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Ding dong.
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Ding dong.
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Ding dong.
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Ding ding ding ding ding dong. Hello. Well, hello and welcome to Dwell. Hello. It's a Watch what Crappens House Hunters podcast. I'm Ben. That's Ronnie. How's it going, Ronnie? Ready to talk some house hunters?
A
So good man saga. Yeah. This was a good episode of House Hunters.
B
It was. It was funny. Today's episode is season 200, episode two, Alaskans play ball down under. We found this on HBO Max. If you have a house hunter show that you want us to recap, whether it's House Hunters, House Hunters International, one of the other random house hunters, as long as it's 30 minutes and as long as it's available on HBO Max or YouTube TV, basically not any other type of paywall, then we might be interested in recapping it. So email us@watchwalkerappensmail.com and put Dwell. Hello suggestions in the subject and we may choose your episode. This one is one that I just chose, honestly, kind of randomly, and. And it was a fun one. You know, I said once I saw Melbourne, I was like, okay, this will be a fun one to do. There'll be an Australian. That usually makes us happy.
A
Yeah. And he was great.
B
He was great. I love this guy.
A
You know, it's Australians dealing with Americans. Bullshit. It's really fun. The international ones just dealing with Americans in general are always fun, but the Australians, I think, are the most fun dealing with us because they really basically call us idiots to face.
B
And it's great they do. Especially these two. These two people. Well, let's dive into it so we see this guy.
A
You don't want to form that one into words, honestly.
B
It's the, like.
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You know what? I'll just let my descriptions during the episode describe this.
B
It's the man bun. It's the man bun. And just like the shitty, like, green T shirt dress that the girl was wearing. I don't know, I just was like, oh, these two. She actually seems. They seem like very nice people. But the man. It was really about the man bun for me. I had a hard time with a man bun. Really hard time.
A
You know what? It was the man bun, and it was the man not having a job to me as well. And I'm not, you know, like, of course men are allowed to be Mr. Moms and stay at home dads. Your son is at school, okay? Your son does not need you to be there all day. You are not cleaning that house all day. Okay? Masturbator, you are sitting there playing PlayStation and you are Masturbating. You need to go get a job, especially if you want the more expensive home, sir. I'm not going to listen to this. I'm Mr. Mom. No. Your child is at school, and he's obsessed with baseball, so he's got an after school activity as well. Cut your hair and cut the man bun.
B
The man bun's over the man at this point. The man bun is really just reserved for, like, hot guys from CrossFit who have beards and that's it. Everyone else, it just does not work anymore. So, like, it's done, you know?
A
Yeah.
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All right.
A
So I wish I had a man bun, though. I really like man buns.
B
I. I like man buns. On certain men. I don't think I would maybe. You know, it's funny. We were looking at pictures, old pictures from our. On our bonus episode, and I found a picture of when I had long hair. Do you remember when I had long hair? Well, I had long hair during the pandemic, and I had long hair around 2008. And it was like. It was fun sort of having that long hair.
A
I mean, long. Ish. It wasn't long compared to what it is now.
B
It was long, but it was, you know, it was almost man bunnish. I think there was a period of my life where I could have done a man bun, but that time is gone. I am no longer man bunnable.
A
Yeah, I'm. I'm obviously not man bunnable, but, yeah, that would be great. God, I love man buns. I think they're so hot on guys. I like when they take their hair down. They're like, yeah, now I'm ready to be sexy now. This guy?
B
No, not this guy. Well, this guy was like, some man. All man buns are not created equally. And also, there are different types of man buns. Some man buns are like, I have long hair and I need to put it into, like, a little ball. But this kind was like, I have, like, a few extra inches, so let me put a rubber band around it. And now I have, like, a little fishtail popping out of the back of my head. And that's not as effective. Not as sexy.
A
Yeah.
B
No, no.
A
Yeah. Okay, so we start with a little preview of the episode. But you know what? Why give you any of that?
B
Okay.
A
Let's just see what Linda has to say. Dan and Stephanie are making a big move from Alaska to Melbourne for her new job. I'm a behavioral analyst, and her husband Lucas is like. Or wait, is Lucas a realtor? Stephanie and Dan Yeah. So Lucas is the realtor, and he's like, so I need to be on my best behavior, right? So we know he's a little spitfire.
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The opportunity to play baseball year round sold Nolan. And Nolan's like, my goal is to become a professional baseball player. Good luck with that, kid. Well, to get his parents to agree on a home. But to get his parents to agree on a home, Lucas might have to bat a thousand, which we know he won't, poor thing.
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Guys, isn't it amazing how sweet this child is and how we all instantly know his dreams are already dead?
B
Good luck playing in the kangaroo leagues of Western Australia someday.
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Good luck in playing shrimp on a Barbie ball, because you're never gonna make it into baseball. Sorry.
B
Can't wait for all zero of those MLB recruiters to come to Melbourne, Australia.
A
It's almost like you're already wearing. You're already wearing a logo on your shirt that says loser.
B
Big, big L. Mickey Mantel. So past tense.
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Mickey Cantel.
B
Sorry. Just giving you some babe truth here.
A
I'm out of baseball references because I'm a true homosexual.
B
Sorry, I can't Yogi bear it anymore. Not going anywhere, kid.
A
So he wants modern. She wants this crazy couple. Will they ever agree on what they're gonna get? And Dan tells us. He's like, wow, the two bathroom things are really annoying. I mean, what do you need two sinks for? Half of them is probably the hair from your man bun, Dan. It's always the man who's like, why do you need your own sink? Because you're a pig, that's why.
B
A pig. So now the episode begins, and we see Stephanie, who's just this nice, generic looking lady who's wearing this big green T shirt the entire episode. Like, we are both right now, actually, but we're not on House Hunters.
A
It's green T shirt day. But she's wearing one of those tied around your boobs, but then with poofy cotton sleeves over your shoulders. And then it, like, turns into, like, a dress shirt on the top. We've all seen the dress. We all go to Walmart, and I just feel like you're coming on tv, Stephanie, like, for you, make an effort, you know, like, you don't have to show up in a ball gown, but.
B
Like, you look just.
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I don't know, like she needs a cigarette dangling out of her mouth and, you know, one of those, like, curlers.
B
It's like she's going in the gym right after this. It's like, please don't make me Feel like we're an inconvenience before you get to your squats.
A
So I feel like she's on the stoop of a trailer park about to throw a beer. Canada cat.
B
Yes. So she says, so we are from Ketchikan, Alaska.
A
No, he can't. I love that they're with a loser baseball player and they come from a place called Ketchikan. He's not going to be able to catch anything.
B
Ketchikant, okay, Is that they would throw cans at him and say, all right, catch. We're from Ketchikan. Everyone's gotta catch a can here. He's like, wait a second. He's really good at catching that can. So she goes, well, when you think of Alaska, people normally think of igloos and not necessarily igloos. I just think of bears and darkness.
A
Really. I think of a lot of men who don't shave their nets because, you know, well, Sarah Palin, but also Alaska. Don't they have that thing in Alaska where there's way too many men and not enough women because there's, like, so many jobs in oil rigging, oil drilling, or whatever they do out there. And that's what I think. I think there are a lot of creepy men who need sex. And so it's probably dangerous.
B
So Dan tells us it rains a lot because it's in the rainforests. And it says, fun fact, Ketchikan gets more rain than snow with an annual rainfall of over 140 inches per year. One thing they don't get, baseball scouts. Sorry.
A
Stephanie says there's a saying in Ketchikan that if you never went outside when it was raining, you would never go outside. Isn't that good? We are leaving a place of humor.
B
We have great sayings about ourselves that we've invented. We create sayings for ourselves, for ourselves by ourselves.
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So, Dan, you know, our fashion saying in Ketchikan is, if you don't want to look like a soaked dog, don't buy it.
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Dan says, well, we met in college at Ketchikan State University. I majored in catching. She majored in canning. And, well, it was only a matter of time before we met.
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I've never caught the can of green beans, I'll tell you that Slippery can. I've been chasing them for years. Where cans run away from you.
B
Stephanie says, well, I made the first move. I mean, no surprise, right? Look at this man bun attempting to have some form of masculinity. Not this guy. I was like, okay, I'M too drunk to drive. And he's like, you should drive home anyway. And I said, no, don't you get it? I'm too drunk drunk to drive. I'll sleep on your couch. And he said, no, no one's out here. Just a few moose. Go drive home. And I said, you don't get it. I want to bone you. She goes, oh, okay. And kind of worked my way in that way.
A
Kind of a creepy. It's kind of a creepy story, isn't it? So I met my husband because I was too wasted to drive. So he told me to get into his car. I mean, it could have ended up creepy. So she's like, honey, could you put your phone away so we can enjoy our walk? And he's like, sorry, I'm just watching golf. Don't have a lot of time to catch up on my golf with all the not working ideas.
B
And then they show like stock footage of golf. I'm like, thank you, hgtv. We do not need to have an illustration of what golf is. It's like for those of you tuning in who are not aware of golf, this is what he's watching. I was like, why are we watching.
A
What we knew it was?
B
Why are we watching stock footage that is a representation of what he's watching on his phone? This is strange. Show us the countryside.
A
But we know it was legit footage because we saw Katie from Real Housewives of O.C. like, hi, we're here on the golf course and I just wanted to tell you we just saw a child that is never gonna make it in baseball.
B
Okay, that was a birdie. So talk about them all again. That's what your son's name should have been. So then Stephanie says, nolan is our son. He is 12, and we're definitely a sports family. Did we name him after Nolan Ryan? Perhaps? That's for you to find out at some point during this episode. No, we're not going to talk about that. Okay, that's fine.
A
Yeah, Nolan really loves baseball, but in Alaska, it's about two months season because of the weather. I'm a teacher. I have a pretty typical routine, but God, this one, my wife over here, she works 70 hours a week. She has not changed her smock once. She hasn't had time.
B
I do ABBA therapy. Oh, I'm sorry. I meant to say I do ABA therapy, which stands for the Winner Takes It All. It's Applied Behavior Analysis. And that's when we basically, we work with autistic children and their families and make them Listen to Abba. So it's really fun for everyone.
A
They're real dancing queens are kids. Real dancing queens. They might hit their parents sometimes, but God damn, can they harmonize. God, good.
B
So Dan is like, well, by the way, hey, Nolan, this is your father speaking. Because I'm a cool dad. What would your cut of meat be to throw on that community barbecue over there? He's like a tomahawk ribeye. That's absurd. He's like, well, you asked what you wanted, and I'm giving you an honest opinion, Father.
A
I'm sorry, Nolan, did you not hear the part where your dad refuses to work? You're not affording a tomahawk. Okay, you need to pick some hot dogs. Hot dogs, Nolan. Hot dogs.
B
Like ballpark hot dogs. Get it? Baseball. So.
A
So Stephanie's like, australia wasn't really on the radar. I mean, I had job postings come through, and it's like, oh, I don't want to move to Chicago. Go, Ross. I don't want to move to Florida. But then I saw one that looked like everything I wanted to do, and it had catch in the title, and I applied, and guess what? The rest is history.
B
Like I was saying, when you have a son who loves baseball, why would you ever go to Chicago? Am I right? No one even talks about baseball in Chicago, where they got two teams. Stupid lame. Famous stadium. Truly. Wrigley Field. More like pussy. Yeah.
A
When she was disregarding, say, Wrigley Field.
B
More like pussy field. Yeah.
A
It's an amazing adventure. As for go to somewhere completely crazy. We're just nutty people. That's what we're gonna do. Ketchikan. Like, who even came up with this name? We're moving there. I was like, does it sound insane? Let's go.
B
You know, it's a. It's a big deal to uproot your entire lives away from your family. I mean, my mom said, you're out of the will. And I said, what, do you own mom a yo Play yogurt? Come on, we're going.
A
You know, it's a big deal to uproot your entire lives away from your family. God. My mom said, you're out of the will. Just funny. My mom has nothing, but it was still cute. And Dan's like, yeah, the first couple of months, I won't be working because my primary role will be to help Nolan get settled. Because you know what Nolan needs? Baseball bat. Probably a comb. That's pretty much it. It's going to take a lot of time.
B
It'll Take a few months to find a mitt. That's what I'm going to look for, an Australian mitt. All right? But what they call it, they call it a wilt because it's upside down in Australia. So Nolan's like, yeah, moving to Australia. I'm frightened and I'm curious because maybe I'll finally be able to meet some people who can get me out of baseball. God, I hate living out my parents dreams.
A
He's such a sweet kid, this kid. I mean, it's fun to make fun of people on the show, but he really is a sweet little guy. He goes, but what if we go to Australia and they don't like me back? I mean, that's such a sweet thing to say. I wish I was his parents so I could go, why are you assuming that you're gonna like them? Like, you need. You don't walk into a room thinking, what do people think about me? You need to walk into a room thinking, what do I think about these fucking people? Okay, that'll turn it around for you, kid. I want a bitchy baseball player, son. That's what I want.
B
So they are. They found a baseball club that is three days a week and it's a year, year round baseball. It's a baseball season that never ends. Or as I like to call it, a baseball season.
A
Hey, yo.
B
Hey, yo. Baseball never ends.
A
Yeah, we want to make this transition as easy as possible. So we're going to go to a baseball field. So they go over to the baseball field with Nolan's team and the coach is like, you got some gear with you? And he goes, yes, sir, I'm prepared. And then we meet Lucas. What kind of baseball. What do you have to bring all your own gear to baseball sports? Is that a thing you do? Why do we pay taxes?
B
So Lucas the realtor comes out as. Melbourne's not just the sporting capital of Australia, it's the sporting capital of the world. We have all the sports here, every single sport. They may as well just have the Olympics here for the rest of the Olympics time. Because this is the world capital of all sorts of sports. I was like, is it the best.
A
Sport they have in Melbourne?
B
Is it? Is Melbourne the world. The world capital sports? I hadn't heard that before.
A
I've never heard that. But you know what? They're so far away from us. Like, it's literally so far. I even think the Internet takes longer to get over there. Like when I'm texting my friend in Australia, I'm like, is this Taking longer to get there. Are you just taking long to answer? Because it's. I think it. It's hard. But anyway, I think the best sport they have there is Real Housewives, because that is the best Real Housewives of all time. Real Housewives of Melbourne. That's my favorite one of all time. Oh, so good. Such a classic. I got cancer and I got rid of it because I said, cancer, get the out of my body right this instant.
B
So Lucas, So Lucas is saying like, yeah, sports is like a religion. And Stephanie's like, well, our son plays baseball. It's like, well, I've never played, but had I played, I probably would have been the best of the world in it because it's the world capital of baseball. So naturally, if you play baseball, he'll be the best in the entire world. Which is why the MLB is known for all of its Australian baseball players.
A
Dan and Steph are looking at the outer suburbs of Melbourne. About an hour east. The rental market, no matter where you are, is at an all time peak. Kind of like my sex life, because I'm Lucas, I'm one hot, and I'm here in Melbourne. Call me, you might see my face on a. On a bus bench, in which case I suggest you sit on it or.
B
Orgies are like sports in Melbourne. And as we all know, Melbourne is the world capital of sports. What I'm trying to say is the best orgies in the world are in Melbourne, and I'm in every single one of them.
A
At the moment, our vacancy rate is 0.08. Do you understand what that means? It means we're the top. We are the top in vacancies. The best in vacancies. Australia is the best. Best vacancy rate in the world.
B
You know, 0.08 is also my blood alcohol content when I made myself sleep on Dan's futon and we got married afterwards.
A
It's also the amount of seconds I spend a day thinking I should get a job or I gotta pass this.
B
Course or I should cut my man bun. 0.08 seconds. Considering that.
A
Dan's like, all right, here's what I'm looking for in a home. I'm looking for simplicity, all right? Because I'm the cleaner of the house. So anything I can just take a paper towel to. Will do.
B
I hate this demand. You want, like a simple, boring house, mainly because you're going to be the one cleaning it. I don't think the house should suffer because of your laziness.
A
And let me tell you, it does. And I can Guarantee you that Stephanie cleans it. I guarantee this man will wipe off a sink after he gets some toothpaste on it and want a fucking gold medal.
B
That's why she wants to have two sinks. So Stephanie says, dan's also a crazy dreamer, and I am not. For instance, he keeps thinking that man bun's gonna turn into a ponytail, and we all know it has reached the end of its life. Okay, I just want something affordable.
A
As you can probably see, no one's better than this family at settling than me. So just anything. Just, please. I'm paying for it, so just anything, or I will. Oh. Nolan's like, I know we can't spend a trillion dollars on a house, but I'm hoping for a space that I. My drums. Oh, for sake. You're a drum player, too?
B
Whatever goodwill Nolan had is gone, so he wants drums. So then Stephanie says, nolan, they.
A
Your neighbors are already going to hate you for being an American. And the first thing you're going to do is get a set of drums in there.
B
Come on. But he does redeem himself, because later on in the episode, we see him with his drums, and they're like the electric padded ones. They don't make noise. So it's like, okay, I will give you a pass, but not until later, because until then, I'm going to be mad at you. So then Stephanie is saying that she wants three bedrooms because she wants to have a home office. And then Lucas is like, all right. And so when you work, where is that? And she's like, ridgewood. But also, we, like, really want to be close to, like, the Knox Baseball Club because they do baseball all year round. That. What I like about this is that they feed the delusions of these little boys into thinking that they'll have a career in this, and then finally, they'll enter the workforce like the rest of us.
A
So wish list. Close to work and near baseball. So Dan's like, yeah, it'd also be real nice to have a big backyard, because, you know, I want to play baseball with the kid. It's important to teach your kids that they can achieve your dream. I mean, look at me. I'm living off a woman, so it's pretty much all I've ever wanted, too. So winners, winners circle, wish list.
B
Big backyard for baseball. Also, did you get my two sinks in there? Big two sinks for baseball.
A
We tend to have different tastes. I like character. And on the screen, we see wish list, character. Well, I want simple, simple, easy to clean, you know, And I need a dishwasher. And hardwood floors, because carpet is disgusting. I hate carpet. Okay? Just want hardwood floors everywhere.
B
Wish lists. Simple and clean for baseball. So then Stephanie's. Stephanie says, well, you know, happy husband, happy life. I'm like, I don't think that's how the phrase goes, but that's okay. So then Lucas, like, all right, so that is not the saying. He even says it. She says, happy husband, happy life. That is not the saying. Okay, Is there anything specific that's. That's a bit of a deal breaker, okay? Because I. I'm. I'm. I would be shocked if there is a deal breaker considering that you're living with this man with a. With a man bun.
A
She goes, well, I've talked to your husband for five minutes, and I'm shocked that you haven't come up with 20 yet. And.
B
And they're sitting at this, like, cafe, and Lucas is sitting so far from the table eating his salad, I'm like, could you please scoot in a little bit? You're going to get a stain. So then they want two bathrooms, but they only want to spend $2,000 a month. @ which point Lucas is like, am I being punked? Is this happening? Is Ashton Kutcher going to come out from behind the fast casual counter over there and say, I'm being punked like Justin Timberlake? Am I that famous already? Like, get to be.
A
Unpunced? Yeah, well, we could go more, but with me not working, that could be a problem. Yeah, so go to work. I'm not gonna let up on this, man. It's making me. This whole episode is making me fucking crazy. Your son is old. He doesn't need anything. He's practically old enough. If there was a war, they'd ship him off. Okay? You can get a job, for fuck's sake. So Lucas is like, well, if they want me to stick. If they want me to stick to $2,000 and they want to be close to working, close to Nolan's baseball. I mean, that's a huge thing. You know how many people ask me, I want to be the street from Knox Baseball Club? All right? It's a lot of people. Then they're not going to get what they want in a home. It's as simple as that. It is as simple as that. I'm not giving these people dick, all.
B
Right? Knox Baseball Club is the most valuable real estate in all of Australia, okay? It is the. It is the world capital of the real estate in the world capital of sports. Well, Lucas's first option isn't about the house itself, it's more about where it's located, which he's found a spot somewhere deep in the ocean, so that way these people don't have to invade their island.
A
Wow. Baronia is in a crackling. And it's in a cracking position for work. Five minutes away from work, Baronia. All right, there's probably a pit bull on every. Behind a chain link fence in every house. And you could die here very young. All right. Gunshots at night, trash on the streets. It's gonna be great. You're gonna love.
B
It. Now, I just want to remind everyone, the neighbo called Baronia not to be confused what people say when they see Stephanie's shirt, which is boring.
A
Yuck. Boringia. Or over there. Baronia. Baronia. Why won't nobody aphonia? Okay, it's probably because of your shit. And it's two minutes to baseball. And Dan's like, awesome. We love baseball. God, I really love baseball. Well, the backyard is massive. Nice for.
B
Baseball. But the house itself leaves a little bit to be desired. But I mean, you guys know that because that's the same with the both of you. So anyway, the character is really here. So come on in, let's come look at.
A
This. I love Lucas's honesty. He's like, well, the house leaves a little bit desired. You know, one thing that's come out of America that I like is Grand Theft Auto played it. It's basically characters like that living in a neighborhood. All right, so just imagine lots of stupid people without jobs in the street, walking all over the place, shooting at each other. That's where you're going to be living if you choose. Right here in.
B
Baron. Yeah. So then a male person drives by on a scooter and he's like, oh, look at that. Look at that male person on a scooter. You have postman like that back in Alaska? No, Cuz if they did, they'd get eaten by bears. Wow. It's a real yes and moment from you. Thanks a lot.
A
Bro. He goes, what do you reckon? Actually, the male person, he said, you got posties like that? Which I really.
B
Like. I.
A
Like. He's like, hi, postie. You got posties like that? I like that. I'm going to start using that with my postie. I'm going to be like, hey, postie, could you maybe put the packages up here instead of down in the middle of the.
B
Street? I've got a.
A
Hotmail. That would be great.
B
Posty. Which is very.
A
Exciting. You.
B
Do? He's.
A
Hot. I Want a hotmail.
B
Man? He's just like a tall, hot mailman. I mean, you just sort of see him on the sidewalk. I was like, isn't it funny that we have a hot mailman? So then we see house number one. It's got character, quote, unquote, character. And by character, it actually has no character whatsoever. It's just a brick house. Three beds, one bath, big yard, short commute. It's actually, like, not bad. It's small, but there's, like, for how small it looks on the outside, it has a surprisingly open vibe on the inside. I found, you know, wooden floors, has this sort of, like, layout that sort of goes in a circle. The real. The real issue is the. The bathroom. That's where they have a big issue, because the bathroom is like, there's only one bathroom, and they wanted to have two. And then this bathroom, the. The toilet is in its own sort of like, sub room, like a stall. But then there's, like, this weird. There's a bath, but then there's a shower, and it's. It's sort of, like, a little strange. I personally didn't think it was, like, a terrible bathroom, but they were really upset by.
A
It. Well, it was really small. When you're going to have three people crammed in there before.
B
Church.
A
Yeah. You know, trying to get ready. You know, Mom's trying to iron outer smock, and dad's trying to get his man bun up there. And Lucas is in the mirror just saying baseball over and over to himself until his dream comes true. So why. It's a tiny bathroom for all of.
B
That. Yeah. Dan, is he. He's going on. He has a real thing with carpet. He's, like, bringing Alaska trauma because he's like, I hate carpet. Because growing up in a rainforest and always tracking in mud and grime, it's just impossible to keep it clean. Like, well, take your shoes off outside before you walk in. I don't know. What do you want me to tell you, you.
A
Know? Yeah. And at one point, the mom's like, well, you know, this doesn't really have room for a drum kit. And Lucas goes, drums? That was not the brief. Now we've got a fucking drummer. How many dreams you allowing this child to have? I mean, isn't it bad that he's gonna. Isn't it bad enough he's gonna already fail at baseball? Now he's got to fail at drumming? All right, here's a dream we need to get inside of your child. Playing video games and eating.
B
Hamburgers. I Mean baseball and drums. How many things does this kid have to hit with a stick?
A
So what's next? Is it going to open a pinata company? I mean, come.
B
On. So they look, they, they're walking through and I like this. At one point, Lucas goes to the left, to the left. And you know, people at HGTV are like, okay, that's as much as we can include of him singing before we get sued by.
A
Beyonce. I know none of you gay enough to know this, but I basically just broke up with your entire.
B
Family. All right, so they're looking and Stephanie's like, well, I don't know, it's a little smaller than what we're used to. You want to spend $2,000 per month for, for a three bedroom, two bathroom house in the suburbs? Ma', Am, you are a little bit smaller in what you think you can.
A
Achieve. A little smaller than we're used to. I mean, can we not go over quotes from our wedding night? That would be nice. All right, now listen. I chose this house because it's close to everything. It's not really about the house, this one, it's about location. The house is shit. The family that lives here has unachievable dreams. The dad's a deadbeat, but guess what? You're close to.
B
Baseball. Do you want to see the baseball bathroom? Now it's time we talked about it. Now we're going to go into it. So they walk in and they're like, oh my God. Like, well, at least the toilet separate. Oh my God, it's so small. And Dan is like, one sink. We're going to share with the teenager. What are we going to.
A
Do? So she's like, yeah, well, we might have to put a timer on the bathroom. Like, you get 10 minutes, buddy. That's all you get. Or I'll pretend to be Nolan. I'm like, hey, mom and dad, what's going on? Oh, okay. Well, it's really a big bummer that there's only one bathroom. Alright, so the role playing is done here. I'm trying to have a good episode here, but these fucking amateurs won't give it to me. Can I get some better poor people in here, please? I mean, it's bad enough they don't have money. Can they have some.
B
Jokes? Yeah, it's just a real big bummer that there's only one bathroom, you know? Like, I mean, living with two males, that's like a different level of cleanliness, you know, that's just a lot to deal with. Especially with Dan tracking In all his. All his rainforest mud everywhere. Come on. Don't bring that up again, okay? It's hard enough for me to think about.
A
It, but she doesn't do any cleaning. You get that she's complaining about cleaning. She's not the one who's got to do the clean. This broad. Am I.
B
Right? So now they look at a small bedroom, and that could be an office space for her. And then they like the flow. The flow is surprisingly good for this space. I was like. I was thinking it would be a much worse flow, but the flow's okay, kitchen's okay. But the dishwasher. There's no dish. We get this whole thing. It's like. He's like. It's missing something. He's like, what's that? The dishwasher standing in the kitchen. That's you, dummy. You can scrub that plate while you think of the baseball career you never.
A
Had. That's my favorite couple joke when they're like, hey, do you guys have a dishwasher? Sure do. He's standing right in front of you. My.
B
Husband. It's classic. It hits every time it.
A
Slaps. Oh, yeah. Sit down's like, what? There's a washer in the laundry room. Okay, well, that's a little quirky. I mean, I really look at the functionality because I'm trying to make everything easy. And they've got a dishwasher in a laundry room. I mean, that's just cringy. That is just cringe. That just gave me the.
B
Ick. That's like a man bunny on a dad who doesn't have the hair to support.
A
It.
B
Right. Just cringy. It is actually weird, like, that dishwasher being like, the laundry room is next to the kitchen. Beastror. Have to, like, go around a corner. So every time you want to put dishes in dishwasher. It's sort of weird to not have it right next to your sink where you can just sort.
A
Of. Yeah, but also, what are you going to do, like, rinse them off and then carry them into the other room to put them in? It's.
B
Weird. They shouldn't ever. I would actually disqualify the house for that. Or just be like, okay, we'll buy a dishwasher and put it in. Like, do some.
A
Renovations. Yeah. I don't know, but I don't know that there's room in there. But I'll tell you where there is room. Hi, little. Little one who probably won't amount to anything. Go get your baseball bat because it's practice. Time. Look at this backyard. Look at all these neighbors. You can knock balls into their windows. Nobody wants you playing baseball in the.
B
Backyard.
A
People. Fucking.
B
Nuts. Are you concerned that your neighbors won't be able to tell that you're American enough? Well, guess what? You can come out here and be loud and play lots of baseball and break all their windows, and then you can go running inside when you see a big spider and say, oh, my God, we don't have spiders like that in the usa. While the rest of us say.
A
Pussies. Wow, you weren't kidding. This backyard is massive. What do you think, mate? Well, it's awesome. I mean, you could. You could almost hit back here. You could almost hit back.
B
Here. What do you mean you could almost hit? You got to put your hips into it and just go bang, you know, it's like. Have you ever started an orgy before? It's just simple as 1, 2.
A
3. Listen, I'm good at everything. What can I say? She goes, except for finding two bedroom houses, all right. Or two bathroom houses, because you're not really good at that. Are you kind of feeling it? That.
B
One. You know what? I bought you two salads from Cava, and this is how you repay me? I don't think so. Okay, I know this wasn't a home run. That's baseball for you dumb dumbs. But it's only $2,000 a month, and we're close to everything, including your failed dreams of being a baseball player, young.
A
One. I know it's a home run, but I'm talking to a family of strikeouts. All right?
B
So. So. So Lucas is like, well, the compromise has to come. It scares me holding that bat. All right, can you just take that bat down? Can you just, like, not. Not put that bat down? You're gonna hit me? I want you. Americans are very.
A
Violent. So now it's time to go to the next house, everybody. So we see them kind of doing stuff around town, and Dan's like, well, we found out some research that they really value work, life balance in Australia. So there was a possibility that she could do what she wanted and not have to work 75 hours a week. And then if I was going to work zero times a week, I could still work less than zero times a week. So. Really, I love this place.
B
Already. Yeah, my visa says I can work 38 at 38 and a half hours a week. I mean, it's really amazing. But I do have a mandated 10 hours of didgeridoo, so. All right, get to practicing that.
A
When some you lose.
B
Some. We told Nolan, you got to start learning how to play with an Australian baseball bat, which turns out to be just a didgeridoo.
A
Also. All right, well. Oh, sorry. Moving abroad is definitely one of those bucket list dreams for me, you know, because I've been thinking about work, life balance for my wife, you know, and Nolan could play baseball all year round. This is so worth it. I'm giving up nothing. God, I love this. Stephanie's like, you know, every little boy's dream is, I'm going to play for the mlb. I want to play for the mlb. Let's move far away from Chicago. I don't want to be close to.
B
Chicago. Every little boy's dream, especially when you name them after a famous baseball player and force them to play baseball from the time they're one and a half months old, is that they want to join the MLB and fulfill their parents dreams. And that's just what Nolan's going to do for us. So we made sure to take them to a city that has no MLB teams in it. And we'll never see an MLB team. We love this. We love this for him.
A
Yeah. So they go play at the park and practice. Guess.
B
What?
A
Baseball. Dan's like, I'm just bubbling with excitement. I'm trying to temper it down so they're not annoyed because they're both going through a lot more stress with it than I am. Can't imagine why. They're worried about thanksgal work, worried about ball. Ball baseball. I'm gonna have a famous.
B
Son. So he's like, yeah, I'm just bubbling, bubbling with excitement. So she says, well, I'm feeling really relieved that Dan isn't working for the first few months and then the next few months after that, and probably the next few months after that. Maybe for maybe a year after that too, and then maybe another year after that as well. I'm just so relieved because he just keeps getting fired. And it's just nice to not have to go through that emotional journey. He can just stay unemployed and, and he can clean up like, I don't know, every time he spills some Gatorade.
A
Somewhere. Unfortunately, that means less money that we would normally have. And Dan goes, yeah, well, I'd be happy to spend a little bit more money to have a dream spot. You're not working. Be quiet. I can't say it enough. So she's like, well, just try to give us the best Australian start, honey. We don't want to waste all our money that we don't have Right.
B
Now? Yeah. You know, he's like, well, can you elaborate what that means? You know, being able to have money saved when stupid stuff happens, like a car breaks down because, you know, who put the you know what in the wrong, you know, thing? What? The time you put the wrong gas in the tank. Dan, don't you remember that we were stranded in a snowstorm for six hours in Alaska? Not going to do that.
A
Again. Sugar can make our kid run for a block or two. Why can't it make the car go a little.
B
Further? The number of bees you attracted to our gas tank was inconceivable. Not gonna happen.
A
Again. He's like, well, I feel modern would be more functional than anything. I really like modern. Modern.
B
Things. Yes. As we can tell by his wardrobe. So. Well, Luke's like, well, he's happy to spend more money. And since Dan's staying home with Nolan, I think he deserves a house that he wants to live in. But it's a long way from town, which actually may be a good thing, because I don't know if I'd want to have Dan showing up in town in front of all my neighbors with.
A
That. Bad thing for Dan, good thing for.
B
Town. We are on the outskirts of Lilydale, which is what I hear also is what Dan was called as a child. And he says that it's 35 minutes. It's 35 minutes from baseball. It's every. It's like 30 minutes. 35 minutes from baseball, from work. That's long. I do have to say, why is it. And mentally, I think 30 minutes from work, I'm like, no big deal. But 30 minutes from baseball is more annoying. I think it's because it's like, baseball is only for, like, two hours, so you have to go all the way over there, come on back, and then all the.
A
Way. Yeah, you have to find something to do while he's at baseball. And she's always going to get stuck doing it, you know, so she's going to have to go from work to pick him up, and then she's going to sit there and wait while he's a bit. Although they're probably the kind of parents who do all the practices, you know, they probably show up and they're, God damn it, move it, Nolan. Jesus. Why are you letting that guy take over? Use a fat son of a. He's a moron. Wussy. Don't let him get you. Like, guys, this is a practice. Please get off the.
B
Field. Please. That being said, I mean, I think we all grew up with people who, like, did sports, and they would have to drive 30 minutes to wherever they had to go. So get over.
A
It. I mean, 30 minutes is kind of everywhere here. It takes me 30 minutes. I think I live two miles from you or something like that. I looked on the map. I live, like, 2.5 miles from you, but it takes 30 minutes to get to your house. And I always thought, well, that's not too far. But I never go into. That's far. It feels far in real life, practice. It feels.
B
Far. Yeah. You just get used to going 30 minutes away. My experience with commutes is that you just. They become part of your routine. You build that time in, and it just. That's just how it.
A
Goes. To have a really good house, it's worth it. Yeah, I think so, but, you know, that's me. So they're bitching about the drive already. And he's like, yeah, but you've got four bedrooms, three bathrooms. I mean, you've got a bathroom each. That's amazing. None of you will have to accidentally run into a family member's fupa. So, I mean, I think that's worth the drive, don't you? More drive, less trauma, right? And she's like, well, that's exciting. And Lucas says, yes, but there's one little issue. Dun, dun, dun. It's gonna cost you a bit more.
B
Suckers. $400 more. $2,400. She's like, oh, that's a. A little more than I'm comfortable with. You know, it's like, well, I'm. You're wearing a shirt that I'm. A little bit. A little more than I'm comfortable with seeing, and I'm okay with it. So basically, the. That's expensive for them. It's $400 above their budget. And Dan's like, you can see my blood pressure ratchet up a little bit as soon as she found out the price. Oh, my God. She's. Well, it's not just the money. The house is also really far from my work and Nolan's baseball. His very important.
A
Baseball. Yeah. But this is a really, really nice house. And Dan's like, oh, my God, look. View. I don't see anything I even need to see again. Oh, stop facing us. You need to look out the window. Oh, you're right. That's why I brought you. Look at this view. It's like on a hill. It's all this beautiful green, and.
B
This one's really, really nice. Like, I think the exterior is actually a little ugly, but Even though it's supposed to be nice, I think I don't love the exterior, but who cares? It's nice. There's this, like, tile throughout, which I actually kind of think is cool. It's like a. It looks like the sort of tile you'd see on a counter, but it's on the floor. And I kind of like that. That's on the first floor, but then you go on the second floor, there's a kitchen, and there's a fun layout in terms of living space and kitchen and dining room and all.
A
That. And it's like a.
B
70S. It is kind of.
A
70S. Like, there's exposed brick walls and it's like, very 70s vibe. But it's pretty cool for.
B
This. Yeah. There's a dishwasher. But the thing is, it's actually a bit too big. It's like four bedrooms, three bathrooms, so. And on top of that, it's like $400 over budget. They go into one bedroom at some point. And this is my favorite part. Dan goes, is that a Wu Tang sign? And she's like, it looks like a Wu Tang sign. He'll love that. Like, Jaden will love that. Or whatever. The kid, Lucas.
A
Whatever.
B
Whatever. The kid's name is Nolan. Jaden. And then we see on screen after they say there's a Wu Tang sign. The Wu Tang Clan is a New York City hip hop group. I was like, tell me you're broadcasting to an older generation without telling.
A
Me. Well, I mean, it's not like the Wu Tang Clan is exactly correct.
B
But it just was so funny. Like, this is what the Wu Tang Clan is.
A
Everyone. So now they go, look at Nolan's bathroom. That's really nice, Stephanie. They check out the other bathroom. She's got two sinks because she wants her own bathroom. She doesn't want to have to share it with her husband, who. I mean, who can blame her? And she's like, I can have a morning sing and an evening sink. Okay, can we do that with your.
B
Smocks? Can we at least change the smocks up in between houses? Come.
A
On. And now Dan's like, I'll stop to clean it even though it's not my bathroom. I hope she realizes how lucky she is. She can focus on her career 100 while I take care of Nolan. That is one lucky.
B
Woman. Wow. I look at Dan and I think, she's.
A
So. You are treading on some thin.
B
Ice. How can anyone be as lucky as Stephanie to wind up with Dan and his man.
A
Bun? So they head to the backyard and it's nice. It's, like, over. It's on a hill. It looks like one of those in the hills, but it's a very small backyard, and they think that it's not big enough for baseball. Okay, but the dad loves this place. I mean, this is definitely the nicest place they see, I think. And she's like, you know, it's what we're looking for. And he goes, yeah, a little small in the yard, but that's just nitpicky. I mean, come on. We can justify spending a little more money. Stephanie. All you need to do is get another job. Stephanie. Come on.
B
Stephanie. But it's so far from baseball, and the commute to work is so hard. He's like, wait. Wait a second. I thought you're on my side. And Dan's like, well, I am, but, like, you know, just. God, I don't know. I just know what I go home to at night. This one here. Am I right? Smocky mix. Mockerface. So then we see Stephanie and Dan playing catch, and Lucas goes, throw it at his head. Throw it at his.
A
Head. I love Lucas. He's not even hiding his.
B
Disgust. He's one of the best realtors they've had on the show.
A
Yeah. He goes, all right, where we going to next? Compromise town. It's going to be cheaper and.
B
Closer. So now they are ordering coffee at a truck, and Stephanie's like, I would like a flat white with soy milk. Like, isn't that the one who's standing next to.
A
You? You already married him. He's like, yeah, I'm probably the only person in Melbourne that doesn't drink coffee. She's. Oh, God. Moving to the craziest thing we've ever done. It's just so drastic, you know, Leaving a place where we've got security, Rain, family we hate. Oh, God. Moving here. I mean, they have coffee and trucks here. This is.
B
Crazy. Nolan's like, I'm worried about trying to make friends. And poor Nolan, innocent victim in all.
A
This. No. Is so.
B
Sweet. Where are his parents if he wants to be in the mlb? Why are they taking Nolan so far away from the mlb? Like, why do they not, like, go someplace where you can see a bait, like a. Like an MLB game or go to, like, a baseball. Like, an MLB baseball camp? And, like, why is. Why are Florida and Chicago so off the. Off the. Off the. Off the table for them? I just don't understand this. I don't.
A
Know. It's sad. Little Nolan's like, but I have a chance Right, you do. Let's go to catch a hatchie. So Dan is like, you know, he's 12. So we do this now or we don't. We don't want to do it when he's a teenager because that's really challenging. You know, it's really best to do it when a kid's at their least awkward when they're 12 years.
B
Old. It's important for us to move him away from baseball opportunities exactly at the time when he might be wanting to lean into them the most in his life. But don't worry, there's a park in. In. In. In Knox land, Melbourne, where he can play, pick up a pickup game with some.
A
Kids. Dan's like, wow, Stephanie's career means a lot to her. And if she doesn't perform well, there's a possibility we're going to pack up, back to the States with our tail between her legs. And guess what? My arms are going to be in the air. And I'm going to say, not my fault. Blame dummy over.
B
There. I can't wait to go back to the United States and order some round white coffees instead of these flat whites. So they go to the next house. And Steph is the sole provider for the time being. And by the time being, I mean the rest of her life. So her focus is on practicality and price. And try not to look at Dan's terrible man bun. Before Dan looks for a teaching job, though, his responsibility will be shuttling Nolan to school and baseball and wiping up the random Gatorade spills he has around the house and then acting like he did something heroic. And when it comes to home, he's not afraid to swing for the fences. And by swing, I mean that in all senses of the.
A
Word. All right, this is a nice comp, nice compromise form, but they're gonna still clash heads, all right? And how can you not with those heads? Best thing they could do is clash them up against walls. We've got lots of walls for them to bang their heads up against here. All right, we're off to Glenn Waverly. 30 minutes to baseball, 25 minutes to Ringwood for Steph's work and a lifetime away from any kind of familial stuff. Success.
B
Right? So they've shaved five minutes off the commute and five minutes off of baseball. I don't like that's that big of a difference. But they're in a big, beautiful suburb. There's a big backyard, three bedroom, two bathrooms, and Lucas is like, well, this does lack a little bit of character. But, you know, it's you two, right? Smock palooza. Am I right? So you're gonna love the inside.
A
Me. Who doesn't? Am I.
B
Right? Hey, it's not like you got the smock set. Neiman Marcus. Am I right? So I don't think character is too much of an issue for.
A
You. All right, here we go. There's a loud dog howl. Did you hear that? All right. It's pet friendly. You basically have dogs surrounding you on all sides. Now, the reason why I picked this home for you is you're gonna be very comfortable. What a home. So we see the home. It's a very modern, open floor. It's a very pretty house, actually.
B
It's.
A
It's. It's way too nice for them, I.
B
Think. It was my.
A
Favorite. You don't deserve this.
B
House. It was my favorite. It.
A
Was. This is totally.
B
Yours. But also, it was, like, only $100 over budget. It had the room that they needed. It had the space. It was updated. It was clean. Like, because the thing is this. They kept asking for character, and none of these houses had character. They were all sort of. Actually, no, the second one had had some character, but, like, this was not usually when people say character, they usually want, like, something that's vintage, that has, like. Like interesting, like, craft work that's put into it, like handiwork or, you know, artisanal, whatever, artistry. None of these really had that. And so I thought, as long as you're going to get a generic box, this is the box that you should get. Like, it's. It's only a little bit. Just. It hits all the. It hits. It checks all the boxes a little far from everything else, but, like, there's an open shot case for.
A
Me. Well, this one was a bit weird because there was no fridge, and they're like, there's no fridge at all. Like, where do we even put the fridge? It's another one where the homes don't come have a fridge or space for the fridge, which is pretty weird. And she's like, well, it's over what we wanted to spend now, Stephanie, it's.
B
$100. 100.
A
Okay? Like, come on. Like.
B
You'Ll. You'll be able to.25 a.
A
Week. And Lucas goes, come on, you ever heard of credit cards? God fucking.
B
Loses. Help me get you into a house. So they. They walk in and then they're looking at rooms, and then there's one. And Lucas, now Nolan, there's a sock on the door. No one's like, what does that mean? All right, we're gonna pause this episode so that way we can have a talk with Nolan real quickly because of Lucas, our.
A
Realtor. Also, his room would have a sliding glass door in it, which they're worried, you know, that run away. I can guarantee you Nolan is not running.
B
Away. He's not to do.
A
Anything. Okay? You'll be lucky if Nolan has people to go run away with. You should be thanking the Lord that Nolan will finally sneak out at some point. You know, I want that for Nolan. I actually look at Nolan, I'm like, God, I hope he finds some bad kids to go run around this.
B
Town. Yeah. So then they're looking at some other place, like another part. They're in the cl. In a closet, and there's carpet in the closet. So Dan's like, well, what do you think about the crowd Carpet? I mean, what if we track mud onto this carpet? She goes, yeah, it's strange to have carpet in a closet. I mean, the robot might get stuck. I'm like, if you guys don't buy this house because of a Roomba consideration, I will be.
A
Furious. It's like, well, you know, that's kind of expensive. Then we have to buy a fridge. I mean, come on. And Lucas is like, oh, my God, she's already gotten ahead that Nolan's going to scheme to sneak out of the house with a. That sliding glass door. I mean, God, the kid's 12. I stopped banging chicks until I was 14. I mean, come on. What is he, an early start? Have you seen the kid? It's not like this kid's gonna be rocking. Don't let the door come a knocking. I mean, come.
B
On. Although we are in the orgy capital of the world, as I previously previously stated, so you never.
A
Know. All right, so they're like, okay, the commute time kind of sucks. Now, the husband really likes the second house. And we know what Stephanie wants. She wants to.
B
Cheat. She.
A
Does. And so they're like, so who's gonna win here? And Dan goes, let's see who can win the stubborn battle. And Stephanie points to herself, and Lucas is like, this is gonna come down to call distance and smoke.
B
Strength. And of course, they chose the worst house of all. House number one. The one. The house that has no character. But I guess they probably want to play baseball in the backyard because they're a baseball obsessed. And they. We see them in the kitchen. They're. They're fine. They. And basically, they're like, well, thankfully, there was, like, the toilet situation. The fact that the toilet is like in its own stall makes life a little bit easier. So yeah, they're generally.
A
Happy. I just knew they were going to choose that shitty house. I knew it. They did it. And it kind of made sense once we saw the clip of them. Like what, where they are now. You know, it's like six months later or whatever. The husband still has no plan to work and I think they're using an ironing board for their dining room table. It's like, okay, well this is, this makes sense. This is you.
B
Guys. It tracks well. Anyway, thanks everyone for listening again. If you want to send in a suggestion, email us@watchercrappinsmail.com and put Dwell hello suggestions in your subject line and try to find an episode that's on HBO Max or YouTube TV and not any other paywall. Thanks so much for being here and we'll catch you on the next one. Bye bye everybody. Hello, This is Paige desorbo from Giggly Squad. Boost Mobile gives you the same.
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Hosts: Ben Mandelker & Ronnie Karam
Date: August 21, 2025
House Hunters Episode Recapped: Season 200, Episode 2 – “Alaskans Play Ball Down Under”
Theme:
Ben and Ronnie break down a House Hunters International episode featuring an Alaskan family’s move to Melbourne, Australia. They give their signature blend of irreverent Bravo-style recapping, snarky commentary, and offbeat humor as they roast the family’s baseball obsession, curious fashion choices, and unique approach to “practicality.”
This Dwell Hello episode follows an Alaskan family—mom Stephanie, dad Dan, and 12-year-old son Nolan—as they relocate to Melbourne, Australia, so Stephanie can start a new job. Their main priorities? Baseball for Nolan and work-life balance for Stephanie. Ben and Ronnie gleefully poke fun at the family’s quirks, particularly Dan’s “man bun,” his jobless status, the couple’s negotiation over sinks, and their baseball-centric worldview—all while marveling at the Australian real estate scene.
| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------| | 02:23 | “It's the man bun. It's the man bun. And just like the shitty, like, green T shirt dress that the girl was wearing. I don't know, I just was like, oh, these two.” | Ronnie | | 05:33 | “Guys, isn't it amazing how sweet this child is and how we all instantly know his dreams are already dead?” | Ronnie | | 07:51 | “You don't have to show up in a ball gown, but...like, you look just...I don't know, like she needs a cigarette dangling out of her mouth…” | Ronnie | | 22:10 | “Happy husband, happy life. I’m like, I don’t think that’s how the phrase goes, but that’s okay.” | Ben | | 29:31 | “It’s not really about the house, this one, it’s about location. The house is shit. The family that lives here has unachievable dreams. The dad’s a deadbeat, but guess what? You’re close to baseball.” | Ronnie | | 41:58 | “This one's really, really nice. Like, I think the exterior is actually a little ugly, but Even though it's supposed to be nice, I think I don't love the exterior, but who cares? It's nice....” | Ben | | 52:08 | “If you guys don't buy this house because of a Roomba consideration, I will be furious.” | Ben | | 53:59 | “The husband still has no plan to work and I think they're using an ironing board for their dining room table. It's like, okay, well this is, this makes sense. This is you guys. It tracks well.” | Ronnie |
Ben and Ronnie keep the recap playful, irreverent, and sharply observational, never missing an opportunity for a roast (about fashion, gender roles, or Franco-American baseball dreams). Their banter is both affectionate and biting, quickly shifting from sweet moments for Nolan to withering takes on his parents’ choices.
In classic Watch What Crappens style, the hosts manage to transform a pretty vanilla House Hunters episode into a hilarious, relatable, and deeply sarcastic exploration of American optimism, millennial slacker dads, and the endless pursuit of practicality. By the end, they’re both baffled and unsurprised by the family’s choice—and the realities of expat American life down under.
For more recaps and bonus content, check out their Patreon and send episode suggestions to WatchWhatCrappens!