'Your Friends & Neighbors' Episode 4: One Birkin Too Far

Summary

Summary of "The Prestige TV Podcast" Episode: 'Your Friends & Neighbors' Episode 4: One Birkin Too Far
Release Date: April 25, 2025
Hosts: Joyner Robinson and Rob Mahoney

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Introduction

In Episode 4 of the "Your Friends & Neighbors" series titled "One Birkin Too Far," hosts Joyner Robinson and Rob Mahoney delve deep into the intricacies of the latest installment of the show. Amidst a backdrop of real-world events, including NBA playoffs and player injuries, the hosts focus on dissecting character developments, plot progression, and thematic elements that shape the narrative of "Your Friends & Neighbors."

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Listener Feedback and Emails

Early in the episode, Joyner and Rob address feedback from their audience, acknowledging that listeners are "mildly enjoying" the show. Joyner mentions, "[...] they seem to be intrigued, but maybe not fully hooked yet" (00:34), indicating a generally positive but cautious reception from the fanbase.

Notable Listener Comments:

• Eric's Observation: Jon Hamm's voiceover in the show mirrors his work in Mercedes commercials, creating a "dissonance" where Coop decries exorbitant wealth alongside a luxury brand's narration (01:46).
• Joseph's Insight: Discusses the complexity of Coop's likability, emphasizing that characters don't need to be likable to be engaging. He shares, "I don't root for Coop because I want good things for him. I root for Coop because if he can figure out a way to navigate through this crap, maybe I can..." (02:10).
• Erica's Comparison: Suggests the showrunner resembles Jason Bateman, though Joyner notes that similar characters exist in other shows like "Ozark" and "Arrested Development."

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Jon Hamm’s Voiceover and Coop’s Character Development

A significant portion of the discussion centers on Jon Hamm's portrayal of Coop and the impact of his voiceover style.

• Rob Mahoney reflects on Hamm's voiceover, stating, "Jon Hamm's voice work on the Mercedes Benz commercials is maybe even a little more in tune than what it can sometimes be on your friends and neighbors" (02:10). He critiques the show's dialogue, describing it as "gobbledygook" reminiscent of Mad Men pitches, yet appreciates the Don Draper-esque undertones.

• Character Complexity: The hosts explore Coop's flawed nature. Rob mentions, "Coop exists in this gray area, sometimes he's an asshole, sometimes he's likable" (04:27), highlighting the nuanced writing that keeps audiences uncertain about their stance on Coop.

Key Quotes:

• Joyner Robinson: "Don's like, if you don't have this car, are you really alive?" (02:47).
• Rob Mahoney: "I want to see people grow over the course of a show. [...] The modulation is not always exactly where you would want it week to week" (04:27).

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Comparisons to Other TV Shows

Listeners and hosts draw parallels between "Your Friends & Neighbors" and other television series, situating it within a broader TV landscape context.

• Sean's Comparison: Points out similarities to "Weeds," "Hung," and "Californication," suggesting the show evokes a "different time in the TV landscape" without being unpleasant (06:43).
• Linda Holmes's Perspective: Agrees that the show feels somewhat disconnected from present-day reality but acknowledges its unique charm (07:07).

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Main Plot Discussion

The hosts outline the primary storylines of Episode 4, categorizing them into three main plots:

1. Coop and Elena's Business Partnership:

   • Joyner expresses initial enthusiasm about Coop and Elena teaming up but later voices concerns over class warfare themes being undercut by subplots involving Latino characters engaging in morally ambiguous activities (08:53).

2. Interactions with Four Intelligent Women:

   • The narrative explores Coop's relationships with four women who exhibit varying degrees of interest in him. Joyner categorizes these interactions as attempts to "fudge Coop to varying degrees" (08:55).

3. Mel's Emotional Struggle:

   • Mel's continued desire for Coop is highlighted as a poignant subplot. Joyner refers to it as aligning with the "comedy plot of remarriage" (15:12), drawing comparisons to classic screwball comedies and modern narratives like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

Subplots:

• Return of Liv Cross: Brief comeback of a favorite character adds depth to the storyline.
• Coop's Potential Litigation: Explores the ramifications of Coop's wrongful termination, adding tension and stakes to his character arc.

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Character Dynamics and Development

The interplay between characters is a focal point of the episode's analysis.

• Elena's Character Arc:

  • Rob critiques Elena's characterization, noting that her dialogue blends too seamlessly with other characters, causing her to "lose her appeal" (11:07).
  • Despite her functional role in the narrative, there’s a lack of distinctiveness that hampers her impact.

• Coop vs. Nick:

  • A stark contrast is drawn between Coop's genuine connection to Mel and Nick's superficial understanding. Rob appreciates the "shorthand storytelling" that showcases the deep bond between Coop and Mel (18:40).
  • The discussion touches upon Coop’s knowledge of Mel's preferences, highlighting his attentiveness compared to Nick’s lackluster gestures.

Notable Interactions:

• Tori's Confrontation: Tori confronts Coop about his absence and lack of effort in their family life, emphasizing themes of accountability and emotional neglect (16:13).

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Notable Moments and Performances

The episode highlights several standout scenes and performances that contribute to the show's depth and emotional resonance.

• Mel's Birthday Party:

  • Joyner lauds the heartfelt moments between Mel and Coop, particularly Coop's thoughtful gestures like the brown paper bag lunch and the symbolic bow in Mel's hair (16:13).
  • Rob appreciates Coop's understanding of Mel's subtle cues, contrasting it with Nick's more superficial attempts ([17:40]).

• Ally's Acoustic Performance:

  • An impromptu rendition of a Thompson Twins song by Ally sparks mixed reactions. Joyner finds it baffling, while Rob critiques the practicality of such performances within the narrative (22:07).

• Comedic Elements:

  • Humorous exchanges, such as Coop mopping up blood from a basketball court (09:22), add levity to the otherwise intense storyline.

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Character Backstories and Subplots

Additional layers are explored through secondary characters and their respective storylines.

• Barney’s Money Troubles:

  • Explores Barney’s financial issues juxtaposed with his attractive wife, providing insight into his personal struggles (22:56).

• Sam and Olivia Munn’s Character:

  • Rob praises Olivia Munn’s performance, particularly her chemistry with Jon Hamm, despite uncertainties about her character’s motivations and humanity (25:31).

• Coop’s Use of Technology:

  • An explanation is given for Coop’s lack of concern over security cameras due to his use of a Wi-Fi jamming device, though Joyner remains skeptical about its plausibility (26:54).

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Listener’s NBA Email Discussion

A lengthy email from listener John delves into identifying an NBA player who fits specific criteria related to the show’s character Nick.

• John's Profile for Nick:

  • Attributes: Three-time All-Star, Olympian, one-time NBA champion, played for the Knicks, height between 6'3" and 6'7", slender frame.

• Potential Comparisons:

  • Rip Hamilton: Three-time All-Star and one-time champion but doesn’t fit the Knicks or Olympic criteria.
  • Karan Butler: Two-time All-Star and one-time champion, more defensive but with a thicker frame, making him an unlikely match.
  • Richard Jefferson: Ultimately deemed the closest fit despite some discrepancies.

• Unique Observation: Nick's jersey number 79 is highlighted as a novelty, as no NBA player has ever worn that number, complicating the search (28:54).

Rob's Response:

Rob concurs with John’s analysis, suggesting that the elusive nature of Nick's character makes it challenging to find a perfect NBA counterpart. He appreciates the complexity of combining all the specified traits (28:55).

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Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Wrapping up the episode, Joyner and Rob express gratitude towards their contributors and highlight upcoming content.

• Acknowledgments:

  • Thanking Justin Sales and Kevin Pooler for their contributions, along with Ramahony and other team members (29:57).

• Upcoming Coverage:

  • Teasing future discussions, including more coverage of "The Last of Us," indicating a diverse range of topics on the podcast (30:20).

Final Remarks:

Joyner emphasizes the show's steady progression while maintaining engagement through thoughtful analysis and listener interaction. Rob echoes the sentiment, promising more in-depth discussions in future episodes.

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Key Takeaways

• Character Depth: "Your Friends & Neighbors" offers complex characters like Coop, whose flawed nature drives the narrative and keeps audiences invested.

• Thematic Exploration: The show navigates themes of wealth disparity, personal accountability, and the intricacies of human relationships.

• Listener Engagement: The podcast effectively incorporates listener feedback, fostering a community of engaged and thoughtful viewers.

• Comparative Analysis: By situating the show within the context of similar TV series, the hosts provide a richer understanding of its place in contemporary television.

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This summary encapsulates the comprehensive discussion between Joyner Robinson and Rob Mahoney, highlighting their critical insights and the multifaceted nature of "Your Friends & Neighbors." For those yet to watch the episode, this overview offers a thorough glimpse into the show's current trajectory and the hosts' analytical perspectives.

Transcript

[Joyner Robinson]

Hello. Welcome back to the Prestige TV podcast feed. I'm Joyner Robinson.

[Rob Mahoney]

I'm Rob Mahoney.

[Joyner Robinson]

We're here today to talk to you about your Friends and neighbors, episode four. There's a lot going on in the Prestige feed, in content in general. I don't know if you know this, Rob Moane, but Jimmy Butler got injured.

[Rob Mahoney]

Wow.

[Joyner Robinson]

Tell me about it. I have nothing to say this. I was just like google what happened in the NBA to explain why Rob might be busy. So Rob is very busy with NBA stuff. It's the playoffs, et cetera, et cetera. I have to go record, I don't know, nine hours of and or content. There's a lot going on. But we did want to dip in briefly to check in on your friends and neighbors. We heard from you all via email. You, you can always reach us prestigepotify.com and we heard that you guys are, I don't know, mildly enjoying this show.

[Rob Mahoney]

Seemingly intrigued, I would say the consensus.

[Joyner Robinson]

Yeah, it seems like maybe people aren't.

[Rob Mahoney]

Fully on the hook, but they've seen enough to want to know what happens. They're enjoying some of the characters, they're enjoying some of the comedy, if nothing else. Like, people are into it.

[Joyner Robinson]

So this is going to be like kind of a mini pod from us today as we check in with this. So I'm going to hit some emails we got and there is a big basketball email, but I'm going to save that for the end just in case there are some folks listening to this who don't know or with love and respect, Rob care about basketball.

[Rob Mahoney]

Fair enough.

[Joyner Robinson]

We're going to save that for the bottom. But Eric wrote in to say to point out that Jon Hamm does the voiceovers for the Mercedes commercials.

[Rob Mahoney]

Sure does.

[Joyner Robinson]

Since 2010. And that his narrations on the show sound exactly like the commercials. And how odd it is like the dissonance for Eric that this character Coop of Jon Hamm's is sort of decrying exorbitant wealth with the voice of one of our most luxurious brands. Any thoughts on that, Rob?

[Rob Mahoney]

I actually think that Jon Hamm's voice work on the Mercedes Benz commercials is maybe even a little more in tune than what it can sometimes be on your friends and neighbors. That said, the copy on some of those. And I went back and listened. Oh, boy, Joe, it's real. Like, what do you got? Ask Chat GPT to write Mad Men pitches. Kind of gobbledygook. It's not what you want, but, you know, sometimes you have to Lean into that. Especially when you're talking about car sales in particular. They get really amorphous, really ambiguous. You're talking big ideas all of a sudden about being out in front about the frontier and possibility of American life. So it is Don Draper in a way.

[Joyner Robinson]

Absolutely. Don's like, if you don't have this car, are you really alive? And that's.

[Rob Mahoney]

Who knows?

[Joyner Robinson]

That's sort of the vibe. Okay. Joseph wrote in on. On our question. We got actually several emails about this question of Coop and likability or a Jon Hamm character and likability. And as we pointed out last week, we don't need characters to be likable to be interested in them. That's not a prerequisite for me or for Rob. But it's something that we were sort of unclear where the show.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Joyner Robinson]

Was with this.

[Rob Mahoney]

Where does the writing want us to land with this character? Is kind of what we're trying to figure out.

[Joyner Robinson]

So something that Joseph wrote in about was this idea of, you know, this showrunner Jonathan Trapper's novels and the protagonist in his novels. And he wrote to me, I don't identify with the flaws or choices of these characters, identify with their feelings, the metaphorical drowning, the silent desperation. I don't root for Coop because I want good things for him. I root for Coop because if he can figure out a way to navigate through this crap, maybe I can, knowing that I'm not going to make half the terrible decisions he makes because I don't suck. Does that work for you, Rob, in terms of threading the needle on likability or not? I think it's compelling to think about that, though. I will say, you know, I really. I think I've only identified three main story lines this week. And, and. And three is a little generous. Is basically two story lines this week, and one of which serves to make me feel for Coop and the other serves to frustrate me with Coop. And maybe that's where the show wants me.

[Rob Mahoney]

I think that's pretty fair. I do think this overall framing device is a good shout out. And fair as far as flawed characters and what they represent in shows and what you want to see them do on screen. I. If anything, I bump up against when flawed characters get too grand a redemption arc, when they're almost moved too much into likability. I don't want that sort of full swing. I want to see progress. I want to see incremental change in development. I want to see people grow over the course of a show. If that's what the show is asking them to do. But I don't want them to be someone completely unrecognizable to me in a lot of ways. And so Coop existing in this gray area, sometimes he's an asshole, sometimes he's likable. The modulation is not always exactly where you would want it week to week. The overall zone is kind of where I would want that character. I'm just, I'm just still so unsure about where I land on him or so many of the things he says and does.

[Joyner Robinson]

Yeah, it's, it's interesting when he says something like shrug, Sorry about your friend. To Elena, his new accomplice, about the other maid who got fired for his crime because of him. Yeah, that's not. I would say that's not great. I would say, shrug, Sorry about your friend. Not great.

[Rob Mahoney]

But you know mel saying, In 18 years of marriage, you never once asked how I was. Not great.

[Joyner Robinson]

Not great.

[Rob Mahoney]

Now, what you want to hear.

[Joyner Robinson]

Erica wrote in to say on the casting couch for Jon Hamm in your Friends and Neighbors. I feel like this part has Jason Bateman written all over it. Now, Erica, I would agree with you, except Ozark already exists. So we've seen it.

[Rob Mahoney]

Also, Arrested Development already exists. He's played this guy.

[Joyner Robinson]

But, but you're right in terms of. I think Bateman is slightly calibrated. Better to like shrug. Sorry about your friend, but I still kind of like you when you say it than John Hamm is, if that makes sense.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Joyner Robinson]

Yeah. And then our listener Sean wrote in about we were talking about comps, other shows that this remind us of of an earlier age of television. You brought up Weeds. Sean brought up a show that I forgot existed, which is hung the Tom Jane Show. Great, great call out. And California Cation, the David Duchovny show. Californication. I never forget about always thinking about Californication, to be honest with you.

[Rob Mahoney]

So it's a real divorce dad canon that we're establishing.

[Joyner Robinson]

Yeah, it's it. This really does. It's funny. I was listening to NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour talk about this show. I hadn't listened to their episode about it yet. And immediately Linda Holmes identified this exactly what we were talking about, which is just this just feels like a show of a slightly different time in the TV landscape and not in an unpleasant.

[Rob Mahoney]

Way, but in a way that does feel a little bit disconnected from our present tense reality in a certain sense.

[Joyner Robinson]

Last email. Before we get into sort of some of the plots of this week is our Listener Bob wrote in with a basketball question, but one that I understand. So I'm going to include it at the top here, please, which is that wondering why Rick Fox was not hired to play the. The Nick character. Now even I know who Rick Fox is. So Bob's point was that he was a real life member of the 2004 Olympics team, has been on the COVID of magazines all, you know, et cetera, et cetera. So any thoughts on the Rick Fox comp there?

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, not to fact check you in real time, Joe, but he was not a member of that Olympic team. He was a. You're not player.

[Joyner Robinson]

You're checking, Bob. Go for it.

[Rob Mahoney]

I apologize. Rick Fox was not on the 2004 Olympic team. That's not a thing.

[Joyner Robinson]

Great.

[Rob Mahoney]

But Rick Fox, quite, quite an interesting actor, I will say, when he pops up in things and has an undeniable charisma on screen. I loved him in Oz a long time ago in particular. But age, age wise, I don't think is quite what they are suggesting that Nick is so.

[Joyner Robinson]

He's 50. I looked it up. He's 55. And David Tallman, who plays Nick is 44. So, you know, and then Amanda, Pete is like 53. So like they were like in the same neighborhood. But I did think about that. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. I feel like part of Nick's character, especially within the country club milieu, is like, this is the younger, athletic, like, very appealing man. And Rick Fox, don't get me wrong, very appealing man in his own right. But you're writing something a little different at that point.

[Joyner Robinson]

All right, so I'm gonna lay out to you what I think are the three main plots of this episode. And you let me know if you disagree. Coop and Elena go into business together.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yep.

[Joyner Robinson]

Four hot, intelligent women kind of maybe sort of want to fudge Coop to varying degrees.

[Rob Mahoney]

Who doesn't, apparently.

[Joyner Robinson]

And then last but not least, Mel is sad and still wants Coop. Happy birthday, Mel.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, are you not including Mel among bracket two?

[Joyner Robinson]

She is, but. But she does have her own stuff.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, yeah.

[Joyner Robinson]

Her own side story. So that's. Those are my top three. And then I have some subplots. This is a very, I feel very Bill Simmons in this moment.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh, I would say the only one you're missing there is the brief return of your favorite character, Liv Cross. And my favorite plotline, which is the potential litigation of Coop's wrongful termination. Why is any of that happening on this show now? I don't know. But we're here and we live here now.

[Joyner Robinson]

I really hate to tell you that I have that as a bullet point. Under four hot, intelligent women maybe sort of want to fuck Coop to varying degrees because that of course includes Liv. But yes, Corbin Bernson's back. We are, we are trying to figure out all of that out. Let's talk about Coop and Elena going into business together and why I last week said I wanted this and now this week I'm not so sure because this has some of that class warfare stuff that I was hoping for going for with implications I was not. Because I think a story about your rich, white, handsome neighbors stealing from you is fun and subversive. Your Latina maid who takes baths in your bath and is buying your security codes off her Latino cousin is not. It's not really cutting the way that I want it to cut. Am I slightly mollified by the storyline of Brad Sperling firing his maid who did nothing because it was a good excuse to quote, you know, bring in some new blood maybe, but. Shrug. Sorry about your friend. So all that being said, Elena is a really. Is an interesting character to me. The journey that we take with her, how many buses and trains and long walks she has to take to get from her home to. To Nick's home, not to mention the comedy toilet montage with her is all good stuff. And this is a good performance, you.

[Rob Mahoney]

Know, so, yeah, it did not occur to me that someone was going to have to mop up all that blood off the basketball court. But very tough scenes for Elena overall.

[Joyner Robinson]

What do you think?

[Rob Mahoney]

I'm struggling with her a little bit. Like, I think she's a fine enough character like you. I actually really think the idea of the housekeeper gossip network is such a clever concept. But yeah, juxtaposed with Coop's story, intertwining hers into his, the kind of like fast track nature of their relationship, where they go from two people who clearly know each other and have like a previous almost like sort of quasi professional domestic relationship to now they're just like business partners who have this repartee. And frankly, I would say my biggest complaint about Elena is that even though you're right, that her circumstances present an interesting counterpoint for the show and the show digs into that a little bit. In a way I want to talk about. The way she's written is just the way that most of the other characters on the show are written. Like her banter sounds like their banter. And so when we get into the point where everyone's voice is kind of overlapping, I lose a character Like, Elena loses some of the appeal for me.

[Joyner Robinson]

I think you've really, like, nailed something that I was bumping on without being able to identify it on the show, which is everyone does sound a little bit like each other, and it's this sort of very glib, talky vibe that. That Sorkin light or whatever you want to call it. But. But if it's everyone, then it's not anyone. So that's where I'm sitting. I don't know. Like, I. I agree, like, some of the montaging with. With the network, her talking about the specifics of this panther bracelet or that Birkin bag, like, that is interesting to me. There's just something off about it. I love you. Identifying the fast tracking of their relationship where she's just, like, at home using her. His face to open his phone and, like, doordashing supplies to fix him. Like, it's all just sort of. I don't know, maybe I wanted Elena there from the beginning is. Is the calibration of the timing of the season off for me, but something is not hitting the way that I was hoping it would hit. What else do you want to identify about Elena?

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, to her credit and to the show's credit, I think she plays a really important role functionally and in terms of the writing of the show, which is she mitigates the need for some of that voiceover, making her the, like, the guy in the chair for Coop, effectively where he can riff with her while he's going through these jobs and sort of, like, troubleshoot the alarms and do all those things. That's a welcome presence on the show.

[Joyner Robinson]

I really agree. Yeah. Yeah, that's a great point.

[Rob Mahoney]

And to what I was saying earlier too, you know, we talked about last time, how Coop's stakes in so many of these things are different from the. Because of who he is and the kind of position he occupies in the world. Right. The lawsuit means something different to him than it does to Liv. And we do get the kind of nod to the idea that if they get caught, what it means for Coop and what it means for Elena are totally different.

[Joyner Robinson]

Right.

[Rob Mahoney]

Like, her cousin says she's at risk of being deported if you guys get pinched on this versus, let's be honest, he's probably just gonna walk away scot free. Even if he gets caught with a Birkin in hand, a Birkin in a.

[Joyner Robinson]

Hand, and a dog clamped down on his leg, he's still gonna be fine.

[Rob Mahoney]

Okay, let's. Why would the dog be so moved by tossing the Birkin its way the.

[Joyner Robinson]

Dog, like many people, loves a fine, luxurious leather. Good. I don't know.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, it is a product that you cannot ask for that you must be invited. It's like a vampire situation. You have to be invited to accept it. And so the dog cannot ask for what it wants, which is the Birkin. It simply must wait until a Jon Hamm tosses a Birkin to it.

[Joyner Robinson]

Let's work a sinner's mention into every single podcast.

[Rob Mahoney]

Why not?

[Joyner Robinson]

Okay, listen, I was watching a sort of like, cute little Apple tv. We have Olivia Munn and Amanda Pete and Jon Hamm here, and we're gonna ask them cute little questions video. And one question was, what would you steal from the set if you could steal anything? And Amanda Pete was like a Birkin bag. And I was like, really? Amanda Pete? Like you don't have.

[Rob Mahoney]

You're not in. Yeah.

[Joyner Robinson]

A Birkin bag or, you know, whatever. And then John. And then it cut to Jon Hamm saying nothing. Like, cutting the person off saying nothing. I don't give a. About things.

[Rob Mahoney]

From the voice of Mercedes Benz himself.

[Joyner Robinson]

One of the funnies things I've ever heard Don Draper say. So it was pretty great.

[Rob Mahoney]

Tremendous.

[Joyner Robinson]

All right. Yeah. Okay, so let's talk about the Mel Teeny party. This is the part of the show that has the best chance of catching my love and affection and attention, which is. This is my very. One of my very favorite genres, which is something called the comedy plot of remarriage or the tragedy plot of remarriage, if you want. And this is something that is usually used to talk about a certain kind of screwball comedy. So like the Philadelphia Story, His Girl Friday. But you can use. Apply it to, like, his eternal sunshine and spotless mind. The parent trap, Mr. And Mrs. Smith, Shakespeare, much Ado About Nothing. It's when a. When a couple who work together come back together and. And reunite, and there's this sense of they belong together. There is belonging there, there is yearning there. And there is this sense, you know that phrase, like, you can't make new old friends. You can't make new old first wives. You know what I mean? Like, there's just this.

[Rob Mahoney]

They do say that.

[Joyner Robinson]

They do say you can put on a pillow. There's something like quite beautiful about the Coop and Mel sort of like yearning and nostalgia. For sure. It's a little harder to buy on Coop's front with the aforementioned three other women that he is like, you know, flirting with inside of this episode. That being said, I think the moment at the end of the episode with melon. The. And the. And the fireball birthday gift. And the brown, like, sack lunch bag was very, very good. I love that it's there versus the Meltini, which was right. Like, Nick was right about that. A dirty margin. Like, he was right. He's just the wrong guy. But it was. But it's not like he's this blundering idiot not paying attention. I mean, he is to a certain degree. Because she didn't want this party in the first place. But, like, in terms of that, like, I know what you like. Like, I pay attention. I know what cocktail you like. Unfortunately, Coop's like, I know what childhood candy you liked, which is just like a little. Hits a little harder. I'm just gonna wrap this up with a. With a bow. Like the bow in Mel's hair at this party and say with love and respect, all of this, which, again, has great opportunity to capture my interest. You can't do sad middle aged white woman on a trampoline. You can't do, after the leftovers use the Wu Tang Clan to do it.

[Rob Mahoney]

So there's only room in prestige TV for one cathartic trampoline jump. It really is already spoken for.

[Joyner Robinson]

It belongs to Carrie Coon. I'm so sorry.

[Rob Mahoney]

And Regina King. We should say both.

[Joyner Robinson]

And Regina King, definitely. So, like, I don't know, put her a sad swing set. Like, I don't know what other thing we could have done, but as soon as I saw her on the trampoline, I was like, we can't do this. It belongs to another show. How are you feeling about this whole plot?

[Rob Mahoney]

I also enjoy it. And I think you isolated something in there. And the contrast between Coop and Nick, that's really interesting, that difference between the meltini and the candies, or really the party and the candies in the unassuming brown paper bag. It's sort of the difference between knowing things about someone versus knowing someone. Like, Nick knows these things that she likes, and Coop knows that she doesn't want the pomp and circumstance. She doesn't want the glowing table party with all of her friends and all of her family there. Like, she wants something lower key.

[Joyner Robinson]

Right?

[Rob Mahoney]

And he knows that enough to present it to her in a way that, like, that's the kind of familiarity that I love seeing in a show. And that kind of, like, shorthand storytelling of these people really have this bond. They may not have always worked. They may not have been a good pair by the end of their relationship, the end of their marriage, but they get each other on a fundamental level. And I like that for the Mel character. You know, I think in some sense, you could look at Mel and say she's going through her own parallel crisis in this. That in some ways is independent of Coop, but in some ways can never be right. Like, they share custody of their children. They're constantly working together. Their separation is still so fresh that they're both processing it in their own ways. And so the idea that she kind of keeps getting pulled back to him in various capacities within the show, I think makes good sense for where that character is.

[Joyner Robinson]

This is also, I think, a really strong Tori episode. Tori gets this confrontation with her dad where she's like, you didn't even try. You didn't even fight for us. You just, like, peaced out. And I think, again, that is sort of fulfilling something that I was hoping for where, again, I was listening to, you know, a different review of the show where they were identifying Mel as, like, the villain and. Which is never something that I thought, but I could see from a certain point of view, you're like, cheating spouse. Maybe you could put her in. In that bucket if you wanted to.

[Rob Mahoney]

Villain in the way that, like, law enforcement is the villain in Goodfellas. Like, I don't understand.

[Joyner Robinson]

I don't agree, but I'm like, I can see if you were expecting a different kind of show or, I don't know, something like that. But, like, you don't put Amanda Pete to just give her. Make her like a cardboard cheating spouse, I want your money kind of character. And so here we are several episodes later. But we were getting hints of this throughout, I would say. And so this table turning of us being in Coop's perspective and him being like, poor, poor, pitiful me. All this stuff happened to me, right? My job was taken from me, and I didn't do anything to deserve that. My marriage was taken from me. I didn't do anything to deserve that. My. My kids, blah, blah. To what was your role in all of this? As characters have been asking him throughout his. His bff Barney is asking him, like, you think this has nothing to do with you, where you've landed.

[Rob Mahoney]

Here you are but a passenger on this vehicle.

[Joyner Robinson]

So I think Tori calling it out so explicitly was really good inside of this episode.

[Rob Mahoney]

It needed some of that sort of calling out. And I'm sure it'll continue to happen from various characters. I think Torey doing it specifically, as you said, not just, why didn't you fight for us and our family, but you're like, not showing up in general. And people are starting to take notice that every time there's a group meeting, you're off robbing somebody's house. Eyeing now the paintings on the wal, which is a bad idea. Don't ever get into art theft. It seems really messy overall, though, I would say on the counterpoint to that, you get Tori and her mom with Mel doing her makeup. And I think a lot of really tender and earnest moments in this episode in particular. I thought this was easily the most earnest this show has been between that between Mel and Ally getting to interact. And you see the relief that Mel has that Allie showed up to her party. And Jo, as someone who loves a musical moment, how did you feel about Ally's impromptu acoustic performance of Hold Me now, the song that she just talked about in therapy that she was not able to even listen to as recently as, I don't know, a couple weeks ago?

[Joyner Robinson]

I do love a musical moment. Yeah, I do enjoy the Thompson Twins. Ally was giving energy that I was not when she was like, yeesh, I'm gonna fix this with. Anyway, here's. Wonderwall was like.

[Rob Mahoney]

This is the problem with people who come tethered to an acoustic guitar, or in this case, I guess need their. Need their nephew to go fetch one, but they just can't be trusted in these circumstances.

[Joyner Robinson]

Fetch me my guitar. Let me grab this duel. I don't know. And then everyone was like, oh, I love this acoustic rendition of the Thompson Twins.

[Rob Mahoney]

That's what they showed up for, was a person they don't know singing the Thompson Twins.

[Joyner Robinson]

I. I was baffled by this moment and what I was meant to feel about it. But we do so here. Let me run through a few side plots that we have inside. Barney has money troubles of his own.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yep.

[Joyner Robinson]

And a very hot wife.

[Rob Mahoney]

I will say on that. On that front, she makes a very compelling case as to why he shouldn't worry about the money, I guess. Don't throw your toothbrush on the floor. I don't care how compelling the case is. Don't do it.

[Joyner Robinson]

He's not that he. He's not using that toothbrush again. Don't worry about it. You might as well have thrown it in the trash. It's over. It's over for you.

[Rob Mahoney]

Why? I hope. I really hope so, but I don't know. We see characters on TV do some truly nasty things with their toothbrushes.

[Joyner Robinson]

I want to say one moment that I loved in terms of, like, lived in relationship. Feelings that are not over explained when they're playing golf. And Barney, like, hits the. Hits the ball. And Coop goes, there you go, Barney. As if to be like. And now we know that Barney historically sucks at golf, and Coop is, like, constantly trying to bolster him, Which I really liked that moment because Coop, Sister Ally, who you mentioned, A, goes to therapy. B, watches old episodes of Jeopardy. That's. That was, like, quite an old episode. I could tell by the font on the. On the categories. Okay. Coop's parents remain the worst. Yep.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, at least. At least the mom. The dad is at least a little better.

[Joyner Robinson]

He's better, but, like, if you stay married to her and sort of, like, silently complicit, you also suck. Also, Nana isn't racist anymore.

[Rob Mahoney]

Deeply relatable.

[Joyner Robinson]

There's that Uber driver she told us about.

[Rob Mahoney]

Deeply relatable element of this show.

[Joyner Robinson]

Lou has him on camera coming and going quite frequently in a way that I found truly alarming.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, well, we should say Coop and Elaine are doing work out there. Like, the part of the fast tracking is the montaging of their relationship where now he has a big old pile of money. Like they've been doing jobs.

[Joyner Robinson]

I guess that's true. And then, last but not least, Rob, when do you think Chekhov's Maserati trunk is going to, I don't know, reveal a dead body or something?

[Rob Mahoney]

The only question to me is, will it have a body or will it have stolen goods?

[Joyner Robinson]

Yeah. Will it be the painting or will it be the sat key answers, or will it be a dead body? I don't know.

[Rob Mahoney]

I kind of think it's the body. I think the follow up to the cold open scene we saw of Coop trying to mop up the blood is he feels scared about his presence there in general and potential evidence linking him to this body. And so he decides to take the body and then the trunk pops at some point in front of I don't know who, but obviously someone who should not see a dead body in his trunk.

[Joyner Robinson]

Someone not great, I would guess. Okay, what have we not hit that you want to make sure that we hit here?

[Rob Mahoney]

I don't know what to do with Sam. Olivia Munn, I enjoy her performance on this show a lot. I think there's very satisfying parts of her just getting to talk shit to Paul in this episode. Say her piece. I enjoy the lines.

[Joyner Robinson]

Also loved when her friend. When Paul's like, can we have a moment? And her friends are like, no, absolutely not.

[Rob Mahoney]

That's not how this works. I also think to her and Jon Hamm's credit, there's some real Heat in their performances. There's a chemistry there that really works. Her response to seeing another woman at Coop's place being, I'm gonna send him some tasteful nudes. I just don't know what this character is and what version of humanity it even vaguely represents.

[Joyner Robinson]

It's very messy. And it was like, so. It was so clunky when, like, he walks Liv out and she gives him a kiss. And I was like, it has to be Olivia Munn in the driveway watching this. Like, of course it is. And that's just like a little boring, honestly. Okay, anything else about this episode before we get to our final, very lengthy basketball email that we got from John?

[Rob Mahoney]

Joe, I do have one more thing. Yeah, we finally got a concrete answer as to why Coop was not concerned about walking into his ultra rich friend's homes and did not seem to pay any mind to the possibility of a security camera. Apparently he's been using like a wi fi related jamming device this whole time, and I guess they just forgot to tell us.

[Joyner Robinson]

But here's what I don't believe is that there aren't cameras, like all over that neighborhood.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh, completely.

[Joyner Robinson]

When he's tearing ass through, like, fields.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, first he's running directly down the middle of a road. I mean, I haven't done a lot of getaways in my life. That seems like bad strategy.

[Joyner Robinson]

All right, here, let's go to John's email, which goes a little something like this. Please let me know how many times I mispronounce a name or something like that. John says of your trying to identify a single NBA player here. I don't think there's any one player that hits all the signifiers. Three time All Star, Olympian, one time NBA champ, played for the Knicks, somewhere in the 6:3, 6:7 range with a slender frame. The UConn logo on Knicks court, though, led me down a Husky alumni path, which led me to two more players in the mix. Rip Hamilton and Karen Butler. Did I pronounce that correctly? That sounds better than Karen Butler. Okay, Karan. All right, Rip. Three time All Star, one time champ, doesn't fit the Knicks or the Olympics part of the profile, but does have a similar build as Nick, who to me feels like a shooting guard. The Internet notes that Mark Tallman is 6:3, though he's probably trying to pull off 6:5 6:6 for his show. That rim is probably 8.59ft for the purpose of making the dunk look easier. Butler, two time All Star, one time champ, also does not fit the Knicks or Olympic mold. But he's more of a defensive player than Rip, which fits Knicks offering 1,000 to anyone who could score in him. I feel like rip would offer 1,000 to anyone who could keep him from scoring. Butler probably has a bit too thick of a frame to really be Nick though. But the biggest what the fuck moment of Nick's career, and this is something I learned. Thanks so much John. The biggest what the fuck moment of Nick's career for you was the fact that he wore number 79. I have never in my life seen that number on an NBA jersey. If it wasn't for luka popularizing number 77, any number above 55 would probably look out of place. Aside from your occasional oh, I can't, I can't pronounce any of these names or later, blah blah blah. If basketball reference is correct, that number has never been worn in any NBA game.

[Rob Mahoney]

That is true.

[Joyner Robinson]

Ramoni, care to weigh in on John's email?

[Rob Mahoney]

I'll take the last part first. Number 79 to me reads as a novelty commemorative jersey of some kind and not his. Like he did 79 things. Like sometimes you would see this, for example, players were recently given jerseys who played the entire season 82 games with a jersey that had 82 on it. The problem is I don't know what the hell 79 would be. And I agree ultimately with John that like 79 is not a jersey that anybody in the NBA has ever worn or realistically would probably wear. Very, very unusual number. But I think he, he hits at the heart of what makes the comp just so elusive and I think it's really the combination of only a three time all Star but also a member of an Olympic team and also famous enough that he would be on magazine covers but not so exorbitantly wealthy that he wouldn't need a post career second pivot to owning his own gym. Like we're trying to thread a very specific needle here that I think Karan Butler Hamilton gets close to, but I stand by Richard Jefferson, I gotta say.

[Joyner Robinson]

Okay, well thank you so much John. Thanks so much for teaching me how to pronounce Karan Butler. And thank you to Justin Sales for his work on this podcast feed. It's been a hectic few weeks here on the feed, so thank you so much to Justin for everything he does. Thanks to Kevin Pooler for jumping in on this. Kevin's new to to our feed and really appreciate all the work that he did on this episode. Ramahony, I appreciate you.

[Rob Mahoney]

Thank you Joe. I appreciate you too thanks so much.

[Joyner Robinson]

And we'll be back with more Last of Us coverage. And who, who's to say what else here on the Prestige feed? Where can folks find us for this show and for the last us? Rob, just to remind them, for this.

[Rob Mahoney]

Show, you can find us at [e-mail] and really, for all shows, for all of your general purposes, if you want to email us about the Last of Us for some reason, you can email [e-mail] thanks so much.

[Joyner Robinson]

We'll see you soon. Bye.