The Watch – Episode Summary

Podcast: The Watch (The Ringer)
Hosts: Andy Greenwald & Chris Ryan
Date: October 27, 2025
Episode Title: Taylor Sheridan Is Leaving Paramount. What’s Next? Plus, ‘Nobody Wants This’ Season 2 and ‘The Chair Company’ Episode 3

Main Theme & Purpose

This week, Andy and Chris break down the shocking news that Taylor Sheridan, the prolific TV creator behind Yellowstone and several Paramount blockbusters, will leave Paramount for Universal in 2028. They discuss what this means in the context of ongoing media consolidation, especially Paramount’s efforts to buy Warner Bros Discovery. The back half of the episode explores two TV comedies currently airing: Netflix’s Nobody Wants This (Season 2) and HBO’s The Chair Company (Episode 3), with classic banter and critical insight into both.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Taylor Sheridan’s Move from Paramount to Universal

(Begins ~03:40)

Details of the Move

• Taylor Sheridan, “crown jewel” of Paramount’s TV operations, will jump to NBCUniversal when his current deal ends in 2028.
• The deal was broken by Matt Belloni; expect more details on The Town podcast.
• Sheridan’s existing series (e.g. Yellowstone spinoffs, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Landman, Lioness, etc.) will remain at Paramount through their contracted runs.

Significance for the TV Industry

• Andy notes, “The earthquake of this is more industry facing at the moment than audience facing, but it is very notable.” (07:33)
• Comparison to Ryan Murphy’s earlier high-profile move to Netflix, with legacy shows still remaining on their original networks.

Universal’s Strategy

• Donna Langley, recently consolidated film and TV leadership at Universal, making a “massive move to shore up their streaming base,” especially as Comcast prepares expensive plays for NBA rights.
• “When you get in business with Taylor Sheridan, you're in business with a lot of things, including branded steakhouses... but also one of the most prolific creators…” (09:13)

Is Sheridan “Past His Prime”?

• Chris raises the “Albert Pujols to the Angels” analogy, questioning if Paramount is letting Sheridan go after his peak: “Yellowstone was a very expensive show that ended very poorly… I guess I could see them saying, we’ve seen his best days and he is expensive...” (11:02)
• He points out Sheridan’s penchant for heavy control, sky-high budgets ($15–20M/episode), and a production apparatus “essentially his own studio” by filming on his own land.

Creative Questions

• Andy wonders if the jump might nudge Sheridan back towards feature film, where his talent is arguably strongest: “Hell or High Water, Wind River, Sicario. He is an incredibly talented feature script writer.” (16:59)
• The hosts speculate about the effect on star collaborators and the potential future trajectory of his shows.

2. State of the Streaming & Studio Wars

(Begins ~24:50)

• Chris and Andy unpack the Paramount/Warner Bros. Discovery merger rumors, recent bids, and the potential seismic shakeups in Hollywood.
• Key point: legacy studios are “falling behind Netflix at a pretty alarming pace” in subscribers and can’t compete with tech giants’ resources. (31:19)
• Massive concerns about what an acquisition by Netflix or Apple would mean for theatrical releases and Hollywood’s unique culture.
• Andy: “What is this business? What is it for? Who gets to be involved in it? It's pretty existential stuff.” (34:36)

Concerns Over Political Influence

• Andy and Chris discuss the troubling sign that regulatory approval for mergers may hinge on political favoritism and connections—“banana republic shit.” (32:41)
• The human element is at risk: loss of studio “cultures,” consistency, and legacy creative value to “an algorithm.” (39:21)

Notable Quotes

• “I'm not fans of corporations. I'm fans of consistency and quality and culture when we get it. And I think that we're worried that we're just going to lose all that to an algorithm.” (39:21, Andy)
• “There’s romantic nostalgia about an era when the people running the companies at least had a passing interest in the culture of movie making or television or the product that they make.” (39:50, Chris)

3. TV Review & Analysis: “Welcome to Derry,” “Nobody Wants This” Season 2, and “The Chair Company” Episode 3

A. Welcome to Derry (43:10)

• Chris describes it as a “very brave pilot” and an It prequel set in a Stand By Me era, “creating a reality within the TV show where anything can happen.” (43:16)
• A mix of familiar King tropes and gonzo left turns; Chris is “intrigued.”

B. Nobody Wants This – Season 2 (45:39)

• Still a huge Netflix hit; the hosts dig into its transition from a chaotic freshman season to a more assured, classic TV comedy.
• Andy: “Steady hands are at the controls this season... Instantly in the season premiere it's like, oh, okay, it's a TV comedy. It's a TV comedy that has an enormous wealth of talent.” (47:25)
• Cast and chemistry (Adam Brody, Kristen Bell, Tim Simons, Justine Lupe) remain strengths.
• Season 2 addresses and resolves confusing first-season arcs, giving characters and arcs more clarity and fun.
• Andy: “I relaxed into the show in a way that I never did in the first season.”
• Chris: “I do feel like Brody is like, I have to be 75% as charming because there has got to be a chance that we as a couple might not go forward. And if I'm 100% Adam Brody, there's nobody in the world who can resist it.” (50:29)
• Both praise the addition of new side characters/guest stars (Alex Karpovsky, Seth Rogen, Arian Moayed).

C. The Chair Company – Episode 3 (55:31)

• Chris admits this episode tested his patience: “We’re at like CR’s limit, you know? ...I laughed a couple of times... but I was like, what the is this show about?” (55:41)
• Andy sees shades of David Lynch and Paul Thomas Anderson’s flavors—“an incredibly insightful and disturbing investigation into everything that’s wrong with America.” (57:06)
• A standout quote from the show: “That's the problem with the world today. People make garbage, and you can't talk to anybody. I want to scream at them.” (58:21, quoting Ron Trosper)
• They discuss the show's blend of weirdness, humor, and cultural critique, agreeing on its uniqueness—though Chris isn’t fully sold on the “mystery” aspect.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Taylor Sheridan’s Production Control:
  “He essentially has his own means of production by shooting on his own land in Texas and I think is kind of a self sufficient creator in that way.”
  (15:34, Chris)

• On Paramount & Studio Consolidation:
  “You don't do this if you think you’re going to be closing up shop or sixth place or some small fry streaming network. You don't go out and get Taylor Sheridan and the NBA and then say oh man, well David Ellison is here. So I guess I just have to like be happy showing Below deck reruns.”
  (27:09, Chris)

• On Political Influence & Mergers:
  “That fucking sucks for everyone. That fucking sucks for capitalism. It sucks for citizens of this country. ...That’s Banana Republic shit. And I know we're already there, but this is the topic we're talking about.”
  (32:41, Andy)

• On “Nobody Wants This” Future-Proofing:
  “...they are kind of future proofing it so that they don’t have to nearly break up the central couple every two episodes.”
  (52:09, Chris)

• On “The Chair Company”’s American Critique:
  “That's the problem with the world today. People make garbage, and you can't talk to anybody. I want to scream at them. Yeah, that's it, man. That's America.”
  (58:21, quoting a line from the show, Andy)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:40 – Taylor Sheridan’s move to Universal: news and reactions
• 07:33 – Comparison to Ryan Murphy’s deal, discussion of legacy shows
• 09:13 – Universal’s streaming ambitions and Sheridan’s fit
• 11:02 – Is Paramount letting Sheridan go after his creative peak?
• 15:34 – Sheridan’s self-sufficient production model
• 24:50 – Paramount’s Warner Bros acquisition attempts and implications
• 31:19 – Why legacy studios are struggling
• 32:41 – The politics and dangers of studio consolidation
• 39:21 – Worries about losing studio “culture” to “an algorithm”
• 43:10 – “Welcome to Derry” pilot reaction
• 45:39 – “Nobody Wants This” Season 2 analysis
• 47:25 – How Season 2 improves over Season 1
• 50:29 – Adam Brody’s performance choices
• 55:31 – “The Chair Company” Episode 3: differing reactions
• 57:06 – Duality of humor and American critique in “The Chair Company”
• 58:21 – Standout line on America from the show

Conclusion

Chris and Andy deliver an insightful, entertaining breakdown of Taylor Sheridan’s industry-defining move, putting it in conversation with broader trends in studio consolidation and streaming. They provide sharp, passionate critique of the current business and creative state of TV, alongside lighthearted, personal takes on the week’s biggest comedies. The episode seamlessly blends high-level media commentary with the friendly, irreverent, and deeply knowledgeable tone fans expect.