We're Here to Help — Episode 234: Merlin & Captain Ron (with Rory Scovel)

Date: November 26, 2025
Hosts: Jake Johnson & Gareth Reynolds
Guest: Rory Scovel

Episode Overview

In this lively, advice-filled episode of We’re Here to Help, comedic actors Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds are joined by their friend — stand-up comedian, actor, and “bit” aficionado Rory Scovel — to help listeners with some particularly quirky life dilemmas. This episode mixes the show’s signature blend of earnest advice, relentless riffing, and digressions into personal stories, as the trio handle calls about awkward family finances, neighborly disputes, and the oddities of suburban life.

Featured Segments & Key Discussions

Reunion with Rory Scovel & Comic “Bit” Culture

[02:11–09:15]

• Rory discusses his current projects, background in painting, and his upcoming comedy tour (tickets at RoryScoville.com).
• Jake and Gareth reminisce about meeting Rory on the set of a pilot, where a mutual love for absurd comedic "bits" forged their friendship.
  • Memorable bit: Rory once performed stand-up by holding only the mic cord, shouting into his hand as if it was the mic.
    Jake: “You can only do it so many times because you’re just yelling. But it was so fun to just act like you don’t know how you’re supposed to hold the mic.” [05:34]
• The trio joke about their “room tone” bit — staying behind after filming just to brag about their dedication to sound department needs.
• Rory describes living in Denver and loving the change, highlighting a new “game room” in his home.
• Brief mention of Gareth’s mother Pam visiting, with Jake joking about his own cleanliness issues.

Advice Call 1: Should We (Re-)Ask for the $10,000 from Uncle Gandalf?

Caller: Tyler, 35, Michigan
[16:06–47:27]

The Dilemma

Tyler’s wife received a $10,000 check as a wedding gift from her eccentric uncle (“Gandalf”), but her anxiety about family relationships and “strings attached” led them to never deposit it. Years later, he wonders how to approach asking for the money (again) without offending anyone.

Discussion Highlights

• The Setup:

  • Tyler’s wife called her uncle a “scary wizard that lives in the woods of Virginia” (“He has a really long beard, glasses, cane, cool leather hat — made quite an impression on her as a child.” [19:56])
  • Jake: “It might be Gandalf.”
  • Named the uncle "Uncle Gandalf," and the wife "Veronica" for the bit.

• The Core Tension:

  • Veronica’s anxiety relates less to potential family fallout and more to the awkwardness of having little relationship with the uncle.
  • Tyler desperately searched for the old check but suspects it was thrown out and long since expired.
  • A $9,500 car purchase (after hitting a deer) recently increased their financial needs.

• Advice, with Bits:

  • Gareth: “Maybe you go the emotional route. Start to stoke a relationship with Gandalf a little more, so she’ll be comfortable.” [24:06]
  • Jake: “If people offer $10,000, it means they can — don’t feel guilt. But you also have to find a way to reach out that isn’t like, ‘Hi, can we have that check again?’” [25:47]
  • Both suggest, somewhat seriously, using the upcoming family expansion (having a kid) as a reason to reach out.
  • Use humor: create a fake Christmas card showing a dream future family, with Gandalf as their “sugar uncle”.
    • “Caption it ‘This could be us, but you playing.’” — Jake [32:21]
  • Consider reaching out to build a relationship, not just ask for money.

• Practice Pitch — Role Play:

  • Gareth, as Tyler, rehearses a sensitive approach:
    “Is there a world where we just try to reconnect with your uncle? Your dad seems to want to know him, we need a financial lifeline, with the car and starting a family…” [43:48]
  • Jake (as Veronica): "Oh God, here we go."
  • Tyler is encouraged to pitch it as a family-building step, not just a cash grab.

Takeaways

• Approach the wife with empathy, acknowledge her anxiety, and pitch the reconnect as both familial and practical.
• If wife agrees, Tyler may contact Gandalf himself, possibly with a Christmas card or invitation.
• Avoid guilt; frame the ask as progress, not desperation.

Notable Quote

“King Arthur wouldn’t have become King Arthur without Merlin. Don’t be afraid to use that line.”
— Jake Johnson [38:00]

Advice Call 2: My Neighbor Mounted Fake Legs to a Tree — Help!

Caller: Peter, 37, Glencoe, Illinois
[49:20–80:22]

The Dilemma

Peter moved to the suburbs next to a colorful neighbor (“Captain Ron”) who, after a beloved tree fell, honored it by mounting the lower half of a dummy (pants, shoes, shirt) upside-down onto the cut trunk — making it appear as if a person dived into the tree. What can Peter do if he wants the display gone, but wants to keep the peace?

Discussion Highlights

• Describing Captain Ron:

  • Older hippie, ponytail, rides Harleys, sunbathes in a loincloth, has equally quirky roommates, generous and a little wild (sneaks into festivals, offers neighbors smoothies).
  • Jake: “You got yourself a Captain Ron!” [51:17]

• Describing the Legs Display:

  • 15–20 feet up, the sawed-off tree features mannequin legs and partial torso — “like if someone did a handstand and you cut them off at the pubis … fully clothed, sneakers and shirt still on.” — Gareth [52:56]

• Peter’s Issue:

  • Initially funny, now feels tacky, hacky, and makes the house identifiable as “next to the legs tree.”

• Advice, via Comedy and Strategy:

  • Gareth: Suggests a “Donnie Brasco” approach: hang out with Ron to broach the topic, gauge attachment, and possibly pitch rotating displays (make the tree a holiday feature: Santa legs, etc.) [60:26]
  • Alternative Strategies:
    • An anonymous note from “neighbors” asking for removal. Not recommended as the best way.
    • A white lie: say a realtor says the display is a turnoff for buyers.
    • Use a personal story: say the display triggers a (fictional) traumatic memory about a friend dying in a skydiving accident.
      • Jake: “You could say, I had a friend who died that way … how’s he ever gonna know?” [63:12]
      • Gareth: “Better yet, say it was your wife’s friend or cousin to move it away from you.”
  • Wildcard Bit: Paint the trunk like a Mario Brothers pipe and make it Mario’s legs — embrace the absurdity. [65:36]

• Role Play (Peter, Jake as Ron, Gareth as Ron’s roommate):

  • Peter: “It just reminds me of a high school friend … skydiving accident, went straight into the ground. Every time I see those legs…”
  • Jake (as Ron): “I miss that tree … maybe we can meet in the middle — I’ll cut off one leg and leave the other.” [75:33]
  • Discussion blends sincerity with ever-escalating absurdity, while coaching Peter to practice his request and defuse defensiveness.

• Best Practices:

  • Practice your pitch with others for confidence (“Trial by actual fire” — Gareth [80:13]).
  • If pressed, stress the emotional impact, but default to a “no big deal, just wanted to ask” attitude to preserve the relationship.

Notable Quote

“The world is a suggestion.”
— Jake Johnson, on neighborly confidence [59:21]

“Scapegoat your wife’s trauma … use that for everything.”
— Gareth Reynolds [67:29]

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On Rory’s Standup Stunt:
  “It was so fun to just act like you don’t know how you’re supposed to hold the mic.”
  — Rory Scovel [05:34]

• Jake on Helping:
  “Everything I’ve ever done has moved the needle massively.” (Dry sarcasm) [08:19]

• Gareth on Family Dynamics:
  “Sometimes divorce is the nuclear. That’s what you gotta do. … Not funny at all!” [07:41]

• On Approaching Difficult Conversations:
  “Sometimes you gotta be that open. You might even make the relationship better by saying stuff like that.”
  — Jake Johnson [61:09]

• On Adopting Absurdity:
  “Cover the tree to look like the green pipe from Mario and have Mario’s legs sticking out the top. That might be the best idea I’ve ever had.”
  — Jake Johnson [65:36]

Important Timestamps

• [02:11] – Rory Scovel re-introduced; discussion of comedy “bits”
• [16:06] – Tyler’s call about the $10,000 family dilemma begins
• [25:57] – Discussion: approaches to asking for the money post-factum
• [32:54] – Advice on using humor and family expansion as conversation openers
• [43:48] – Full role-play: Tyler practicing the talk with his wife
• [49:20] – Peter’s call about the neighbor’s tree-legs kicks off
• [53:00] – Describing the absurd “legs in the tree” sculpture
• [60:26] – Advice: Donnie Brasco approach, seasonal display pitch
• [63:12] – Cooking up trauma stories as an excuse
• [75:19] – Role-play with Jake as Captain Ron
• [80:13] – Final advice: practice, record the conversation, keep us posted

Summary & Tone

This episode exemplifies We’re Here to Help’s mix of self-aware, “drunk uncle” advice, genuine empathy, and surreal comic tangents. Jake, Gareth, and Rory oscillate between sincere life coaching and running with every comedic thread, giving listeners both practical tips and absurdist entertainment — all while modeling how to navigate tricky life conversations with warmth, humility, and a lot of laughs.