks songs. Renegade, obvious banger, Mr. Abbato referencing this episode, Sail Away. Everybody knows Sail Away was not familiar with this song. Sweet Madame Blue. Have you ever heard Sweet Madame Blue?
- [54:19]
C
No. Are you gonna sing it for us?
- [54:21]
A
I'm not gonna sing it, but I would like to read for you the lyrics of the bridge to Sweet Madame Blue.
- [54:26]
C
I'll settle for a recitation, but I would prefer a serenade. But thank you.
- [54:30]
A
Well, let me know how you interpret this.
- [54:32]
C
Okay.
- [54:32]
A
These are the lyrics to the Bridge of Sweet Madame Blue. America, America, America, America, America, America, America, America, America, America, America, America, America, America, America, America, America, America, America, America Great stuff. America, America, America, America that makes me
- [54:53]
C
want to jam a flag into my chest, you know, just, like, really go for it.
- [54:58]
A
Who are we if not. If we're not Iwo Jima ing each
- [55:01]
C
other at the end of the day. Exactly. Is Sticks like a. Like, is that a song that is played in a lot of fourth of July, like, fireworks shows or, like, whatever?
- [55:10]
A
Yeah, apparently it's not only played, but they often perform on the 4th of July because of this song and some other, like, vaguely related ones in their catalog. But this does seem like the. We're really saluting the flag of the mix.
- [55:22]
C
Thank you for that rendition.
- [55:25]
A
You're welcome.
- [55:26]
C
I thought there was, like, a decent burn from Ellis about, like, you know, shout Out Spotify. The Spotify Age of your playlist. Mine last year, I think I told you, was like, in the 80s or something like that, but, like, as in they thought.
- [55:38]
A
Yeah. What was it that you into the 80s?
- [55:41]
C
Like, why did they think I was 80 years old?
- [55:43]
A
Yeah. Were you, like, you know, was it show tunes? Was it. I think, you know, folks, folk ballads. What do we do?
- [55:49]
C
You know, it was old show.
- [55:51]
A
I suspected. I just. I didn't want to put your business
- [55:54]
C
out there, except you asked me. Yeah, I think. I think it was definitely. What was your. What was your age range again? It was high.
- [56:00]
A
I honestly can't remember. It was not as high as 80. I was probably more in, like, the 50s, 60s range. So. Too old for Ellis.
- [56:05]
C
What do you think got you in the 50s, 60s range?
- [56:08]
A
I think it's a lot of Beatles in the mix, to be honest with you. It's just.
- [56:12]
C
That's another contender for me.
- [56:13]
A
They're on every playlist. Sometimes we're just spinning whole albums. It's just. It's just what's happening around.
- [56:18]
C
What's your favorite Beatles album?
- [56:19]
A
I'm an Abbey Road guy.
- [56:21]
C
Yeah, that sounds right.
- [56:22]
A
Well, how about you?
- [56:24]
C
It's probably Abbey Road. It was Rubber Soul for a really long time, but I. But I think it's matured into Abbey Road. The White Album is the first CD or second CD I ever owned because my mom took me to Borders and she said, you can get one cd and I tricked her into getting me a double album.
- [56:43]
A
The double. You gotta get your money's worth.
- [56:46]
C
So.
- [56:46]
A
Yeah, but this is my origin story, too. Abbey Road was the first CD I ever bought. So, you know, we're imprinted at an early age.
- [56:51]
C
There we go. All right. Well, that is the pit with a side of the Beatles. Send us your Spotify wrapped ages. Why not some corporate synergy for us? Send us your. Yeah, your thoughts about this episode and your thoughts about Robbie and your thoughts about Dr. Alhashimi. I'm really curious to hear from our listeners how this episode landed with them. Because it's a tough. Like a penultimate episode is a tough. You know, we're in, like a sort of holding pattern for something conclusive in the finale. Again, I don't think we're having beers in the park, but I'm curious to see how this all resolves itself. Are people just gonna continue to trickle the door? Are we going to have something more conclusive than that? I don't know. Is Robbie going to get on that motorcycle at the end of the day? Is he not? Is someone going to show up for Baby Jane Doe? I don't know.
- [57:40]
A
Well, Joe, is there anything that you want? Like, we talked about the Mohan stuff. Obviously there's going to be a lot more Robbie. Any story, big or small, that you're like, I would really love another button on that.
- [57:50]
C
Where's Whitaker's badge?
- [57:53]
A
Where is it?
- [57:53]
C
And like, why does that matter? You know? Was.
- [57:55]
A
Yeah. Was that meant to be just like a random throwaway note or like a plot point?
- [58:00]
C
It felt there was so much time dedicated to it that it felt like a plot point. Right.
- [58:04]
A
Yeah.
- [58:05]
C
Or is it just a reason to get Whitaker out in the ambulance bay so that he could be there to comically try to hold up a bicycle that he is way too small to hold up?
- [58:14]
A
You know, and then to be like walking around to facilitate the Uber for the old lady who then incurred a vomit and racist surcharge.
- [58:23]
C
Tough. Real tough.
- [58:25]
A
I will say the moment of this episode that I think I enjoyed the absolute most was when he first gets the alert about the $250 charge on his account and is displaying some shock. Santos hits him with the like, what cow in labor? And I, I did laugh. I did enjoy it.
- [58:40]
C
Hilarious.
- [58:40]
A
Sniping in on this episode. Consistently hilarious. We love her work.
- [58:45]
C
Do you. Whitaker's like, there goes my first paycheck. Is he getting paid $200 a month? A month?
- [58:52]
A
I, I really hope not. You know, I. I'm a little fuzzy on the economics of, you know, incoming doctors and residents and like, when you start actually making money to begin with. But I, I hope he's making money.
- [59:03]
C
Well, he was like, I'm finally making money. And I'm like, two. Is it $200?
- [59:07]
A
Well, he lost some on the betting pool already and now he's losing this.
- [59:10]
C
Yeah.
- [59:11]
A
And I'm sure he's gonna have to pay for. I don't. I mean, maybe the, the repairs on Robbie's motorcycle will get talked to by the end of the day. Good Samaritan that he is.
- [59:18]
C
How do you think Princess is spending her money?
- [59:22]
A
She feels like a foot massage person to me. She feels like she's. She's really paying. I mean, some badass self care, you know, really doing it.
- [59:29]
C
That sounds like the fourth kind of fourth of July that I want.
- [59:32]
A
There we go.
- [59:33]
C
Okay, so here's to Princess getting her foot massage while eating some delicious barbecue. And here's everyone else hopefully wrapping up the season again. Do let us know what you thought of this episode. I'll be very curious. Shout out to Jeff Kober, just an incredible legend Buffy alum and an incredible showing on this season. And shout out to Kai Grady for his work on this show. And we will be back with euphoria Sunday night and then pit finale and beef and more euphoria. And the content just keeps coming. All right, see you soon. Bye. Sa.