The Watch – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Apple TV’s Glossy Programming, ‘The Pitt’ S2E5, and How ‘True Detective’ S2 Explains the World
Air Date: February 6, 2026
Hosts: Andy Greenwald & Chris Ryan, with producer Kaya
Podcast: The Watch (The Ringer)

Episode Overview

This week, Andy and Chris dive into the latest spring/summer Apple TV offerings and discuss the service's distinct style, speculate on Disney's future and entertainment industry leadership changes, break down Season 2, episode 5 of The Pitt, debate London vs. American city-based TV, reflect on the legacy of True Detective Season 2, and touch on other pop culture topics (from Muppets and streaming woes to sports and legacy acts in film and TV). The show is filled with their signature pop-culture references, dry wit, and friendly banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

[03:32] Disney’s Executive Shuffle and the Future of Franchises

• News: Disney names Josh D’Amaro as successor to Bob Iger, with Dana Walden’s portfolio expanding.
• Host Reactions:
  • Chris wonders about Disney’s direction after “Secret Wars” and “Mandalorian” wrap.
  • Both see Disney’s focus shifting to parks and live experiences as their most stable, expandable business.
  • Speculation about the next big Marvel phases, especially the X-Men (“Just give me the X-Men…They’re being so coy with that” – Chris, 07:34).
  • Andy riffs on the optics of Disney’s “tidy” succession and their aversion to giving a woman the top job: “they wanted everything to be as tidy as possible…” (08:29).

[09:39] Apple TV Press Day – The Branding of Glossy Streaming

• News: Apple holds its first major TV press day, releasing teasers for several spring/summer originals.
• Meta Observation: Chris and Andy note the uniformity and “brand” of Apple TV shows: glossy, big-name casts, quick teaser drops, and a measure of narrative sameness.
• Weekly Frustrations: Andy complains about constantly having to email different Apple PR reps for screeners, humorously highlighting the “struggle” of TV coverage (10:04–10:22).

[12:22] Spring/Summer Apple TV Previews & The “Apple TV Aesthetic”

• Friends and Neighbors S2
  • Returning in June, adds James Marsden.
  • Chris: trailer feels like a “soft reset”; Andy: higher hopes for season two, likes when it’s “clubby, glitzy”.
  • Both have strong opinions about the trope of “season two flashbacks”– Chris threatens: “If this season starts with a flashback, I’m out.” (15:02)
• Lucky
  • Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Annette Bening, Timothy Olyphant, about a con artist on the run.
  • Both hosts impressed: “Very visually dynamic…made me more interested.” (16:55–17:14)
• Anya Taylor-Joy Career Chat
  • Andy: “There’s also a difference…between interesting and charismatic. The fact that she might not be a movie star does not make her less interesting or talented, but she’s been positioned to be both. And that can be a tough place to be.” (21:07)
  • Chris: “She’s on a post-Queen’s Gambit…slowly going up the stairs of stardom again.” (20:48)
• Other Apple Projects:
  • Imperfect Women: coming soon, Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington, Kate Mara.
  • Margo’s Got Money Troubles: Michelle Pfeiffer, Elle Fanning, Nick Offerman.
  • Hosts note all projects are adaptation-heavy, feature giant casts, and present a “tidal wave” of expensive programming.
  • Andy: "As a branding exercise...I absolutely can tell you what an Apple TV show is now..." (23:34)
  • Chris: compares Apple's approach to how some people treat CBS shows as comforting, default television (25:23).

[26:00] Kaya’s Streaming Struggles

• Producer Kaya laments losing access to her parents’ HBO Max account and needing screener access, prompting light banter about the changing streaming landscape and login restrictions.

[33:22] The Pitt S2E5 Breakdown

• Both continue their praise for the series, specifically how week-to-week viewing enhances the show's impact.
  • Chris: “There are some thrilling moments and some clunky moments, but it’s a TV show that is giving me week to week, a lot of joy.” (33:28)
• Robbie, The Main Character:
  • Now “fully the main character,” characterized as “tall, dark, handsome and complicated.” (34:09)
  • Both note his recklessness is rising as he prepares to leave, with Andy pointing out the "Chekov's motorcycle/helmet" moment as a major flag for Robbie’s headspace (37:18).
  • Chris: “He’s like, I’m not coming back to work tomorrow. So, bring me up on charges or don’t.” (36:13)
• Langdon Conflict:
  • Lingering tension with Robbie, but due to the show’s real-time format, avoidance “feels more pronounced.” (39:10)
• Alashimi & Joy:
  • Mixed feelings on new chief (Alashimi); Andy feels she's too much “a looming administrative presence.”
  • New character Joy’s motivations are more nuanced, with speculation about her past and inner conflicts.
• Show's Structure:
  • Andy praises the “frog in boiling water” shift in tension this season, compared to the overt disaster setup of S1 (“...this season feels like it is intentionally doing more of a frog in boiling water type of thing.”–38:27)
• Patient & Medical Drama Details:
  • MRSA/necrotizing fasciitis (“neck fash”) case analyzed; Andy lauds the visual intensity and procedural accuracy.
  • Segments on death doula and end-of-life care; MacGyver nostalgia.
  • Jokes about the realism of hospital TV (e.g., TV doctors not masking: “But they're not masking because they are actors with pretty expressive faces…”–45:36).
  • Chris: “It’s really enjoyable to watch every week.” (44:08)
• Meta TV Commentary:
  • Andy: praises the ensemble's choreography; “...the ambient noise of case after case is building up.” (43:02)

[56:03] Steel (Amazon Prime) Review

• Chris introduces Steel as a “stylish, cool little heist show” starring Sophie Turner.
• Andy notes parallels to Industry (London specificity, post–Game of Thrones actors loosening up), with shoutouts to the supporting cast and writer/directors.
  • “Sophie Turner...fun and charismatic...not that she was bad in Game of Thrones, but that show doesn’t allow a certain range of motion.” (57:22)
• Pensions heist plot prompts jokes about modern finance and worker security (“Nothing will make you think this country is cooked more than seeing your late parents’ pension payments.”–58:18).
• Discussion of the strength of UK series in their use of real locations and physical place as a storytelling element vs. generic “volume” or Toronto/Atlanta-set American TV.
  • Andy: “...shows are elevated by location shooting and being in a place...I miss it; it's lacking in our American shows.” (65:32)
  • Chris: “...drone shot and whatever the scene is could have been shot anywhere in the world…” (61:19)

[65:32] The Value of Place in TV: US vs. UK

• Deep dive into why UK series like Steel and Slow Horses feel grounded compared to most current American shows.
• Discussion about audience perception, production logistics, and the generic nature of many U.S. network/streamer productions.
  • Both agree U.S. series rarely celebrate physical place, citing rare exceptions (Mr and Mrs. Smith, Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul).
  • Observations about diminished crowd scenes, extras, and the “airlessness” of TV since the rise of remote and studio-based tech.

[65:32] True Detective Season 2 – Critical Reappraisal

• Chris’s “psychopath” rewatch of True Detective S2 springs from recent current events reflecting on conspiracy, institutional rot, and collective online sleuthing.
• S2 Themes: human trafficking, corrupt elites, environmental and financial crime in California.
  • Chris: “If this show came out this year, [it] would be a top five show for me…so fucking good.” (71:03)
• Andy says S2 was “compelling and frustrating in equal measure,” with a stronger sense of authorial control (Pizzolatto) creating mannered, purgatorial performances.
• Praise for Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams.
• Chris: “It’s a show...devoid of redemption…all these characters are absolutely incinerating themselves…” (73:14)
• Discussion of recurring themes: elite cabals (see: Epstein, QAnon), nihilistic worldview, and how the show predicted the cultural moment.
• Andy: “That’s the level of, like, malevolent...almost like Armando Iannucci scripting season 15 of Veep level of cynicism…” (74:37)
• Conversation about prestige TV’s aspirations to “lasting significance” and the dilution of best-in-class work by the medium's sheer volume.
• Chris encourages reappraisal: “...I think [S2] is a level of quality of television that I think is absent from a lot [of TV] today.” (85:36)

[78:44] On Legacy Acts, Lost Projects, and Unfinished Works

• Conversation turns from True Detective to David Lynch’s unmade final project (Unrecorded Night/Wisteria) – Jennifer Lynch may publish the scripts.
• Musings on ambivalence around posthumous or unauthorized continuations (e.g., Anthony Bourdain biopic starring Dominic Sessa).
• Andy: “There’s something incredibly bittersweet about it because no one can do what he did [Lynch].” (82:15)
• Discussion about whether continuing a TV "universe" after the original creator departs (e.g. True Detective: Night Country) feels authentic or worthwhile.

[86:22] Eagles/Sports Corner

• Chris playfully psychoanalyzes Andy’s relationship with sports—wanting his teams to “reflect some sort of goodness.”
• Sadness at a revered Eagles offensive line coach leaving amid Philadelphia drama.
• Chris: “It was. It’s been amazing to deal with you today. Not deal with you. Deal with the world.” (89:29)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Apple TV Brand:
  • Andy: “As a branding exercise...I absolutely can tell you...what an Apple TV show is now in terms of its glossiness, in terms of frenetic pace, often based on pre-existing like Beach Read type material, big names in the cast...” (23:34)
• On The Pitt:
  • Chris: “He’s [Robbie] like, I’m not coming back to work tomorrow. So, bring me up on charges or don’t.” (36:13)
  • Andy: “The show begins with Chekov's motorcycle...the show is telling you everything you need to know about this character's mindset as you go into it.” (37:18)
• Chris on Flashbacks:
  • “If you start your second season with a big event and then go six weeks earlier, I'm fucking out.” (15:13)
• On Anya Taylor-Joy:
  • Andy: “There’s also a difference that is hard to parse…and hard to capitalize on, especially in this very divided media landscape between interesting and charismatic.” (21:07)
• On Streaming Culture:
  • Andy: “...Apple is just like we are selling…the high test Peruvian flake and we are flooding the market with it…” (24:17)
• Place in TV:
  • Andy: “I miss it; it's lacking in our American shows.” (65:32)
• True Detective S2:
  • Chris: “If this show came out, this year, [it] would be a top five show for me…so fucking good. And I can’t believe I didn’t, like, see it at the time…” (71:03)
  • Chris: “It is like a level of quality of television that I think is absent from like a lot today.” (85:46)
  • Andy: “...what's compelling about a lot of what Pizzolatto writes is his absolute micro-targeted fixation on, like, the swirling around the drain. But…that drain is located on his navel…” (74:56)

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• [03:32] – Disney leadership shake-up and entertainment industry news
• [09:39] – Apple TV’s press day and new show teasers
• [12:22] – “Friends and Neighbors” S2, “Lucky,” and Apple TV style
• [17:18] – Anya Taylor-Joy’s curious post–Queen’s Gambit career
• [25:23] – “CBS for millennials” and Apple TV’s hold on certain viewers
• [33:22] – The Pitt S2E5 breakdown: Robbie’s journey, Langdon, and show structure
• [45:36] – TV medicine realism (doctors not masking, “hand trauma”)
• [56:03] – Steel (Amazon Prime) review and the London TV boom
• [65:32] – US vs UK TV, specificity of place, and extras/background issues
• [65:32] – Chris’s True Detective S2 rewatch, cultural import, and thematic resonance
• [78:44] – Lynch’s final project, Bourdain biopic, and posthumous continuation in art
• [86:22] – Eagles breakdown, Andy’s sports emotions, Sixers trade venting

Conclusion

A packed episode, balancing keen pop culture analysis, TV-nerd in-jokes, and broad skeptical warmth for the shifting sands of streaming, TV production, and the endless churn of “content.” Whether evaluating Apple TV’s “glossy” house style, reappraising the much-maligned True Detective S2 in 2026’s context, or breaking down the interpersonal drama at the heart of The Pitt, Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan continue to make insightful, self-deprecating TV talk essential for pop-culture obsessives.