‘Your Friends and Neighbors’ Episode 5: High Risk, No Reward

Summary

The Prestige TV Podcast Summary
Episode: ‘Your Friends and Neighbors’ Episode 5: High Risk, No Reward
Release Date: May 2, 2025
Host: The Ringer
Guests: Rob Mahoney & Joanna Robinson

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Introduction

In Episode 5 of Your Friends and Neighbors, titled "High Risk, No Reward," hosts Rob Mahoney and Joanna Robinson delve deep into the intricate developments of the latest installment. The discussion spans character analyses, plot twists, thematic elements, and critiques, providing listeners with comprehensive insights into the episode's narrative and execution.

Character Analysis

Nick's Evolution and NBA Comparisons

Rob and Joanna begin by dissecting the character Nick, exploring his portrayal within the broader NBA ecosystem. Rob mentions, “I have some revised opinions on who Nick is within the broader NBA ecosystem. We get some clarity, some swerves. I'm really mostly confused on that front, but we'll get to it in time” (01:42). This confusion stems from inconsistencies in Nick's characterization, especially concerning his NBA affiliations and jersey choices. They discuss the improbability of Nick being a composite character, highlighting discrepancies like fans wearing Spurs jerseys instead of Knicks attire, which Rob finds “incomprehensible” (27:39).

Coop's Complex Persona

Coop emerges as another focal point, with Joanna questioning his likability and decision-making. “He's robbing Sam's house. Yeah, he is an asshole. Like, what are we doing here?” (38:21). Despite his flaws, Coop displays moments of vulnerability, such as his appreciation for the Criterion Collection, which Joanna finds “a real, like, German three kind of moment” (37:44). However, Rob remains skeptical about Coop’s depth, labeling him as “unlikeable and also quite dumb” (42:19).

Elena and Mel's Dynamics

Elena's interactions with Coop and Mel's role are scrutinized, especially her attempt to finesse situations versus Coop's aggressive tendencies. Joanna appreciates Mel's character development, stating, “I like her showing up and saying I was an asshole” (22:52), whereas Rob expresses uncertainty about the functional dynamics between Elena and Coop, remarking, “they have something that is functional in a relationship sense, even if it's also clear that Mel is not actually that invested in it” (23:22).

Plot Points Discussed

Murder Mystery and Art Theft

A significant portion of the discussion centers around the murder mystery introduced in this episode. Coop discovers a dead body, sparking various theories about the perpetrator. Joanna notes the unexpected timing of the reveal: “I thought we were gonna get that at the end of the season. So to get it mid-season... changes the show” (07:14). Rob appreciates the added complexity, saying, “there's the mystery of what happened to him... how that could pay off” (08:15).

The introduction of art theft as a central theme is another critical plot point. Both hosts critique the plausibility and execution, with Joanna highlighting the show’s tendency to portray unrealistic scenarios: “they can do something that he's neglected. Being a dad, being a husband...” (05:55).

Barney's Expanded Storyline

Barney's character receives attention as his storyline involving financial troubles and potential criminal entanglements unfolds. Rob speculates, “there is a lot happening this week. We have the introductions of new characters... Barney may or may not be involved at a future date” (09:14). Joanna expresses concern over the show's expansive narrative, stating, “it feels like the show keeps expanding and expanding” (29:02).

Thematic Elements

Midlife Crisis and Personal Stakes

The episode delves into themes of midlife crisis and personal failure, particularly through Coop’s struggles. Rob humorously categorizes potential midlife behaviors, asking listeners about their coping mechanisms: “are you jumping on the trampoline of ennui?... setting shit on fire?” (03:39). This theme is intertwined with the characters' involvement in risky endeavors like art theft, highlighting their desperation and moral compromises.

Illusions of Wealth and Personal Decay

The hosts discuss how the characters use wealth to mask their personal issues. Rob states, “the show has been trying to engage with this idea of, like, the illusions that you create that you have a certain amount of wealth” (17:13). This illusion is portrayed through extravagant lifestyles and secretive illicit activities, emphasizing the characters' internal conflicts and societal pressures.

Specific Scenes Highlighted

The Club Scene and Character Interactions

A pivotal scene in the episode involves Coop and Elena navigating the dance floor, showcasing their chemistry and underlying tensions. Joanna praises the nuance, saying, “I liked the twirl. The twirl, you know, some panache in the twirl” (14:20). Rob complements the energy Coop brings, despite his flaws: “It's all about the energy, right. It's the energy you bring to it” (14:20).

The Toilet Commercial

A humorous highlight is the episode's toilet commercial, which Joanna describes as “genuinely a high point in this entire series” (22:16). The interaction between characters during this scene adds a layer of absurdity and satire, reflecting the show's willingness to blend humor with drama.

Critiques and Opinions

Character Development and Consistency

Rob and Joanna express concerns over character inconsistencies, particularly regarding Nick’s NBA affiliation and Coop’s multifaceted yet flawed persona. Joanna critiques the unrealistic depiction of teenagers and their cultural references, noting, “writers room referenced that they put on teenage kids” (19:25). The hosts also debate Coop’s likability, with Joanna asserting, “I’m just curious... Coop is not likable” (38:21).

Narrative Focus and Pacing

A recurring critique is the show's expanding narrative, which dilutes the central storyline. Joanna remarks, “it feels like the show keeps expanding and expanding and expanding” (29:02), suggesting that the ensemble approach may hinder character depth and plot coherence. Rob concurs, emphasizing the need for tighter narrative control to maintain audience engagement.

Listener Feedback and Questions

The hosts incorporate listener emails into the discussion, addressing theories and questions about the plot. Notably, Emily’s suggestion about Coop potentially being trapped in his own trunk adds an intriguing speculative angle to the ongoing murder mystery: “What if Coop himself is put by maybe Thomas and maybe somebody else into his own trunk...” (40:46). Joanna appreciates the creativity but emphasizes the need for consequences: “I think that's really clever... but it needs to be something that screws Coop over” (40:46).

Conclusions

Rob and Joanna conclude the episode by reflecting on the complexities and shortcomings of the show's current direction. They express a need for more focused storytelling and coherent character development to enhance the narrative’s impact. Joanna nostalgically compares Coop to Don Draper, questioning whether the show aims for genius wrapped in flawed brilliance or mere buffoonery: “Don was more charismatic than Coop ultimately... is the price you pay for buffoonery?” (42:19).

The hosts encourage listeners to continue engaging with the podcast and the show, hinting at future discussions and analyses as the season progresses.

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Notable Quotes

• Rob Mahoney: “I have some revised opinions on who Nick is within the broader NBA ecosystem. We get some clarity, some swerves. I'm really mostly confused on that front, but we'll get to it in time.” (01:42)

• Joanna Robinson: “I thought we were gonna get that at the end of the season. So to get it mid-season... changes the show.” (07:14)

• Rob Mahoney: “There is a lot happening this week. We have the introductions of new characters...” (09:14)

• Joanna Robinson: “It feels like the show keeps expanding and expanding.” (29:02)

• Rob Mahoney: “The show has been trying to engage with this idea of, like, the illusions that you create that you have a certain amount of wealth.” (17:13)

• Joanna Robinson: “I like her showing up and saying I was an asshole.” (22:52)

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the essence of Episode 5, providing listeners and non-listeners alike with a clear understanding of the discussions, critiques, and analyses presented by Rob Mahoney and Joanna Robinson.

Transcript

[J. Kyle Mann]

Folks, it's J. Kyle Mann from the Ringer. And as always, basketball is so freaking, freaking good. It's so good, in fact, that the Ringers NBA Draft show is finally back just in time for a ramp up to June. We've got you covered every week as we take an in depth look at who's got Next for the NBA's future. We'll talk the rising and falling stocks of the best and the brightest prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft class, from Cooper Flagg to Dylan Harper to BJ Edgecomb and more. Tap in with me on the Ringer NBA Draft show Wednesday and make sure that you follow, subscribe and hit us.

[Rob Mahoney]

With those five star ratings. Hello and welcome to the Prestige TV Podcast. I am Rob Mahoney.

[Joanna Robinson]

I'm Joanna Robinson.

[Rob Mahoney]

And we're here to talk about episode five of youf Friends and Neighbors. Not to be confused with youh Family and Friends, Joe, because Ally is distinctly neither.

[Joanna Robinson]

We are told absolutely not.

[Rob Mahoney]

But you know what? You're both. How, how are you doing today, Jo?

[Joanna Robinson]

A friend and a neighbor, or a family and a friend, or all.

[Rob Mahoney]

I think certainly a neighbor within the Ringer universe. Certainly. What are me, you and Kai if not podcast? Family and absolutely a friend. So all of the above.

[Joanna Robinson]

Wow. What a thrill. What an honor. What a joy to be with you here on this Friday. Um, I'm excited to talk about this episode of television with you, specifically Rob Mahoney, because it starts with an awful lot of Nick, and everything I know about Nick I have learned from you. So I'm excited to get all of your Nick takes as we head into this episode.

[Rob Mahoney]

We're going to get to that. I have some revised opinions on who Nick is within the broader NBA ecosystem. We get some clarity, some swerves. I'm really mostly confused on that front, but we'll get to it in time.

[Joanna Robinson]

You and I were both on Bill's podcast this week and you were talking to him about basketball. I was talking to him about you're friends and neighbors. So worlds collide.

[Rob Mahoney]

But I like to think if you, if you played our segments simultaneously, I would like to think it would sound like we're talking to each other.

[Joanna Robinson]

Oh, that's so nice. I, I tried to get Bill to weigh in on the who is Nick in the NBA? And he just like breezed right past it. So I really, I really tried to get a little bit more info on this, but I leave it up to you, the expert, then.

[Rob Mahoney]

We're, we're trying to do the work here. But a lot going on, as you said. We're both on the Bill Simmons podcast today. Joe, what else is going on on the PrestigeTV podcast feed right now?

[Joanna Robinson]

Great question. You know, so we're covering the last of us, of course, week to week with interviews. There's a great interview with Gabriel Luna that Rob did this week on the podcast. I really suggest you check it out for all of your Tommy needs. And then also, Charles and Jodie are covering the rehearsal. And I know that chiefly because we get their emails as well as our own emails. So I'm seeing all the rehearsal emails come pouring in, so. So you can email any of us prestigetvpotify.com we don't have a specific email for this particular show, but you can find us prestigetvotify.com we love your emails. Thank you so much for sending them.

[Rob Mahoney]

We certainly do. And you know what? What I want to know, first of all, from all of the people emailing in this week and from you specifically, Joe. We're hitting all of the squares on the midlife crisis bingo card at this stage of this particular season, which would be your method of choice if you're really working some things out. If you're this wealthy and have these problems. Are you jumping on the trampoline of ennui? Are you at the bottom of a pool, maybe screaming, maybe just having a moment of angst? Are you setting shit on fire? Or are you getting into a physical altercation with a business partner?

[Joanna Robinson]

Oh, thank you so much for asking. I think I want to set something up. Here's the thing about Barney and that fire.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

I was actually kind of excited about that because I was wondering if there was some sort of, like, insurance he was going to collect.

[Rob Mahoney]

It kind of seemed like it.

[Joanna Robinson]

I thought he was trying to start a fire, but then it just turns out he was being a drunken asshole. And I was like, that's less impressive to me, Marty. But I think the fire, if I have some insurance that I can collect on it.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yes. You can't set us up with money problems plus intentional fire and have us not jump to insurance fraud. I just think that's the natural setup of that scene.

[Joanna Robinson]

They gave Barney the classic, like, money pit shot when he's, like, standing over the pit and the camera's looking up at him. And I was like, tom Hanks, is that you? Rob? What about you? Which. Which of those are your. Are you trying to.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh, I'm definitely bottom of a swimming pool. That seems, you know, you really gotta scream some things out down there. You have a moment of absolute kind of silence. Slash the ambient noise of maybe like the pool cleaner working. That's, that's where I want to be. Working out all of my deepest emotional baggage.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay, I have two follow up questions. Number one, what is pool culture like where you're from in Texas? Like, does that, do people clarify? Yeah, well, like, I don't know if, like, if you live in Texas, pools are more prevalent because it's so hot and like people have like above ground pools or whatever they can get in terms of like a water feature in their backyard. Yeah. Or if that's not the case, you know, we in California have to worry about droughts, but we also have the California optics lifestyle to deal with. I do not have a pool, nor have I ever had a pool. My grandmother had a pool and she was like, never get a pool because it's a pain in the ass.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's quite a quagmire.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

I think there is that. Like, you know, I grew up in North Texas, which was a huge, booming suburban sprawl at the time when I was growing up there. And so everything was being built with a pool because of that excessive heat. And now I think there's a lot of regret about a lot of those pools because those houses are harder to move because as you said, nobody actually wants to own a pool. You just want access to a pool that you then don't have to maintain.

[Joanna Robinson]

You just want a friend with a pool. My best friend grows. Very important, great pool. And it's like, that's where you want the pool at your friend's house. Follow up question. Other question is if you are battling your. You're not yet middle aged, but you're soon, like someday in the future middle aged ennui. What Preferred needle drop is playing.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh my gosh.

[Joanna Robinson]

In your mind as you sit at the bottom of the pool potentially screaming or not.

[Rob Mahoney]

I, you know, I think for that moment you gotta go something extremely painfully on point on the nose. Like, like an rem. Everybody hurts. Like, you know, we're just, we're really going straight down the middle for it. There's no time, there's no space for anything. Like obtuse. Okay, do you have a take on this?

[Joanna Robinson]

I just feel like I thought you were gonna. When you were like, you have to go on the nose, I was like, should we just go straight to the Garden State soundtrack? Not that that's like midlife crisis, but like, I don't know, unweaved.

[Rob Mahoney]

It doesn't help that Ally in this episode is basically turning into Natalie Portman from Garden State in real time. I many questions about what's happening with that character.

[Joanna Robinson]

Is it? Well, it's so funny because I did write down Natalie Portman, but it was for Hunter's girlfriend. Right.

[Rob Mahoney]

The Manic Pixies are about.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, she pulls the old have you heard the shins? Maneuver with his headphones, essentially.

[Rob Mahoney]

It certainly does.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

But, you know, so we have Manic Pixie dream girls abound. We also have the revelation of what our dead body. Who our dead body actually is. Joe, how did you feel about the reveal of the much slash, not really anticipated cold open payoff of who Coop found in cold blood and the fact that it was Sam's ex husband, to we can all agree, sucks.

[Joanna Robinson]

I like that. It took me a little bit by surprise. Like, I think I thought we were gonna get that at the end of the season. So to get it mid season, I think was a fun moment. And it wasn't until right before it happened that I realized where we were, you know, so I thought. I thought that was fun. And then it does. It changes the show. I think we all assumed that Coop was involved in the dead body, whether or not it was an accidental tussle on the stairs or whatever it. But he just discovered the body, so that's interesting. And then we have this fun, like sort of Desperate Housewives Wisteria Lane mystery of like, you know, who. Who killed, you know, did he fall, just tumble down the stairs? Was it Sam? Did Sam kill her husband? And that's why she's, you know, off to see her parents for a while. Like, what. What. What happened there? And that's, you know, is I don't have any other. Did Elena do it on a. On a, like, post cocaine binge? I have no. I have no. I like a mystery. And so I'm glad to have a mystery sort of plunked in the middle here.

[Rob Mahoney]

I'm also glad to have the mystery. I mean, there's the mystery of what happened to him. There's the mystery of who may or may not have seen Coop coming or going, as he makes quite a clamor, you know, coming out of the house, falling into the pool, as we have now seen twice. So, yeah, I think there's a lot of things in play as far as how that could pay off. And I do appreciate it. You know, we're getting the escalating stakes of the theft hijinks. And for someone who, you know, Coop has been on the golf course hearing his peers complain about their very expensive watches that have gone missing. And he is completely undeterred by the fact that anyone and everyone is noticing the things that he is stealing. And it's like, you know what? I should steal paintings.

[Joanna Robinson]

And you called this, Rob. You were like, don't get into art theft. You said it.

[Rob Mahoney]

Don't do it.

[Joanna Robinson]

You said it and then Lou said it. And that's how I knew you were right, because I believe everything that Lou says on this show. So, yeah, don't steal art. It seems like a terrible idea, and it is a terrible idea. But we do get to see an old friend of the Prestige TV podcast, do we not, Rob?

[Rob Mahoney]

We certainly do. We get the introduction of this character, Christian Thomason, played by our good pal Olaford Dari Olufsen, a welcome presence on the show. Joe. And I have to say, I don't think this is exactly being telegraphed at this point when he's sort of like accosting Elena in the hall. And he's a very aggressive personality in general. Feels like our non. Our. Our big bad. That is not just massive debt may have arrived in this season in terms of a physical corporeal foil that may present some danger to Coop.

[Joanna Robinson]

That's interesting. So you think he's not just like a one and done. He ran off like they. There's a world in which. And we. I haven't watched the Head, so I have no idea. There's a world in which he's a one episode guest star and he just like, they're just not going to get the Lichtenstein back and that's the end of that. But his, you know, as we saw in Severance, this guy's physical presence is. Is overwhelming. Even to a guy who is sort of tall and built the way that Jon Hamm is. Like, this guy is overwhelming. And I thought it was a really interesting role for him because on the one hand, like, he could definitely do eccentric, you know, but, like, I don't know, there was just something about the way that he was, like, dancing with the co. Like, and he was like, love doing cocaine. Then I was like, do you. I don't know if this fits to me. This scene fits to me. The hallway aggression, though, that was. That felt very unsettling, obviously, to say the least. And Elena saying, like, she had a handle on it was like, do you think the pepper spray was just, like, right out of you and she was gonna, like, bring it out or what do you think her plan was there? Or was she just sort of Posturing to Coop that she had a handle on it. What do you think?

[Rob Mahoney]

I think she had a quote unquote handle on it in the way that she is playing a game. Like, Right. She is a part of this. She understands that she's gonna be put in some positions like this as she tells Coop, like, this isn't my first time being in one of these hallways.

[Joanna Robinson]

Right.

[Rob Mahoney]

And is trying to basically finesse her way out of it because the stakes of this theft are so important for her and so financially crucial for her.

[Joanna Robinson]

Right.

[Rob Mahoney]

Coop is playing, as we've said, leading into this episode, several times, by a different set of rules with different repercussions if he gets caught, different repercuss if one theft doesn't work out. And so he comes in, you know, full of vim and vigor, ready to just, like, fight somebody. When I think Elena is just trying to finesse. So I don't think she has a. Has a hold of it in the sense that, like, she has the pepper spray on the ready so much as she's been in these sorts of situations before. And Coop is just, like, flying off the handle because he doesn't have any experience in this world.

[Joanna Robinson]

And she felt like she could. Yeah. I don't want. I don't want to, like, I support Elena in all of her endeavors. I'm just curious. And then, like, on the Coop front.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

How much. How much does it, like, filter into all of our interpretations? Him saying in his voiceover, like, having done blow for the first time in 10 years. So his hallway behavior and, you know, the cold open of the whole series, he's like, you know, had one snort of cocaine. Not that that will, like, change your life for hours and hours and hours, but, you know, Joe, you and I.

[Rob Mahoney]

Have proven to be experts in recreational drug use on this podcast. I mean, I think who would be more qualified than us to say what one bump of cocaine would do to someone?

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, great, great, great point. I. I do want to say, like, comedy Jon Hamm has been here around the edges of this show, but not, you know, he's more like dry, dry toast Jon Hamm than he is comedy. But his initial rejection of the cocaine, I think, is the funniest thing I've seen on this show. I thought it was so funny. Just his facial expressions of, like, hmm, I'm good. Thanks so much. I thought it was really, really good.

[Rob Mahoney]

The initial rejection of the cocaine. Honestly, anytime Coop and Nick interact in a very curt way, I appreciate, I think, the coldness of how funny and Sharp he can be. In some of these exchanges, I really enjoy and Jon Hamm's performance. But what did you make Joe, of his physical acting in this episode? And by that I mean his robust collection of dance moves. I would say definitively the twirl is his go to. And like many dancers, he goes to it a little too often.

[Joanna Robinson]

It's the twirl. And then I'm really glad that the scene was written as Coop can't dance, because I was just like, Jon Hamm, we found the one thing you can't do. Or he was doing a great job at pretending like he couldn't dance. But like, as we mentioned in an earlier episode, Jon Hamm was like, talking about how he could play golf, he could play tennis, he could do all these things he asked him to do. But Coop in the club dancing, I was just like, oh, it wasn't just the age difference, because you can imagine, like, let's, let's imagine a different Mad Men character on the, on the floor there. Like Roger Sterling. Like Roger Sterling, I feel like, would be completely at home in that club and be fine. Coop, sore thumb sticking out like a sore thumb. And Elena really trying to make it work and, and sort of. She looks great. She was doing great. Yeah, I, I, but the twirl. The twirl, you know, some, some panache in the twirl. What did you think?

[Rob Mahoney]

It's all about the energy, right. It's the enth you bring to it. And Coop is a bit of a cold fish coming in, but clearly he and Elena have something going on. As the dial turns in the Everybody loves Coop arrangement, it's now Elena's turn to swoon a little bit, to beckon him to the dance floor, to have some hints of what feels like at least a kind of chemistry, if not outright romance, that the show has been circling for a couple weeks. I guess this is just what the show is going to be like. Sam's out of town. Mel is otherwise occupied. Liv is doing who knows what. Like, it's just Elena's turn.

[Joanna Robinson]

It's Elena's week for custody of the crush. Yeah. And Sam broke up with him, question mark. So does that make it cleaner? I don't know. I have a lot of questions about what's going on with Sam, clearly.

[Rob Mahoney]

So, yeah, the Elena, Coop stuff, overall, I don't quite know what to do with. Like, they're actors who I enjoy bouncing off each other on screen. I just don't have really a feel for what those characters are bringing to this story other than being oversharing, overly close and intimate business partners, which, as many people say in this episode, is a bad idea.

[Joanna Robinson]

I also thought that the scene, okay, so the scene after the club when she's in the street and she's talking about how the stakes are different for her than they are for him. We had talked about this is something that I wanted from the show. And you mentioned this last week about the stakes being different for them. And so. But for her to just. I don't know, the way that scene was written, it just felt so on the nose versus, like, I would love to just have this being a running thread and commentary rather than a sort of in your face fight that we get. But Coop doesn't really seem like he takes anything out of as a learning moment for him. So I don't know.

[Rob Mahoney]

I will say, at least the show is pretty overt, you know, if we're gonna be saying things upfront and just make it all matter of fact. Coop says in his narration in this episode basically acknowledging how little he knows about basically anything, that he has been caught in this situation because of his lack of knowledge and understanding about the nuances of everything involved.

[Joanna Robinson]

But what he says, I think it's the voiceover when he's in the hardware store having a guy show him how to attach canvas to a frame. Again, something I.

[Rob Mahoney]

Great idea. Before you commit art theft, watch a YouTube tutorial.

[Joanna Robinson]

Like, why are we out in the world doing this?

[Rob Mahoney]

I don't know.

[Joanna Robinson]

But when we get the voiceover and he says something like, I had no other choice. I was like, coop, you have so many choices. You've chosen to be a person who cannot envision a lifestyle without luxury. I guess in a Tim Ratliff sort of from White Lotus sense, to a certain degree, you can envision a life in which you're not providing for your wife and your children. Sure, but. But I don't have this email in front of me, but one of our emailers was like, sell the car. Like, there's things you can do that he hasn't done that he hasn't even tried to do. So. Yeah, yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

I mean, I think it goes to, you know, the show has been trying to engage with this idea of, like, the illusions that you create that you have a certain amount of wealth so that you can hide behind it with your very expensive home renovation projects and secretly, like, be draining all your bank accounts. And clearly Coop is caught and Barney is caught, and many of these characters are caught in a version of that kind of prison. Of their own making. I just don't necessarily buy it as, like, the most pressing, stakes driving, dramatic device, even when you know those stakes are amped up a little bit in this episode by all of Hunter's antics. He has met this girl, the one girl he knows at school who is now talking to him. He is passing out his Adderall to anyone who will take him into the back room of a theater department.

[Joanna Robinson]

She's like, I love the Smiths.

[Rob Mahoney]

I love the Smiths. I want to say the smash cut from this girl taking Hunter by the hand and leading him down the hall to Hunter's dad and Sam having an intense chemistry lesson is nasty business, and I don't appreciate it. Like, that is uncalled for, but that's.

[Joanna Robinson]

Not what Hunter is off to do. Hunter is off to distribute his Adderall to the theater kids. Question mark.

[Rob Mahoney]

I see. Are they theater kids or are they just kind of infiltrating the theater, like, the backstage area?

[Joanna Robinson]

I have to say, I think at least she is a theater kid. I think she's the makeup work.

[Rob Mahoney]

Theater tech, at least.

[Joanna Robinson]

Top tier. Top tier. Ziggy Stardust. I have to say, actually, I think that Mel is the best opportunity we have in the show. And Ally to undercut Coop, which I think the show needs at all times. And so when he's like, I didn't know you were into Bowie. She's like, now is not the time for your cool dad shit. Coop.

[Rob Mahoney]

Absolutely.

[Joanna Robinson]

And then he's like, good luck, buddy. I was just like, coop, you suck. Like, dear God.

[Rob Mahoney]

Anyway, you just committed to paying $200,000 or whatever to keep this kid in school, to bribe this kid's way back into school.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

You know, I will say Chris and Andy have flagged this early. This idea of, like, some of the reference points in terms of music for these types of shows being very, you know, like Gen X or Millennial or even boomer oriented. And so, like, writers room oriented when they're writing for teenagers. Are the kids into Bowie?

[Joanna Robinson]

I say this all the time, actually. I promise you. I had this exact conversation with Bill on his podcast today when I was talking about how teenagers and the writers room references that they put on teenage kids. Because Bill was talking about how he's like, this show gets teenagers wrong. All shows get teenagers wrong. And he was talking about his firsthand experience watching his kids friends come through the house and stuff like that. And I was talking about exactly this. This was before I had watched this episode and saw that he was like, had Ziggy Stardust makeup on, just straight up.

[Rob Mahoney]

That's what he asked for. Like he was a kid getting his painted at a carnival. Like, I want the Ziggy Stardust.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. Give me the. The full Ziggy Stardust. Yeah. I know that we have already established our. Our bonafides as recreational drug users, but, like, what did you think RA Of. Of the. Of the kids crushing and snorting Adderall backstage at school?

[Rob Mahoney]

Certainly checks out. I mean, for one. Here's the thing. It doesn't even need to be this sophisticated. Kids will find things to snuff, like to sniff and huff, regardless of whether they actually work as recreational drugs. But in this case, yeah, look, it's. It's clearly very effective to snort speed if that's what you want to do.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah. The way you get the label and it's like amphetamine and I forgot I wrote down the other one, but it's just sort of like, okay, Adderall. Yeah. If you're Hunter.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Are you trading your Adderall for. To impress this girl for cool points or whatever? Or are you selling your Adderall for money? Is it start with trading and then you're like, first one's first taste is free. Come and find me later. He's a very nice kid.

[Rob Mahoney]

He's a very nice drug distributing kid.

[Joanna Robinson]

He's a very nice kid. I'm rooting for it.

[Rob Mahoney]

Possession with intent, whatever. Not a big deal. No, I mean, clearly the show is kind of setting up with the Coop stuff. You know, he gets called into the parent meeting, and it's clear that he has not been present for the many preliminary meetings that have led to this point. In terms of Hunter being out of class or whatever. Like, Coop has been inattentive, but beyond that, he's also someone who is regularly breaking the law. And so I don't know that even if that character was predisposed to give a shit about any of this in the first place, he doesn't seem super bothered beyond, oh, now I need to go steal more stuff. You know, as a counterpoint to this.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Clearly, Coop and Mel do not have the most functional relationship in the world, hence their separation, hence their pending divorce. Or are they officially divorced?

[Joanna Robinson]

I think so, yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Whatever. They're status.

[Joanna Robinson]

They said divorce. Yeah, yeah, they're divorced. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

We see Nick and Mel do something in this episode that it seems like maybe Coop and Mel have never done, which is have a very straightforward conversation about their feelings. And they do it where everyone does it. You know, off to the side of a luxury presentation of a $30,000 toilet. Because what better place to really air things out?

[Joanna Robinson]

Joe, our, our infomercial moment of the episode is the Lichtenstein. But the toilet commercial that we get to start the episode was genuinely a high point in this entire series. I thought it was really, really funny.

[Rob Mahoney]

Really good.

[Joanna Robinson]

And Nick's whole demeanor, all of that was really good. Yeah. And the Mel, I mean, we got a long email from a listener that I don't agree with about how Mel is the villain of the show with love and respect to that person. And I, I just, I really like her. I like her showing up and saying I was an asshole.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

You know, like, and I do wish that Nick had said, I'm sorry I threw you a party you didn't ask for.

[Rob Mahoney]

He kind of, he kind of gets there.

[Joanna Robinson]

That's the last time I throw you a party. Or something like that. Not, I'm sorry you didn't ask for this. You know.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, the apology doesn't quite get there, but he does come through with a like, well, it's not like you didn't warn me that this isn't what you wanted, basically.

[Joanna Robinson]

Right, right, right. Yeah. So, like, I, I really, like, I liked that exchange a lot. I really did.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, I did too. I feel like clearly they have something that is functional in a relationship sense, even if it's also clear that Mel is not actually that invested in it. Like, I, I think they have a communication style that works. It's just like, Nick feels like a guy who means well, but ultimately does not do a lot for her in a lasting relationship.

[Joanna Robinson]

He's just, he's the wrong guy. But she wants to make it work, and she wants to do it in a healthier way than she has done it in the past. I, I, I like Nick. I, I do want to ask him what does he think he's playing at when he tries to get Hunter to have a smoothie instead of flaming hot Cheetos. This is a teaser.

[Rob Mahoney]

He's trying to encourage healthy habits.

[Joanna Robinson]

I understand he owns a gym and I understand a smoothie is a better snack than a Cheeto. But this is like a 15, 16 year old kid. Like, what are we talking about here?

[Rob Mahoney]

It's true.

[Joanna Robinson]

On the, on the, like, writers room writers imposing their tastes on teenage kids. Did you freeze frame Mahoney? Look at the posters on Hunter's wall behind his bed?

[Rob Mahoney]

You know what? I did not really go through and clock them. Did you see any in particular that jumped out at you?

[Joanna Robinson]

There's the Killers, which again, just feels.

[Rob Mahoney]

Like a little old. A little old for Hunter.

[Joanna Robinson]

And then I think it's the Roots. It said Phrenology on it, which is a roots album, but it didn't match the album cover. So it might have been like a concert tour poster. But again, it just feels like we're watching Hunter, budding musician, you know, doing his art. And I was like, who are his influences behind him? And I was like, the Killers and the Roots.

[Rob Mahoney]

Grandin Flowers naturally the touch point for all Gen Z and Gen Alpha kids.

[Joanna Robinson]

That's not right. So yeah, it's interesting.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, that seems so much more like the music of a much older sibling or cousin or maybe even a younger parent or aunt or uncle. Like not quite of his generation.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, maybe it's Allie's influence or something like that, but it's not even like his dad's music like that. Like if it were his dad's music, he'd be like, oh, these are concerts he went to or. Or his mom's music. Like, but it's a little too young for them and a little too old for him. So I was like, who showed him this music?

[Rob Mahoney]

Who gave you this?

[Joanna Robinson]

I guess the true access to the Internet.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, he didn't learn it from watching them. I think that's the important thing. You know, he found it on his own, he came by it honestly. And maybe he is a huge Bowie. Stan, like who's. Who's really to say? But I can't get us out of this toilet oriented segment without two things, Joe. One, please. Like whichever copywriter via person in the writer's room for this show wrote the tagline the next movement as the selling point for this toilet is just inspired work. That person, and by proxy the copywriter within the world of the show, both deserve raises. But this is where I was really thrown for a loop on the who is Nick in NBA terms conversation. Joe, three times.

[Joanna Robinson]

Is it the three time championship thing?

[Rob Mahoney]

So we know he's a three time all star, we know he's a champion. All the introduction stuff is fine, but when he's coming off and having this heart to heart with Mel, one thing he says is as he's talking about kind of overcompensating for his insecurities and why he threw this big party for her. That's what happens when you fall to the second round of the draft.

[Joanna Robinson]

Okay, okay.

[Rob Mahoney]

Uh, oh, uh, first thought, yeah, that's good. That's good writing. I love this idea of a second round draft pick having to overcompensate for so much. These are like maniacal competitors who absolutely obsessed to the day they die over where they were drafted. That tracks for me. Second thought, this isn't Richard Jefferson anymore. And now we have a problem. The other detail kind of in conjunction with that, that really muddled things is as you're going into this like Home Shopping Network setup for the toilet, they scan the audience and we see a bunch of Nick fans in the audience all wearing spurs jerseys with his number 79, which we talked about last week and we had someone email in wondering if maybe that's his birth year, hence why he could be number which. Absolutely. Fair point, fair play. Makes sense to me. This is a Home Shopping Network s setup filmed outside of New York City. And we know that Nick played for the Knicks. There is not a single Knicks jersey. Everyone is wearing spurs jersey. Do you know how famous a Spur you would have to be to wipe out all of the Knicks allegiance and only be spurs in that audience? Joe, it's like incomprehensible.

[Joanna Robinson]

Who's the most famous Spur that ever was?

[Rob Mahoney]

Probably Tim Duncan, I would say is the most famous Spur. But so here's where we get into problems. Like Nick is not successful enough nor reclusive enough to be Tim Duncan. He is not French enough to be Tony Parker. He's not Argentinian enough to be Manu Ginobili. He's like too verbose to be Kawhi Leonard. He's too old to be either lamarcus Aldridge or Dejounte Murray. And so we're left in this zone of like he can't possibly be any real life spur who fits more or less this mold of person. So I am at a loss at this point. I've got no idea who this is supposed to be.

[Joanna Robinson]

Rob, I mean, would it help you sleep at night if we just called him a composite character or is that too simple?

[Rob Mahoney]

He clearly is a composite character and I appreciate that. But something about the spurs jerseys in New York, I'm like, you lost your mind? This guy is a three time all Star and is projecting as if he is a Hall of Fame player in New York City.

[Joanna Robinson]

They just regulated you so badly that you did not even look at the music posters on Hunters, which is your go to.

[Rob Mahoney]

I know this is how messed up I was. Yeah, there's just a look. There's a lot happening this week. We have the introductions of new characters. We have these clear variables in terms of Nick's characterization that I don't know how to deal with. We also have the expansion of Barney's story from oh, we're gonna tell you that he has money problems to I guess we're gonna show you that he has money problems. Like, what did you make of this expanding plotline with his in laws?

[Joanna Robinson]

I mean, I really enjoyed the actress who plays his mother in law. I thought that was done really well. I thought the scene where she comes in and writes him a check and says like, my daughter's not a client and all that sort of stuff was just like really, really good stuff. But it just seems like it feels like the show keeps expanding and expanding and expanding in a way that I'm just sort of like, at what point have we lost control of what our main story? Because now we have like the Barney expansion. Then we also go home with Sam and meet her parents briefly. But like we're meeting her parents and I'm like, how many families am I tracking inside of the show? It seems like a lot. So like Barney, the actor who plays Barney is also, I think, a producer, an exec producer on the show. So like, you know, if he's like, hey, I'm here for comic relief, but I also want my own, like, interesting storyline. Like, I kind of understand that, but I feel like I need to focus in on something. I feel like I'm just constantly pinging around and I'm losing track of like who has the answers to the SATs in their desk draw, who had the Lichtenstein in the first place and all this other stuff like that. So yeah, I just, I just need tighter control in the neighborhood. I think it's what I'm asking for. What about you?

[Rob Mahoney]

I think we do need that. It feels like they're going for that sort of big ensemble feel. And I wonder, practically speaking, Joe, if that's just kind of an intentional setup to help in the making of the show going forward where, you know, if Jon Hamm is going to be the anchor character, Jon Hamm has to be on set all the time. But if you make characters like Barney really important, then you can film things at other times. If you make Sam her own self standing character who's not in a relationship with Coop, like, can you film the stuff with Olivia Munn separately? Like, I kind of wonder if it's practical as much as it is like characters pushing for a balanced kind of ensemble performance.

[Joanna Robinson]

You understand some things, right? You understand that like Barney married rich. That like his. He is a rich guy in this neighborhood, but his in laws don't respect him. They think their daughter married beneath Her. All this sort of stuff like that. And so we already got indications of this. But if Barney gets looped into the criminal enterprise, I wonder if this is setting the stage for us understanding why he would be backed into that corner. These are the personal stakes on this for him.

[Rob Mahoney]

So, yeah, it really feels like we're headed that way. Right. When you're setting up these characters with money troubles in this world, it's just kind of a matter of time before they get looped into the Bling Ring. I don't know what Barney's role in it would be.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

But, you know, maybe he'll need a different layer of protection or a different kind of, like, weight if, you know.

[Joanna Robinson]

Wash the money somehow or.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, there's gotta be some element of that. I think what I'm feeling about it right now is the criminal enterprise is expanding. Right. We're getting into art theft. Barney may or may not be involved at a future date. Thomasin is being pulled into this world. Just the degree to which Coop is, like, very upfront in what I imagine is, like, a convenient, expository way in talking to Lou about exactly the crimes that he's about to commit in a building that is. Is wired for video and sound. Seems like a really bad idea.

[Joanna Robinson]

All of his ideas are bad ideas. I like. But it runs in the family. Right. Because. Can we talk about Allie and.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Her. Re engaging in her stalking behavior. Like, just when you think things are going well for Allie, she's got a, like, consistent gig at the tap room. Then she. Because she's clearly at the gym because she knows Bruce goes to the gym.

[Rob Mahoney]

Absolutely.

[Joanna Robinson]

That is why she's there.

[Rob Mahoney]

She is straight up stalking this guy who we've seen her stalk earlier in the season. Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

Just back to stalking light to medium.

[Rob Mahoney]

Stalking in this case. Like, nothing insidious. But she's here, you know, taking a class, hitting the bike or the elliptical. I can't remember what she's on.

[Joanna Robinson]

It's just so. I really like the Alley character. I really like her interactions with Coop. I loved her making fun of, like, Sam's comical sex noises. She's eating a peanut butter banana sandwich. She's protein loading. Love that for her.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

The way she sort of, like, rolls herself over the back of the couch to sit down and watch TCM with Coop and make fun of, like, his taste in old movies. And I also really like John Hanser's, like, when she's like, can we watch something that was made after I was born? And he just, like, sits there For a while. Then he just goes, no, it was really good. But now Ally, I mean, this is what Allie does. This is why Ally needs Coop's care and stuff like that. But Ally showing up when. When he approaches her and she's like, oh, fancy meeting you here. And takes her sweaty hair out of the, like, hair tie and starts to, like, roll her. Her, like her spandex, her leggings down. And I was just like, Ally, I was so upset. I was just like, find some stability. Like, like chase your bliss. Like, she's someone who can check in with Hunter. He's not doing well and he could really use you, but please stay away from Bruce and his. But also, like, is Bruce complicit? Like, if Bruce shows up at the Tap room, which I could see him doing, because there was a part of him that, like, seemed a little sparked by her being there. You know what I mean?

[Rob Mahoney]

They clearly have such history together. I think it would be impossible for him not to care about her and be worried about her in a sense. But yeah, like, there is. Of course, if he starts showing up and they start having a relationship, then we're shifting from stalking into something that's a little bit more mutual.

[Joanna Robinson]

Well, that's what I. That's what I'm saying is like, I think at first we were like, oh, God, this poor man was like, can you get this woman off my lawn? You know, sort of thing. And now. And. And he. He had Coop's number. Her parents seemed to know about him, all this sort of stuff like that. So this is like a long term ex, but there was just like a little sparky, flirtatious interest from him. Not like a deeply uncomfortable, what the fuck are you doing here? Vibe from him that made me worried that he's gonna show up at the Tap room and I don't want him to.

[Rob Mahoney]

You know, that seems very realistic. I got the, like, maybe I'll go to the Check you out of the tap room sometime. As more I'm saying this so I can get out of here. Like, pleasantry than earnest engagement.

[Joanna Robinson]

It was. It was an interesting cocktail. I could see it going a number of ways.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, for legal reasons, the Prestige TV podcast does not recommend that you stalk your ex until they come see your live music performance. Like, we cannot endorse that strategy.

[Joanna Robinson]

Uh, we. We can't. But if you want to clock into the gym and then give Nick about breaking up your brother's marriage, feel. Feel free to do that. That sounds like a great plan to me.

[Rob Mahoney]

What is it? What is Nick doing in this moment? Like, you can't just let her go.

[Joanna Robinson]

But also just like, supervise. How often is Nick even at the gym?

[Rob Mahoney]

It's a great point. On location, I assume there's like, multiple branches, right?

[Joanna Robinson]

The franchise.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's a franchise affair. He's on the ground at the one location Ali happens to go buzzing that.

[Joanna Robinson]

This huge NBA superstar is at the gym.

[Rob Mahoney]

Apparently not. Joe, I have another investigative deep dive for you. Okay. You mentioned Coop's taste in movies. We've remarked upon it before. People have been emailing us specifically about Coop wearing a Criterion Collection hat earlier in this season, which we love. A cinephile.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

I worry that hat and this presentation as guy who loves old movies, I worry that it might be Stolen Valor. I worry that this may be. That ultimately Coop may be the movie equivalent of the Lichtenstein loving posers that he's mocking throughout this episode.

[Joanna Robinson]

Oh, my God. Coop had such a I'm not like other girls moment in his voiceover when he was like, they don't appreciate the Lichtenstein. At the end, he's like, I always kind of liked, you know, too bad. I always really enjoyed Lichtenstein. I was like, come on, Coop, Give me a fucking break. I think Coopin can hang in a conversation about classic cinema. And I think he does actually like a TCM marathon. Do I want to watch his Criterion Closet video the way that I want to watch Shaun and Chris's Criterion Closet video? No.

[Rob Mahoney]

But we're waiting with bated breath. A piece of content has never been more anticipated for me than Shaun and Chris in the closet.

[Joanna Robinson]

But Coop pass. Pass for me and Coop in the criteria closet.

[Rob Mahoney]

Hard pass. I will say, especially this, like, to me. So we get this other moment of voiceover from Coop right before he's about to decide to break into Sam's house, in which he discovers the dead body all time. Terrible decision under any circumstances, but especially these. And he's saying, I could drink too much and fall asleep watching the Criterion Collection in my house. That line, to me, it felt like a real, like, German three kind of moment.

[Joanna Robinson]

I see what you mean.

[Rob Mahoney]

So you could fall asleep watching the Criterion Channel at your house?

[Joanna Robinson]

Sure.

[Rob Mahoney]

That's a thing you could do. You could fall asleep watching something from the Criterion Collection at your house. Would you ever say fall asleep to the Criterion Collection if you actually knew your shit? I kind of say you wouldn't.

[Joanna Robinson]

I wouldn't. As someone with a subscription to the Criterion Channel and. But no, I don't own any. Actually. Criterion Collection DVDs.

[Rob Mahoney]

No, you're not that kind of physical media, bro.

[Joanna Robinson]

I'm just, like, a budding physical. I was like. I had my era, which was, I think, before the Criterion Collection. So I like most of my physical.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's been going for a while.

[Joanna Robinson]

I know, but I. Yeah, maybe. Maybe I need to step up my game. Maybe I like Coop. Possess stolen valor. But I think that. Yeah, you're right. That's a good shout.

[Rob Mahoney]

But this is. The difference is you're open about that. Coop is. He's hiding behind it as if, you know, this is just the life he leads.

[Joanna Robinson]

I mean, all of his voiceovers, again, I don't know if I'm supposed to say, what a cool guy. He likes old movies and Lichtenstein, or if I'm gonna say, what an asshole and an idiot. He's robbing Sam's house. Yeah, he is an asshole. Like, what are we. What are we doing here? Robbing his, like, neighbors who seem to deeply suck. Fine. But Sam, who you are in some kind of relish, who you tucked her son in the other night, like, what are we doing, Coop?

[Rob Mahoney]

I would like to think that that's the cocaine talking, but I agree with you. This isn't a character that we're supposed to love. And we're obviously not supposed to love all his decisions.

[Joanna Robinson]

Right?

[Rob Mahoney]

He and Sam's relationship, as much as, like, I would like to see some version of it work, does not seem like it's headed in that direction.

[Joanna Robinson]

It doesn't work, but, like, have some respect for the woman that you've been, like, hooking up with and who just.

[Rob Mahoney]

Told you she was leaving town. And then you're texting her, you up. Like, within, oh, 24 hours, you up.

[Joanna Robinson]

And she's like, I'm out of town. Remember? I was so upset when I saw that.

[Rob Mahoney]

I told you two things. I'm out of town and we're broken up, and somehow you've forgotten both of them within the span of a day. It's really tough stuff.

[Joanna Robinson]

And then what does he do? He thumbs up. He thumbs up, Coop. Gross.

[Rob Mahoney]

Coop sucks. Most of the characters in the show kind of suck, but have some redeeming qualities. And I do appreciate that from an ally perspective, that they're trying to make that character in some ways, challenging and unlikable and give her things to do that are not super straightforward. Let me roll over the back of your couch and be the kind of very appealing and inviting, charismatic sister they're trying to do things with these characters. I just. I Don't know, Joe. It is too spread out. You're absolutely right.

[Joanna Robinson]

Do you want to, like, zero in on the murder mystery? Like, where. What, like, thread are you most interested in following for the rest of the season?

[Rob Mahoney]

I do think we're gonna zero in on the murder mystery, whether we would like to or not. And we did get an email from Emily, who was answering our prompt about what's gonna happen with Chekov's trunk. We've seen Coop's trunk pop open repeatedly over the course of the season. So far, we guessed either there's gonna be stolen goods back there, maybe the dead body will be back there if Coop tries to smuggle it out. What Emily suggested is, what if Coop himself is put by maybe Thomas and maybe somebody else into his own trunk and is able to escape because of that latch? What do you think about that idea?

[Joanna Robinson]

On the one hand, I really love that idea. I do. I think that's really clever. On the other hand, I really think it needs to be something that screws Coop over because he has just neglected it all season. It's just another symbol, like, another example of something he's neglected. Being a dad, being a husband, figuring out literally anything to do that doesn't require ripping off your friends and neighbors, et cetera. I would love that. This. To bite him in the ass a bit, actually. But I don't know. I really. I know you're. What you're saying. You're agreeing with me when you're like, coop is not likable. I just don't know that the show agrees with me.

[Rob Mahoney]

You don't think so?

[Joanna Robinson]

You know, I don't know. I genuinely don't know.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Joanna Robinson]

I think the show is like, you love Jon Ham, don't you? And I'm like, I do. They're like, you let Don Draper get away with a lot of shit, didn't you? I was like, I did. I really did so.

[Rob Mahoney]

But Don was. Don was more charismatic than Coop ultimately. Like, there is a. There is a. Like, it may be a veneer, but there is a veneer there that is more appealing and is a better sell than whatever Coop is doing.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, Don definitely knows how to sell himself. And I also think that, like, when it comes to self reflection, I don't think Don Draper really. Or he didn't fool himself in such an overtly clumsy way. Like, the way in which Don was kidding himself about himself was slower to unravel and stuff like that. Versus, like, when we hear Coop say, shit. And I'm like, that's Wrong. Or you're not paying attention, or, what the fuck are you doing? It's just. It's different. Don Draper problematic fave forever. Coop, you got work to do.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's hard with a dramedy when the lead of your show is both kind of unlikable and also quite dumb. They need a certain kind of competency to win you over. Or else if you're both, then it's like, it's always sunny in Philadelphia. Like, we're veering into farce really, really quickly.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yeah, that's a good point. Like, I can get swept when Don Draper's on the pitch. I can get just, like, swept away by how good he is at that or when he. And so then when he, like, does right by Peggy, I'm like, that's all. And then I forget all the ways in which he's an absolute. Or when he is a terror. I'm just sort of like, is this the price you pay for genius? Or that's the question you have to ask yourself? But, like, for Coop, it's like, is this the price you pay for buffoonery? I was like, what are we. What are we after here? So. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, Joanna Robinson, midlife aspiring pyro.

[Joanna Robinson]

Yes.

[Rob Mahoney]

Preventative car maintenance enthusiast. Are there any other things you want to hit before we get out of here?

[Joanna Robinson]

No, I think we got to all of it. Thank you so much for hitting the Ziggy startup stuff. Stuff like, especially. Oh, I did, like. Here's the last thing I'll say. I like. This is, like, a little thing that I like in shows. Ally calls Cooper Andy, which I don't think anyone else does. And I just really like that, like, the little names you have that, like, you know, your sister you grew up with would call you, but no one else would. I thought that was a really cute little moment.

[Rob Mahoney]

Also explains why I think before this point, the only other character to do it was Ali's therapist. And so now it's like, okay, now I understand why the therapist calls him Andy. This finally makes sense. But thank you to you, Joe. Thank you to Ali's therapist. Thank you to Kai Grady, who's producing for us today. Thank you to everyone who's listening and emailing [e-mail] and please do email us about your midlife crises. I would love to know you're more of a fire or pool kind of person. And we will. We'll see you for the last of us. We'll see you for more. Your friends and neighbors. We'll see you for the rehearsal. At least Jody and Charles will. We'll see you next time.

[Joanna Robinson]

Bye.