Unsupervised with Syd & TP

Episode: "Pat Don’t Scratch"
Release Date: January 15, 2026
Hosts: Syd Colson ("Sid") & Theresa Plaisance ("TP")
Podcast Network: Dear Media

Episode Overview

This episode of "Unsupervised" brings the same chaotic, witty, and energetic dynamic listeners expect from best friends and ex-teammates Syd Colson and Theresa Plaisance. The duo jumps between deep dives on queer representation in media, relatable athlete stories, hilarious tangents on skin conditions, inside jokes about women’s basketball, and childhood nostalgia. The high-energy vibe will make fans feel like they’ve crashed a late-night bestie group chat. If there’s a through-line, it’s twofold: a vulnerable, insightful unpacking of the TV show "Heated Rivalry" and a homegrown love letter to women’s basketball culture — from grassroots games to the rising visibility of women’s pro leagues.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Chaotic Catch-Up & Life Updates

• Deliberate Distance:
  • Syd and TP joke about spacing out their communication between pods to have more to talk about when recording.
  • Syd: “Our outside friendship is deteriorating…We’re doing it for you guys, though.” [00:29]
• Random Life Moments:
  • TP recounts her dad installing a new toilet. [01:07]
  • Immediate shift into theme song with fun banter about their timing and podcast workflow. [01:31]

2. Deep Dive: "Heated Rivalry" (TV Show & Cultural Analysis)

Side note: "Heated Rivalry" seems to be a queer romance drama series centered on hockey players Shane and Ilya.

Episode Rankings and Spoilers

• Syd defies peer pressure:
  • “Everybody was telling me, ‘You gotta see episode five. Wait till episode five, blah blah, five five five — shut up about five. I like six better.” [02:44]
  • TP: “Five walked so six could run.” [02:55]

Validating Queer Masculinity & Representation

• Syd loved how the show depicted Shane and Ilya’s relationship, including honest moments with their families and the understated but touching finale. [03:10–03:31]
• TP (on language and vulnerability):
  • Comments on Ilya’s use of “lovers” and parallels to old-school terms like “passion marks.” [03:31]
  • “I have eczema too.” [03:54] (leading to tangent off the show)

Tangent: Eczema, Scars, and Self-Acceptance

• Both share their history with eczema and keloid scarring, and playfully rally “Team Eczema.” [04:10]
  • “You are beautiful because of it.” – TP [05:18]
  • Syd: “Pat it fast, maybe get a massage gun…try to stop breaking the skin. …I keloid, actually.” [05:23]

Why "Heated Rivalry" Resonates, Especially with Women

• TP explains straight women’s enthusiasm for the show:
  • “Heated Rivalry and specifically Ilya and Shane show a form of masculinity that really isn’t accessible to the straight woman. …Masculinity isn’t a thing to be compared to femininity. …It’s a vulnerable masculinity.” [12:51–13:54]
  • Syd: “Part of the problem is that people think masculinity is just them doing things that are strong, never crying, do not do a thing that resembles what a woman does typically…That doesn’t make sense.” [15:08]
• TP: “Women don’t want to fix men. …In Heated Rivalry you see men having vulnerable and open conversations with men and, therefore, men fixing men.” [17:00]

Boundaries in Relationships & Communication Tips

• Both discuss (with humorous but honest anecdotes) the burden of emotional labor in hetero relationships and societal expectations:
  • Women need to stop coddling men who don’t change; men will change when women enforce boundaries. [18:30–19:09]
  • “If humans just did a better job of communicating emotion and also not taking emotion as a direct attack…That is a me problem…I’m trying to express it to you.” – TP [19:09–21:32]
  • Don’t waste your energy fixing people who aren’t willing to make an effort. [22:40]
  • “You are likely not going to be able to fix another grown person who’s been stuck in their ways for X amount of years. You just gotta dip.” – Syd [23:09]

“Heated Rivalry” Cultural Impact

• Both surprised by their own emotional investment and how much impact the show made.
  • “Hockey. I’m unfamiliar with. Gay men, also unfamiliar with. I never thought that a show like this would make such a nice impact on my life.” – TP [23:28]

Golden Globes & Julia Roberts Tangent

• Funny debate about favorite white celebrity women (Syd’s: Julia Roberts & Sandra Bullock) [25:31], including a running bit on someday having dinner with Julia Roberts. [26:36]

3. Women’s Pro Basketball: Unrivaled, AU, and Next-Gen Stars

Unrivaled League & Young Stars

• Syd & TP geek out over the next generation:
  • “Did you see Rakia and Paige, their team? They’re all like the young players…” – Syd [30:24]
  • Discuss being called “kids” by other teams, and Rakia’s response: “Yeah, we young but don’t try to, like, sun us. …Ain’t it more embarrassing to get beat by kids?” [31:45]
  • They reflect on the difference in pay/experience compared to their early careers. [32:17]

Game Breakdowns and Intriguing League Dynamics

• Recaps of major games:
  • “The last point of the Missed Laces game was… the most intense final possessions I feel like I’ve ever seen in my life.” – TP [34:15]
  • Dynamic of playing against your boss in Unrivaled: “You fouled your boss… The boss was shooting free throws. So that’s all I know.” – TP [35:52]
  • Bubble vibes, league culture, and inside jokes about players' off-court antics. [36:29–38:09]

Twerking & Team Bonding: Athlete Culture

• Striking moment: Derica’s 40-point game celebration and the flashback to team twerk classes led by Derica.
  • “We used to be getting ready for the game and we would have twerk classes and Derica led them for us.” – Syd [45:04]
  • Playful ribbing of audio listeners for missing out on the video of Derica’s celebratory moves. [46:28]
  • “Keep in mind, we won the championship that year. So we were doing everything to prepare ourselves for the game properly. Because, again, we won the championship.” – TP [46:49]

4. Basketball Nostalgia: Growing Up Hooping

House Rules & Childhood Flexes

• Hilarious, in-depth debate about “21” — the universally played basketball game with “house rules” that no one can agree on.
  • “Everybody’s got a different set of rules, like Uno, spades… you gotta agree. Because you’re cheating as far as I’m concerned.” – Syd [49:49]
  • Breakdown of free throw sequences, tip-in rules, and regional quirks. [50:49–54:19]
  • Riffs about playing against boys, sibling rivalries (“My sister beat me 100 to 44 before I started crying.” – Syd [56:40]), and growing up competitive.

Sweet-tooth Memories and Young “Flexes”

• Tangent on concession stand snacks and retro candies:
  • Both declare blue Sour Punch Straws the GOAT [60:39]
  • “Nothing like a healthy candy chat after basketball talk.” – Syd [60:49]
  • Brief flexing about Under Armour, Allen Iverson finger sweatbands, and feeling “so cool” as kids. [61:41]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (w/Timestamps)

• “We say what we feel. Yeah, we say what we feel.” (Theme, [01:45])
• “You are beautiful because of it.” – TP, on eczema and scars [05:18]
• “Heated Rivalry…show(s) a form of masculinity that really isn’t accessible to the straight woman.” – TP [13:54]
• “Talking about your feelings is not feminine. That’s something that should be done for a healthy and emotionally intelligent person.” – Syd [16:29]
• “In Heated Rivalry, you see men having vulnerable and open conversations with men…Women don’t want to fix men.” – TP [17:00]
• “If humans just did a better job of like communicating emotion and also not taking emotion as a direct attack…That is a me problem.” – TP [21:09]
• “You are likely not going to be able to fix another grown person…You just gotta dip.” – Syd [23:09]
• “Five walked so six could run.” – TP [02:55]
• “Did you see Rakia and Paige, their team? …Don’t try to, like, sun us.” – Syd [30:24, 31:45]
• “It was the most intense final possessions … I feel like I’ve ever seen in my life.” – TP [34:15]
• “We used to be getting ready for the game and we would have twerk classes and Derica led them for us.” – Syd [45:04]
• “My sister beat me 100 to 44 before I started crying.” – Syd [56:40]
• “Blue.” (Sour Punch Straws, both at once, [60:39])
• “We just want to spread positivity and sometimes negativity when people deserve it.” – Syd [64:26]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:12] – Heated Rivalry TV show breakdown begins
• [04:10] – Eczema/keloid tangent
• [12:51] – Gender, masculinity, and why women love Heated Rivalry
• [18:30] – Communication & boundary-setting in relationships
• [23:28] – Personal impact of Heated Rivalry (and TV’s emotional power)
• [25:31] – Julia Roberts, celebrity crushes, and awards banter
• [30:24] – Women’s pro basketball, Unrivaled, generational change
• [45:04] – Team twerk classes, athlete bonding stories
• [49:49] – House rules of 21 and basketball nostalgia
• [56:40] – Sibling one-on-one memories
• [60:39] – Retro candy debate

Tone & Style Highlights

• The dialogue is punchy, unfiltered, quick to jump topics (ADHD energy), and loaded with playful self-deprecation and mutual ribbing.
• Hosts alternate between heartfelt vulnerability, inside-athlete banter, and clowning each other (and the audience).
• Community is central: they always bring it back to their listeners (“babysitters”) and encourage sharing, feedback, and communal storytelling.

For New & Returning Listeners

This episode epitomizes “Unsupervised’s” low-key, ping-pong energy—half group therapy, half locker room, half wild group chat, always a celebration of women’s basketball culture and queer joy. You’ll laugh, reflect, and (maybe) itch just thinking about eczema, but you’ll definitely come away feeling like part of the crew.