The Watch — Episode Summary

Podcast: The Watch, The Ringer
Hosts: Andy Greenwald & Chris Ryan
Episode: What We Watched Over the Holidays: The End of ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘Marty Supreme,’ ‘Heated Rivalry,’ and ‘Landman’
Date: January 5, 2026

Episode Overview

Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald kick off the new year with a lively rundown of what they watched over the holiday break. Covering the highly anticipated finale of Stranger Things, the Safdie brothers’ Marty Supreme, Max’s breakout hit Heated Rivalry, and the bumpy latest run of Taylor Sheridan’s Landman, the duo balances nostalgia, critique, and a healthy dose of comedic banter. The conversation moves fluidly from TV and film criticism to running jokes about pop culture, family habits, and the ever-surprising quirks of TV’s biggest auteurs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Holiday Viewing Habits & Theatergoing (00:30–03:21)

• Chris recounts feeling rejuvenated by a trip “pounding the pavement” on the East Coast, taking in plays in New York.
• Andy jokes about his thriving (fictional) oil futures portfolio, a segue into one of their main show targets: Landman.

2. TV in January & Anticipated Returns (04:48–07:02)

• The hosts express excitement for a "bountiful January" with returning favorites (Industry, The Pit) and new shows.
• Andy values watching week-to-week, avoiding pre-release bingeing, and respecting embargoes (“One of the things that I respect is embargoes.” — Chris, 05:52).

3. Stranger Things Finale: Reflections and Cultural Impact (07:03–20:49)

The “End of an Era” Moment

• Andy brings up the Stranger Things finale, noting, “This really is Stranger Things ended. Now just to fully contextualize it for our new listeners, … my older daughter is completely obsessed.” (07:03)
• Jokes about actor Joe Keery’s ascendance and his daughter's “completely Joe Keery coded” lock screen (07:33).
• Discussion of younger viewers’ algorithm-driven relationships with culture—liking one song but not caring about the rest (“The idea of being, like, super into just one song by a person.” — Andy, 09:07).

Series Evaluation

• Chris summarizes his experience watching the finale with family, praising its eventized holiday vibe but critiquing the series’ trajectory:

  “I found the finale to be like, nice, you know. Like, I think this show for me probably peaked with its, its first and, and second to some extent seasons and that the way that they kind of made it all about the mechanics of like the upside down...it basically became very video game in its logic and in its execution.” (10:00)

• On the finale, Chris rates it a “five” out of ten on the Pitchfork scale, with the “coda” (epilogue) “probably like a six or a seven” (11:26).

Critiquing the Show’s Growth & Endgame

• Andy compares Stranger Things with Lost, noting the challenge shows face when stretching far beyond their original scope:

  “You strike gold with all the things that make TV good...but inevitably with a show like that...I can’t imagine the Duffer Brothers would be like, 'We always imagined an endgame with Vecna.'” (12:03)

Notable Finale Spoilers/Highlights

• Chris breaks down the mechanics-heavy ending: multiple dimensions (Hawkins, Upside Down, the Abyss), Elle’s (Eleven’s) sacrifice, Hawkins’ surreal “gold rush” postscript.

  "Hawkins is this hotly contested interdimensional property now...There’s this huge destructive thing...Elle closes the gate to all of this and sacrifices herself." (17:04–18:46)

• Surreal, comic notes about Hawkins’ post-apocalypse housing boom and lack of press attention.

Generational Connection / 80s Vibes

• Andy asks if younger fans connect with the show’s '80s setting; Chris notes his daughter recognizes the lack of technology but is frustrated by analog obstacles ("Why doesn't she just search that up?"). (15:18–15:37)

The 18-Month Ellipsis

• Amusing detour into the trope of “18 months later” time skips in TV and film (Stranger Things finale, Sleepless in Seattle), debating the ideal period for moving on from trauma or death (19:54–21:13).

4. Marty Supreme: Safdie Brothers’ Film as Theater Experience (22:17–37:41)

The Movie-Going Experience

• Andy shares his exhilaration at seeing Marty Supreme in theaters, breaking from his usual low theater attendance:

  “I was so exhilarated and transported by seeing this movie in the theater. I loved it. I loved the movie. I loved the experience.” (24:23)

World-Building and Production

• Chris praises production designer Jack Fisk, explaining true “world-building” as making the setting “tactile” and lived-in:

  “When you watch Marty supreme…the sort of tactile nature of the New York that they create...it's so captivating." (25:31)

• The music by Daniel Lopatin is noted for its transformative effect.

Chalamet’s Performance & Casting

• Both hosts agree Timothée Chalamet anchors the film.

  “I have taken all caveats away from my embrace [of Chalamet]." — Andy (27:19)

• Chris observes that Chalamet is uniquely positioned as both classic and modern movie star, appealing to young audiences while having old-Hollywood chops (29:01).
• Notable casting of non-traditional actors (Pico Iyer as the ping-pong chairman; NBA stars; writers) gives the movie a lived-in, textured feel (30:43–33:14).

Artistic Risks & Music Choices

• Chris and Andy discuss the bold, anachronistic needle drops—music from different eras in a 1950s setting:

  “You have to be fearless, but you have to be committed to an idea...to commit to something that fully and then to not even be like, this is why I did it in the film itself is so brave and fearless.” (33:22)

• Andy’s only complaint: the closing song, being “so overly dropped,” momentarily took him out of the story (35:07).

Movie’s Unique Energy

• The film uses real faces, unconventional actors, and evocations of memory to create a one-of-a-kind experience—Andy likens it to sports, hoping a “wrong note” wouldn’t break the magic (“...please don’t blow this lead. I was so in love with my...I was so in love with the experience I was having.” — 36:36).

5. Heated Rivalry: Max’s Must-See Queer Hockey Saga (38:19–44:46)

• Chris highlights Heated Rivalry as the “number one show on the Max streaming app” and an awards contender.
• Praises Jacob Tierney’s direction and adaptation, especially the fifth (penultimate) episode’s powerful montage of a hockey player coming out while Wolf Parade’s “I’ll Believe in Anything” plays ("I've checked this out so many times...the filmmaking in it...is so high level ... cinematic...just really compelling." — Chris, 41:53).
• Notes the show could have been a straightforward soap, but instead becomes “cinematic,” balancing raw emotion, psychological realism, and queer coming-of-age.
• Andy reflects on the prestige TV “penultimate episode death” trope and Heated Rivalry’s subversion, focusing on “the ripples” rather than a death (43:05).
• Memorable exchange about the power of music cues and small moments resonating across generations.

6. Landman: Taylor Sheridan’s Chaotic Oil Drama (45:28–65:44)

Late-Stage Sheridan & The Slump

• Andy: “Landman's hit a little bit of a slump. Let's just, let's call it what it is.” (45:47)
• Taylor Sheridan’s control and high-volume output lead to wild tonal swings and fragmented storytelling; shows lose direction when his focus wanes.

  “The shows only convey what Taylor Sheridan’s attention span holds for the microsecond that he spends working on each script...” (49:54)

• Parallels drawn to other prolific showrunners and why Sheridan is different.

The Absurdity & Inconsistency

• Chris and Andy dissect the show’s wild narrative swings: "He just throws all this stuff at the wall...He's like, it all works." (53:26)
• The notorious “Cialis breakfast scene,” where Billy Bob Thornton’s character’s erection leads to chaos with room service. The hosts debate who’s to blame for such a scene (53:08).
• Comedic breakdown of another subplot: hiring a stripper to become Sam Elliott’s dad’s physical therapist (“in response to his elderly father being discovered lying in a hot tub...he hires a stripper to be his father's physical therapist.” — Andy, 56:53).
• Lampooning undercooked plotlines and inconsistency in character arcs.

Notable Quotes

• “There are moments, such as the breakfast scene, where I'm like, this is actually awful. Everything about this is bad. And this is bad for the world and bad for me personally that I'm watching this.” — Andy (55:55)
• “I think that you have had the full Taylor Sharon experience in just a few months of Landman. You've experienced the high highs, the confusing middle and the lowest of lows…” — Chris (64:49)
• “The structure of the show is built out of paper mache and it's a bummer.” — Andy (47:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Chalamet in Marty Supreme: “I have taken all caveats away from my embrace [of Chalamet].” — Andy (27:19)
• On TV’s evolving relationship to endings: “There is no naturally satisfying ending to a show that didn’t have...the end at the beginning.” — Andy (12:52)
• On Landman randomness: “He just throws all this stuff at the wall. Most people would be like, this works, this works, this works, this doesn't. Especially not together. And since he has kind of carte blanche, he's like, it all works.” — Chris (53:26)
• On watching with the next generation: “I welcome this, because it is...have you been watching along as she watches, or is she just watching it on iPad?” — Andy (16:17)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Holiday check-in, setting the table: 00:30–03:21
• TV in January, weekly viewing: 04:48–07:02
• Stranger Things Finale: 07:03–20:49
• Marty Supreme movie discussion: 22:17–37:41
• Heated Rivalry on Max: 38:19–44:46
• Landman, Taylor Sheridan’s slump: 45:28–65:44

Overall Tone

Warm and irreverent, filled with thoughtful (and opinionated) media criticism interlaced with personal anecdotes, running gags, and digressions that keep the conversation vibrant and inviting for fans old and new. The hosts’ long-standing rapport shines through their witty exchanges and casual candor.

For Listeners New and Returning

This episode provides a rich, entertaining guide to what’s new and notable across TV and film this winter, offering both hot takes and deeper insights—whether you missed the latest Stranger Things, are looking for your next must-see drama, or just want to laugh at the chaos of Landman.