The Watch – December 9, 2025

Golden Globes Nominations, Rewatching ‘Succession,’ and a ‘Landman’ Crash Course With Timothy Simons. Plus, Paramount’s Hostile Takeover

Hosts: Chris Ryan (The Ringer)
Guest Co-host: Tim Simons (Actor, “Nobody Wants This”)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Chris Ryan welcomes actor Tim Simons (subbing for Andy Greenwald) for a packed discussion about the state of awards season (with a focus on the Golden Globes), TV viewing habits, the enduring value of rewatching classics like “Succession” and “Girls,” a critical look at the new season of “Pluribus” and its philosophical intrigue, and a comedic first-timer’s dive into “Landman.” The duo also decompresses about the bombshell news surrounding Netflix and Warner Bros., share hilarious stories from awards shows and life on set, and reflect on how TV programming and consumption has evolved.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Media Industry Shake-Up: Netflix–Warner Bros. Merger and Paramount's Hostile Takeover

[01:39–03:20]

• Chris recaps the breaking news: Netflix striking a deal to acquire Warner Bros. Studios and HBO properties, beating Paramount’s competing bid.
• Paramount retaliates with a hostile takeover attempt.
  • “Warner Brothers is one of the most historically significant institutions in the history of America and entertainment. Their IP treasure chest is probably unrivaled [...] one of the crown jewels of American cultural heritage, and it’s up for grabs.” — Chris Ryan [01:58]
• Chris reflects on Netflix’s rise from DVD-by-mail to industry Goliath, recalling his own forgotten "Scenes from a Marriage" red envelope:
  • “It did make me laugh that this relatively humble, novel company ... is now this Goliath who may swallow up half of the industry.” — Chris Ryan [03:13]

2. Golden Globe (and Other) Nominations: Awards Season & Industry Reflections

[04:33–13:17]

• Tim and Chris celebrate “Nobody Wants This” and other nomination surprises, but poke fun at the mystery and chaos of award shows.
  • “One thing that is cool about [awards] is that it’s an opportunity for underseen movies or television shows to get a bump, to get more people to know about them, to get them into the conversation.” — Tim Simons [06:21]
• Tim’s approach to voting is a mix of integrity and pragmatism (vote for what you’ve seen and loved).
  • “There are 780 television shows — there’s no way you can watch them all!” — Tim Simons [07:32]
• They note frustrations with category confusion and comedy’s second-class status (“One Battle” and “Marty Supreme” in comedy?).
• Discussion of access, publicity boost for obscure shows, and nights in “the room” with Noah Wyle and “Adolescence” cast.
• Memorable moment: Tim admits that award notifications usually leave him initially confused:
  • “My phone is blowing up, my first question is, ‘What happened?’” — Tim Simons [09:36]
• Both advocate for the career and personal morale boosts nominations can provide.

3. The Changing TV Ecosystem: Comedy Categories, Lead-ins, & Streaming Era Programming

[11:06–31:25]

• Expansive talk about how categories like “comedy” and “musical” have become blurred, and how comedies struggle for recognition.
• “It’s almost better if...there just aren’t enough comedies being made as feature films anymore.” — Chris Ryan [12:24]
• Awards result rundown for major TV categories (drama, comedy, limited series) with quips about real/imagined shows like “The Girlfriend.”
• The nostalgia for the lost art of constructing a network “night” — the Game of Thrones–Girls–Veep HBO Sunday lineup:
  • “Dude, like the idea of, like, stitching together a night of programming ... by having a Game of Thrones lead-in ... is a lost art form.” — Chris Ryan [29:45]
• Streaming makes for solitary, binge-based viewing vs. communal appointment TV.

4. TV & Movie Habits: The Comfort and Value of Rewatching

[16:32–24:36]

• Tim’s habits skew much more to movies during shooting seasons, catching up on essential TV later.
• Rewatching (“Girls,” “Succession”) offers new perspectives, fuels nostalgia, and exposes previously missed nuances:
  • “In the past year, I rewatched Girls and Succession and...I watched We Own This City, and I had never seen it.” — Tim Simons [21:01]
• Chris recommends “Homicide” (now on Peacock) to scratch the Baltimore vibe left by “We Own This City.”
• Rewatches highlight narrative tricks: Tim found himself reading “Succession” election scenes entirely differently the second time around.

5. Succession & Girls: Timelessness, Character Shifts, and the Discourse

[24:36–30:46]

• Succession’s ending revisited: The ambiguity around Jared Menkin’s win; greater empathy for Shiv.
  • “Sarah Snook...you love her as a performer so much, you don’t notice that she is kind of as bad as Kendall.” — Tim Simons [25:46]
• Chris notes viewers’ struggles to separate rooting for characters from critiquing the writing.
• Rewatching “Girls” post-discourse is liberating:
  • “To have none of that noise and just appreciate it as a show was incredible. Those first two seasons...they really feel timeless.” — Tim Simons [27:30]
• Praise for the show’s feel for New York and Adam Driver’s performance.

6. “Pluribus”: Awards, Programming, and Existential Genius

[33:31–51:52]

• Tim extolls “Pluribus” and the necessity of watching beyond the tricky first episode:
  • “If you just watch the first episode, I’m telling you, it’s the rest of it is not like that...even if you just watch 10 minutes of the second episode...you’re going to get a much better idea of what this thing is all about.” — Tim Simons [34:05]
• Rhea Seehorn’s performance hailed as a landmark, with both gushing over her physical and emotional range (“not only in every shot...but also using a pickaxe!”)
• Vince Gilligan’s craft: The show’s writers meticulously follow through on each narrative choice, refusing to skip over the logical, everyday details.
  • “This show makes me use my brain, along with the writers.” — Chris Ryan [37:55]
• Unpredictability and ethical ambiguity keep audiences riveted.
  • “At any single moment in that show, you don’t know what could possibly happen next.” — Tim Simons [38:13]
• The “Yes, and” philosophy likened to improv rules — writers never ignore the consequences of choices, making comedy from both logic and absurdity.
• The show’s philosophical, almost optimistic take on assimilation and evil — is it actually “bad”? Does benevolent control equal oppression?
  • “Are they evil or are they not? What is evil? If evil presents itself in such a benevolent way, is it evil?” — Chris Ryan & Tim Simons [50:36–50:42]
  • Chris summarizes: “I am just, like, moment to moment, this thing is so incredible.”

7. “Landman”: A First-Time Viewer’s Crash Course

[52:22–64:38]

• Chris assigns Tim a single “Landman” episode (“Dancing Rainbows”) as a “raw dog” experiment.
• Tim is surprised by its restraint, but admits the stoic Sam Elliott–Billy Bob sunset chat won him over.
  • “You sit Sam Elliott down looking at his sunset with Billy Bob ... and they’re, like, talking very directly and unemotionally about emotions. Yeah, let’s fucking do it.” — Tim Simons [53:59]
• Chris runs through the convoluted Taylor Sheridan lore:
  • Recap of first season: Jon Hamm dies; Demi Moore takes over oil company; cartel enters the fray.
  • “This is actually, like, really worth recapping to you...” — Chris Ryan [57:33]
• They lampoon the show’s wild tonal swings (Ally Larder taking old folks to strip clubs, for example), the disaster-of-the-week structure, and the general lack of overlap with Tim’s usual tastes.
• “When Sam Elliott and Billy Bob were like, ‘You know, deserve ain’t got nothing to do with it’...I’m kind of down.” — Tim Simons [64:43]

8. Personal Media Rituals: Couples, Family, and Hockey Hooliganism

[19:10–21:41, 65:00–66:36]

• Both share the classic “war” over what to watch with spouses; Tim’s wife doesn’t tolerate “comedy of discomfort.”
• Tim shares being banned from multiple hockey games for rowdy fanship (“We bought a bunch of fish and threw them on the ice...they asked us to leave.” [65:18]) further endearing himself as a pod guest.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [26:05] “Dave Mandel used to talk about Julia Louis-Dreyfus: when people would say, ‘I want Selena Meyer to be my president,’ and he would be like, ‘No, you don’t. You want Julia.’ And I think that’s something Sarah Snook sort of shares.”
• [29:45] “The idea of, like, stitching together a night of programming...is a lost art form.” — Chris Ryan
• [34:23] “It’s fun finally to have a show that’s like, oh, Wednesday nights — I get to look forward to Wednesday nights when Pluribus comes out.” — Tim Simons
• [37:55] “I love the way that this show makes me use my brain, like, along with the writers.” — Chris Ryan
• [38:13] “At any single moment in that show, you don’t know what could possibly happen next.” — Tim Simons
• [50:36–50:42] “Are they evil or are they not? What is evil? If evil presents itself in such a benevolent way, is it evil?” — Chris Ryan & Tim Simons (summary)
• [53:59] “You sit Sam Elliott down looking at his sunset with Billy Bob ... and they’re, like, talking very directly and unemotionally about emotions. Yeah, let’s fucking do it.” — Tim Simons

Important Timestamps

• [01:39–03:20]—Paramount/Netflix/Warner Bros. merger chaos
• [04:33–09:54]—Tim on Golden Globes, nominations, awards show absurdities
• [13:09–16:22]—Rundown of TV nominations, comedy category debates
• [16:32–24:36]—Physical media, rewatching classic TV, Baltimore nostalgia
• [24:36–30:46]—“Succession” and “Girls”: rewatches, character insights, old TV nights
• [33:31–51:52]—Deep-dive: “Pluribus” as event TV and existential parable
• [52:22–64:38]—“Landman” crash course and all-star “dad TV” moments

Language & Tone

The exchange is fast, dryly funny, full of deep pop culture references, and both irreverent and lovingly nerdy. Chris acts as both fan and cynical observer, while Tim drops behind-the-scenes anecdotes, self-effacing stories, and keen actor’s insight.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

• The media landscape is shifting under Hollywood’s feet with a Netflix–Warner Bros. deal threatening studio tradition.
• Awards season brings both chaos and opportunity (and a dose of imposter syndrome for nominees like Tim!).
• “Pluribus” stands out as TV’s philosophical and narrative highlight, with Rhea Seehorn delivering a performance for the ages.
• “Landman” is an oddball delight — at least if you’re craving gravitas, Sam Elliott, or old folks in strip clubs.
• TV viewing has moved from communal events to atomized binging, but rewatches are keeping the classics alive.
• The guys reminisce about “Succession,” debate who they’d golf with in a post-apocalyptic world, and cop to being thrown out of hockey arenas — all with the sort of sharp, affectionate banter that makes “The Watch” essential listening for pop culture obsessives.