Is The Marvel Cinematic Universe... Doomed?

also we talk about why everyone is catching up with each other without us

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Howdy everyone. Welcome to this week's episode of the podcast. And for those of you that have been listening for a while, you may have noticed that the intro music might have had a different tune to it. And that's because we are officially unveiling the new branding of the podcast. And we are going to be titling this show, The Game Boy Show, where we don't talk about video games. We occasionally talk about sports games. And we sometimes play games every now and then. So it's pretty much on brand and right on the button that we'll be calling ourselves the Game Boy Show. So that'll be what we refer to this. This is uh episode 42 of the of the podcast overall, but episode one as the Game Boy Show going forward, which is what it'll be. So I hope you guys enjoy that. And uh you'll see that imaging and uh music that will correlate to that theme uh as we continue on with the podcast.

SPEAKER_02 0:54

So everybody pour one out for the very awkward opening of the welcome to the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

Welcome to the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 1:04

I mean, they were it started out as the player haters ball fantasy football podcast, and then it was colloquially known as It Is What It Is, and then it just became by you. I mean, it's just what we kind of called it a little bit. I continued to show respect to Cameron and makes to Cameron. Cameron. Yep. Cameron. Uh and then it just became the podcast, and now most officially the Game Boy show. Uh so yeah. Welcome and uh hope you enjoy it. Let's let's let's just go into what's good. I think we've got a lot of stuff. There's a lot of things have been happening, particularly on the internet on the entertainment realm, uh, from as we've been talking about the release of uh the Odyssey that we've been talking about here, to we had a major trailer just drop that we can talk about. Um and uh the wrap-up of the World Cup. So a lot of things have been going on. Let's kick it off with what's good and we'll flow into the rest of the topic. So who wants to kick us off?

SPEAKER_00 2:03

I'll get us going. Um I'm not gonna dig into this one too much because I think Brandon might, but uh one of my what's goods is definitely the Odyssey, which I watched on Saturday. Um let's just say Nolan doesn't miss.

SPEAKER_01 2:19

Um let me just jump in real quick just so that everyone kind of knows the situation. We're trying to prevent talking about it until all three of us have seen it. Unfortunately, Brandon and Sarav have both seen it. I have not seen it. Uh I'm working on it, I'm trying to find a spot to see it. But so we're gonna be talking around the Odyssey without actually talking directly. So there's no spoilers or anything that anyone needs to be worried about. Uh, we're waiting to talk about it in depth until all of us have seen it. So just wanted to throw that in there so everyone understands why we're why we're beating around the bush.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

Yeah, exactly. Um but that's it. My recency bias, but also it feels like freshly my biggest what's good from the last week. Um, we went to go see this band I really enjoy yesterday called Royal Otis. Um, they've got that like cover of uh Linger that's really popular. Uh they did a murder on the dance floor cover that also went viral after it was part of that salt. What was it movie called? Salt something. I think it was just called Salt, wasn't it? Uh I thought it was called Salt Something.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

Maybe I'm wait, was that the one with Barry Keegan? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Salt man? Yeah, I thought it was something else. Maybe not.

SPEAKER_00 3:31

Yeah. I know. We're our memories are are really killing it these days. Is do you pronounce the G in his name? Is it Barry Keegan? He says Kilgen. Kilgen. Kilgan.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

Saltburn. Saltburn. Saltburn. That's right. Saltburn. Game Boy Show. We're really on top of ABR.

SPEAKER_03 3:47

We know this stuff. Is it Salt Lake and Angelina Jelly movie?

SPEAKER_01 3:52

Yeah, Salt is an Angelina Jelly movie. That's actually pretty good. From like 2002, maybe? Yeah. Okay, so we don't know the name of the movie that he was in. We also don't know how to pronounce his name, but we're getting there.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

Yeah, we're getting there. Uh, anyways, way besides the point, uh, the show was so good. It's really fun seeing a band that you've like. So uh the the first time I was exposed to them was at a live show. I'd gone to uh Boston Calling like two or three years ago, and they were still like a relatively smaller act, so they were like one of these daytime shows at the festival with not a great sound system or anything, and they were just these guys from Australia that were just you know playing some music, and it was really amazing to watch. Like, we we we heard them, we're like, Oh, these guys kind of these this these are some jams, we should check these out. And then, like, over the course of the next two, three years, they kind of blew up, right? Um, and I love their music, there's just like a very vibey, moody, but also like chill kind of soundtrack, summer um music, which I really love about it. Uh, and then yeah, seeing that all culminate and seeing them live intentionally yesterday, uh, and I will admit it's not just them and their music, but also where we saw it. There's a uh there's Prospect Park, which is a huge park in Brooklyn, uh, created by the same guy who uh designed Central Park. Um, and at the southern end, they have an area that is just a straight up like music venue for shows. And I had never been, and so we went, and that's where Royal Otis was playing. It was awesome. Like the temperature was perfect. It was just like mid-70s, not too hot, not too cold, like just just right. Um, and yeah, just like everyone there, like it was just it was it was just a really great energy. This they sh they sounded amazing. Uh obviously, you can tell that they have gotten uh bigger and can now really invest in uh the right sound systems and like stuff to make a great live show. Um, so yeah, that was it was just awesome. It was one of those things where you're like, man, I am smiling from ear to ear and like bobbing my head, and it's like one of those. I'm not thinking about why this is good. It just is good. Yeah. Uh yeah. So it's that was nice. That's cool, man. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 6:12

Well, I'll continue to always be jealous of all the opportunities that kind of that both of you guys have uh now, but uh you just being in New York City where these are just regular care uh occurrences that you can just look up, hey, what's going on on Friday night? And you have these really cool experiences available to you. That's really awesome.

SPEAKER_00 6:26

Yeah, there's a free Jada Kiss show that we heard about while we were there. And I just I just RSVP'd to get like two tickets to that. So we're gonna go to that in August. I'm like, this is awesome. You can see Jada Kiss for free. That's awesome. Why yeah, why is it free? Is the whole concert free or so what I like it just kind of random, but the venue seems to be there's like a lot of like for charity kind of vibes. Uh so like even going to the show was like supporting something. So I think that's what allows them to be both like a place that you know isn't just a venue for venue sake, like there's a purpose behind it, uh, and and what they kind of have performances to raise money for. I think that might also be what allows them to do stuff for free now and then um for you know locals to come check out.

SPEAKER_06 7:16

Yeah, that's cool. That's cool.

unknown 7:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:19

Um nice. Well, I'll uh okay, you want to go? Just because um, similarly to to Sir Rob, also saw the Odyssey this weekend, as you you both had mentioned. That is my what's good and gonna beat around the bush and not talk about the movie at all, but the experience of seeing the movie, um I was a little worried about because of a couple things. Uh one, it was an 8 a.m. show uh that's what I was able to get tickets for. And and and backtracking and looking to get the tickets to the movie, like I I I figured I needed to see it in an IMAX 70 millimeter because it's such a rare thing to have access to, and with it being like in my practically my backyard 20 minutes away, like it'd be doing a disservice not to. Like the whole big thing is that it's the first movie that's shot entirely like this. So um while I don't know that seeing it in a different format would like lessen the experience of of the movie itself, having access to it kind of felt obligated to to be able to do it. Um and if anybody does, and I think that there's there are a lot of screens that are near most of us, most of the the Ming people probably listen to this show. Um yeah, probably not you, Brennan. Um but but uh there's like in New York, and I think that I think there's one in in Orlando. Um and maybe somewhere else. I don't know. There's there's only like 20 screens in the country, which is why I was like, so so so like I I I need to do it. Um made that call way late. Obviously, where we are at in life, uh taking some time out to see a three-hour movie requires a lot of scheduling and planning uh ahead of time to be able to get out and see that. So huge shout out to Megan for uh holding things down and and and getting the time where I could take what ended up being like four hours. You factor in travel time and all that. Um but tickets that I could get a sh uh a ticket to, 8 a.m. show. Basically, all that was left were front two rows. For and it for if anybody doesn't know, these are six-story high screens. Like like the screens, the screens are massive.

SPEAKER_03 9:20

So the seats fully recline. They do not lay. They have lay flat seats.

SPEAKER_02 9:25

No, no, no, that's not lay fun thing. Um I was so I was I was a little bit worried about it. And there's like there were a couple ish of of tickets where I could get there were some third row seats, but they were like way on the end. And I didn't know how to do it. It seemed like you were off end, also. Were you not? Were you close to the end? I wasn't. I was I was I was in the middle. Yeah. Oh, okay. Um, I I the the tickets that I got ended up being um second row toward the middle. Um, I was like seat 22 in out of I don't know how many there are, 40 some. So I was I was almost almost dead center. Um and I was I was looking on like Reddit and stuff to see, and people were talking about like not worth it if you're like within the first six rows, don't even bother because it's gonna it's gonna kill your neck and you're gonna get all this eye soreness and stuff. And I was like, well, it's that or nothing because all the other shows were were sold out. So I was like, like I'm I'm gonna do it. Like nothing had any tickets available further back at this time. Um, so I figured I'd suck it up and do it. And I kind of remember, I think I went and saw Dunkirk similarly up up close to an IMAC screen. I don't think it was it was an IMAX 70 millimeter, obviously, but big screen. Uh, and I don't remember it being terrible, but uh memory on that and the actual circumstances are a little bit hazy. But to to get to the point, um, it was awesome. Uh, I would actually highly recommend. I think if I was third row, it would probably be ideal. But for the people that are sitting like way in the back, I get it because it's such a big screen. Like you want to be able to take it all in. But I think part of the appeal of that is like to be in it, to be like immersed in it and have it like kind of like assault you kind of to be there. Like, and that's that's like one of the benefits of of seeing it in a movie theater versus like what like another screen. So um I thought it was awesome. It did not hurt my neck at all. They they didn't lie all the way back or like have a full recline, but they did like rock back some. So I just rocked my seat back and I was able to like look around and take in the screen. I didn't feel like I missed anything. I didn't feel like I was constantly looking over or like my eyes were darting and uh or my neck was completely um kinked back uh the whole time. It was just it was really awesome to be like that immersed in the movie. Uh and I think that, you know, if I if if there is ever is uh any type of movie like this again where that I'm going to see it in that format, I would probably look for those those closer seats because I thought it was uh it was really you prefer the closer seat. I I prefer. Maybe not second row. Like I said, maybe maybe maybe third or fourth would be would be most ideal. Um but and and would definitely be I think center, center aligned is way better than being further back and being off to the side. I do think you would miss some stuff if you're off to the side and you're kind of seeing everything at an angle. Yeah. Again, for like the like the immersion factor and like the feel like you're in it, and they're again not giving anything away. There are a lot of sequences where it's like you can feel in it and the way that it's shot and and and all the um you know practical effects and stuff. So yeah, would absolutely say I would prefer to be toward the center, closer to the front, within I I I don't think that I would want to be toward the back of the theater for this.

SPEAKER_01 12:24

I get the heal of it, I get why people do, but I I don't know if this is a dumb question, but are all the speakers in the screen now or like behind the screen? Not all, but like do they have forward firing, like it's not just side speakers, right? Like, is it coming from the screen itself? I honestly don't know.

SPEAKER_02 12:42

It wouldn't surprise me. I mean, because when you're there, like it's just you're just getting blasted in it. I I don't I don't know exactly where it's coming from. Um wouldn't surprise me if they were behind it. And I didn't, I didn't look. It's not there's not like a wall of speakers that's just off to the side. Sure. Um I kind of remember remember them being that way, like when we were growing up.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

But yeah, because I remember, yeah, like that's what I'm thinking. Like back, you know, back in the day when we were growing up, like where you sat it was very like you had a different audio experience based on where you sat in the theater because of how the speakers. Now I feel like that's not a thing anymore. And I'm assuming it's just because they've pref they've they've put speakers behind it and you know it's coming from all around you and it balances it out all right. But yeah, that wouldn't surprise me.

SPEAKER_02 13:23

I I I have heard, and I don't know, I I don't know the like intricacies around this. Um, but they say um if you can see it in Dolby, is like the other format that is like really good to see it, not just because of the projection, but also because the Dolby theaters have the sound systems, which are apparently also super immersive. Um so the the way to see it, but just just a really cool experience. I mean, I like my grandfather was a projectionist and he ran like the like a drive-in movie, like in in South Jersey, and that's like where my my dad's family like kind of grew up going to, and and I think his first job was even working at that uh at that movie theater. Uh and my grandfather, like he was a projectionist like during the war. That's like what he did when he when he served um served in the army. So it was like just uh I I've always been I and I'm not like a film nerd or like know much about like projectionist and like what what goes into it like to actually do it, but I've always found that stuff interesting just because it's always kind of been there in the background. I've been exposed to it. Um so like like just being able to to to experience that and see that was just really cool. Uh and then uh Brendan had sent over like the like the setup and like what they do for the um for the the 70 millimeter projection and you have these like huge, huge boxes that are coming in that are just the reels, and it's reel after reel after reel that they they have to set up through this whole system to get it to even project. Uh which is just like like when you think about it, like I it would be awesome to be able to go back and just like s take a peek into the projection room to see what that's like.

SPEAKER_01 14:55

There's somewhere where it does. Someone mentioned it on that thread that I sent you. Someone commented and said that there was one where it's a glass wall where you can stand and just watch them prepare the film and have it go through. That would be really cool. Yeah. Yeah. Because you know, it has to go so long because of the weight of the film that they have to have it dispersed over, you know, that's why it's such a massive, you know, setup is because they can't just have those like the roles of film sitting on a spool because it's like way too heavy for it.

SPEAKER_02 15:23

Which is just like in insane to think about. Because like you think about them shooting the movie and like getting all of that film. Right. Like and then and then having to figure out the logistics behind it and keeping it all like okay. And then editing, like then you're like if you're editing this, this you're physically chopping it up and and and and moving the the the frame frame by frame, which also you know, you you slip on your on your cut and you're you've ruined the frame.

SPEAKER_04 15:50

Yeah, that's a problem. That's a problem.

SPEAKER_02 15:52

So this is there's some added pressure when you're doing that. And when especially for something like this, where it's like, oh yeah, it's uh like this big deal that every frame is in this format, can't really mess anything up.

SPEAKER_01 16:01

Yeah. So just that's what's uh be that's one of the hurdles that I'm struggling with with seeing the movie is that just like you mentioned, I mean I mean, when when something like this comes around, there's a strong urge to see it the way that the director intended it to, right? It's such a unique experience that like if you have the chance to do that, that that's how you want to see it. Unfortunately, there are no 70 millimeter IMAX theaters near me. The closest one is up by you, Brandon. And so then what I struggle with is like, do I wait for an opportunity where I'm around there to see? Because I feel like if you're gonna see it, that has to be the first one that you see it in. It like if you're gonna see it in 70 millimeter IMAX, see that first. And then if you want to see it again in theaters, then you can go back to regularly just to like take it all in. I feel like going the other way, having your first experience being a downgraded version, uh, you know, won't hit as hard as the first one being uh the right one. So like it's like, do I wait to go see 70 millimeter IMAX? Do I just go see it in regular IMAX, uh, which is still like there's not anything close to me here, or do I just go to the theater Sarav where we saw where it's just you know regular theater and just see it just to just to experience the movie and the story, and then assume that I probably won't ever see it in 70 millimeter IMAX.

SPEAKER_00 17:16

I guess it comes down to like your like your capacity to wait, but I did exactly what you were talking about, right? I went and saw it in like a regular ass theater because I wanted to see the movie uh sooner than later, and I'm okay with waiting to get my chance at an IMAX screening later on. One piece of information I'll inject here. There's some critics who pointed this out, and I realize like I also feel this way. Nolan has started or he's he's been on this journey with his movies, the last couple movies, especially, but also kind of all of his movies. They're kind of they're awesome, and then they get better every time you re-watch it.

SPEAKER_06 18:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:01

And this this this movie has been called out as one of the uh more striking examples of a movie that you watch the first time and you're like, that was awesome, and you watch it again, and it's somehow 30% better, and you didn't even know that it could be 30% better. So that's where I would say don't you know sit there waiting for the perfect like 70 millimeter blah blah blah. Because and this is the other thing we have to remind ourselves like, yes, the director intended it a certain way, blah, blah, blah. The format is like a small piece of the experience. The experience is the story and the performances and how you're kind of getting to, you know, take it all in. Uh, at one point, you know, in the middle of the movie, I was like, man, I forgot that this is not IMAX, right? Like, I'm too absorbed in like what's going on. Uh, so yeah, even though it's important and we should try, it's also like very much not the most important thing for you know how you how you experience the movie.

SPEAKER_01 19:01

Yeah, I mean, I just remember seeing, you know, the only movie that I've seen multiple times in theaters that I've mentioned here is uh Avatar. And it was because I saw it in IMAX and you're and I was just like, it was the first time I've been like transported to another world that was just like so visually awe-inspiring that I wanted to go experience it again. So I'm expecting to be something like that, but I mean you're right. For someone like the Odyssey, it's less about I mean the environment's important, but there's a whole story and tale and you know acting that's that's more vital to the experience or equally as vital to the experience. Um, I remember Brandon, do you do you remember the last movie in 70 millimeter that we saw? Actually, well, oh man, I wanted to give Sarab one guess as to what it was. Because it's such a in retrospect, it's such an odd movie compared to a visual spectacle like this. What was it? Did you hear did you hear what he said, Sarab? No. Okay, if you had one guess, what's what's the last movie? Maybe I doubt it's the last movie that's been released in 70 millimeter, but maybe it is. It might have been. I don't know that there has.

SPEAKER_00 20:02

You saw this together.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:05

Was it like recent?

SPEAKER_01 20:06

No.

SPEAKER_00 20:06

But after college. After college. I don't know, and I'm thrown off because I kind of heard what Brandon said, but I didn't really. And so like now I'm having a hard time guessing. Yeah, so it was the hateful eight.

SPEAKER_01 20:18

The hateful eight, okay. Yeah, which is such a weird compared to something like The Odyssey. It's such a weird because there's nothing, it's not a visually spectacular movie. You know, it's just tight shots, like you're inside this cabin for most of the movie.

SPEAKER_00 20:33

I think it's not really made for like the IMAX scale experience, but like it's still cool just because it's shot on film or whatever. It was.

SPEAKER_01 20:42

It was just, oh, this is shot in a new type of film. They're gonna have an intermission, uh, which is which is really unique for a movie theater. They handed out a program for it. Uh, so it was just a cool experience. But yeah, just thinking that the last one was the Hateful Eight, which like I doubt most people have even seen it, let alone like remember it. There's a line in that movie that that I'll always uh be quoting for the rest of my life. But um, but yeah, I mean, I uh just other other reports of this movie, I thought it was uh just headlines. I saw I'm sure you guys saw the that the Tom Cruise that he reportedly saw and couldn't stop saying this is so fucking sick the whole time he was seeing it.

SPEAKER_00 21:20

Yeah, and also, you know, I heard about that and I was like, wait, so there was more screen like screenings, like yeah, we set one entire one aside for Tom Cruise. I'm glad he invited the the workers to come join him, but I was like, but yeah, I mean, you know, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 21:37

That dude just loves movies and cinema. Yeah, yes, he fucking loves it.

SPEAKER_04 21:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:42

Yeah. Man, the thing that bums me out as I looked at it, as this was when it released, um, I was on a trip and I came back and we were, and this is when we were talking about about like how few 70 millimeter IMAX screens there are, and I Googled where they're at. There was one I was in Edmonton in Canada, and they have a 70 millimeter. IMAX up there. And I was like, Man, God, I didn't eat it didn't even like cross my mind to look there. It just like wasn't. But I was like, man, that would have been that would have been a cool experience. Especially because as Brandon, as you alluded to, when you're home with family and kids and stuff, there's there's maneuvering that you have there's some groundwork that you have to lay in order to set aside that time. If I'm on a trip, like I I'm basically guilt-free, you know, at that point. So it would have been like the perfect opportunity to see it. Um, but that made me think like now maybe I have to try to look at trips that maybe will be close to where these theaters are and I might get an opportunity. Um, cool. Uh obviously more to come on uh the Odyssey when I see it. I think I'm probably gonna do that, just see it down the street, just so that we can uh talk about it and move on. Um all right, my what's good, different vibe, another kid one. Uh I I really value being pleasantly surprised by things, especially because unfortunately, where we're at, as you guys have heard, there's a lot of disappointment in terms of like events, camps, uh sporting things that have happened. Um, just like people just don't really put as much effort as you know, Megan and I would like, and it really shows and it um, you know, fortunately and unfortunately, the kids are young enough where like they don't really pick up on that sort of stuff. But like for us, it's like, man, they could do so much more, and they're just not really meeting what we have as our uh expectations for stuff. Um we've had some good experiences, but like those have been loaded with like specific individual, like there's been individual like coaches that have been really good. But like, for instance, they were in a camp uh last week, long drive. I don't know if I mentioned it here on the podcast, but it was a long drive to get down there and back. And uh, and then like you know, they would get in the car and be like, hey, you know, we want to know about everything that's going on in the camp and everything. And you know, Luke would be like, Yeah, so uh in the afternoon we had lunch and then we did a coloring sheet and then we watched a movie. We're like, What? I watched a movie. Like, what are you talking about? Like you're at summer camp. Like, what do you mean? Like, and it's beautiful out, you know. Uh we were like, okay, well, like maybe that was just like a one-time thing. Next day, well, what did you do in the afternoon for his because it was it was it was themed in the morning, it was like carnival themed, and then in the afternoon it was superhero theme. We were like, Oh, this is gonna be great. You're gonna do so much stuff with superheroes. And every time for superheroes, like, yeah, we did a coloring sheet, and then we watched a movie. Well, like, did you guys go outside at all? No, no, no. We were inside. Where were you inside? We were in a classroom, just sitting at a desk. So we did our coloring sheet, and then they just turned on a movie. And that was what they did the whole week, every afternoon. And we were like, like, we're pissed, uh, kind of. Um, you know, Megan's like, yo, should I like, should I write an email to them? Because like, that's not at all what we, you know, we don't want our kid going up to summer camp and just sitting inside in a classroom watching a movie every day. Uh and and then we were like, well, like the camp goes on like all summer, so we're assuming that it's basically just like daycare, it's like a childcare camp where it's just like, hey, someplace for the kids to go. No expectation, just like you've got them while the parents are working. Obviously, you know, there's you know, that's that's important uh as well. But for what we were going into expecting, uh, it just wasn't that. Um, and it was just kind of upsetting throughout the week that like that's all they were doing. Um, but so this week Lucas is in a soccer camp, and man, it is awesome. It is such it's such a breath of fresh air. It's kind of sad because it should be the expectation normally, but it just hasn't been. But like to have the camp counselors that like it's squared away, they're organized, they have a plan every day, they they're and they're like energetic about it. They talk to the kids, they interact with the kids. Like, you can tell that they are all in on the soccer camp. There's a bunch of kids there and they've got everything under control. Like, you can tell that they just know exactly what they're doing. Um, and because of that, it it it rubs off on Lucas. He comes back and he's just pumped. I mean, he's a kid that loves to run around and play games. So whenever he's able to do that, you know, like when he was come back from the camp last week, he was just it was always like, man, like he's just bummed out every day. Like he wouldn't say that. We're like, there's just a vibe shift where he just comes in and he's just kind of like down, or like, hey, how was it? Yeah, it was good. And it just like doesn't really like give you much compared to this, where it's like, oh, we played this game, we did this, and we were working on this, and I was playing goalie, and these are the games we were playing. They're asking us trivia questions of passing out candy for stuff. Like, it's just like it's so involved. Um, and uh it's just you know, night and day from what we experienced last week. Um, so it's just it's just good that they exist somewhere. We might have to work a little bit harder to find them, but that they're out there, which is which is refreshing. And it's good to see Luke is really picking up on that. And he's he's really, really getting into sports, which is exciting for me, particularly that he's really involved in it. So um, yeah, that's my that's my what's good. Nice, man. That's awesome. That's awesome. Yeah, yep. Um, all right. We we ended last episode with kind of a teaser from Sarav, just to refresh people's memories. We uh ended it with a question of the week where we were talking about what would you say is your strongest bucket of life between uh examples of that being a spouse, being a father, being a friend, being an employee, and we kind of unpacked which ones we felt strongest about. And uh and Sarav had some additional thoughts, pass it over to you to set it up.

SPEAKER_00 27:16

Yeah, no, it was it wasn't like a it was it wasn't building on it, it was kind of a tangent we had in the middle, and I realized I did want to talk about it with people because I don't know that I really ever have. Um, I feel like Grendon usually has the role of feeling like an alien among human beings on the show, but this is this is my version of that. I've been thinking about lately um how I for whatever reason never formed any kind of uh ability or I I never for I don't know, I'm not articulating this well. I never like became a person that uh just talks to people to catch up, like if that makes sense. Like I'm not someone who like gets random calls just to like shoot the shit, see how you're doing, like whatever. I'm also not someone who does that, right? I don't do that to other people. So I understand like I shouldn't expect people to do it to me if I've never been a participant in it. But it's also like not something I'm like again, I will I'm not gonna say it's like something I'm like sad about. It's just something I have increasingly noticed, and I've been like, is that especially strange or what? Uh, because in my mind, I realize like maybe a lot of my relationships and my friends and whatever, it's very like out of sight, out of mind, maybe. Um, and it's not that I'm not thinking about people uh or you know, that I'm not that I wouldn't immediately pick up the phone and talk to someone for like 30 minutes if they called me. It's just like whatever the reflex is that m drives people to do that, I just don't have that in my being for some reason. Um, and so yeah, the reason this came up more recently in my mind was um is mi especially through like work. Uh, I've noticed that there are people that have left, you know, my firm um over the last like year or so, let's say. And I felt really close to a lot of them. Like I really enjoyed them, and I was sad when they left, and I was kind of like, oh, I really hope we like stay in touch and like you know, whatever. And it's not that we haven't, you know. I hear from them now and then, we talk now and then, we shoot the shit, like we talk shop. Sometimes you kind of need input or advice on things, but it's in those exchanges that I realized that like a lot of them talk to each other and stay in touch a ton, or like one person told me about another person's new job, like a full two months before that person posted about the new job on LinkedIn. And I was like, Okay, I know you're not like all y'all aren't geographically together, which means like you are making an effort to like always share like what's going on in your lives with each other. And I'm like, it's weird, like where at what point do I miss where's like the checkpoint? Where's the entry point that I somehow miss to like get to be part of that or like try to be part of that? I have no idea, but like it's just my mom has called me out for it too, where she was like, Why don't you ever call us? And I'm like, I don't know, because you call me all the time anyway. And that's fine, like I'll talk to you then. Um yeah, I don't know. It's just something that I was like, oh yeah, maybe it is a little weird that I've just never done this, but be curious what you guys think.

SPEAKER_02 30:31

That's it's and it's it's interesting the way that you uh frame that, Sarab, especially like with your parents, because I wonder because I'm I am the exact same way. I am I am terrible at being the initiator for like reaching out just to catch up. It's like it's like it that's not something that's like uh like you've called it like the reflex. I also don't have that reflex to do it. And I and I I do I notice it I notice it most during for work too, because same same exact scenario where there's been people that have worked on my team. Um, you know, there's there's somebody who I worked with for ten years, maybe nine years, and we like we would go to or like there's a like one international trip a year that like the sales salespeople would do. Um, and it ended up we got to the point where it's like it only made sense for me and this other person to go. But we went for a good four or five straight years uh together and like like we got really close and bonded a lot over that. Um and she ended up leaving, and I would like catch up with her like every now and then, but then like as the years go on, like that's fallen off and like I like I haven't been. But I know for a fact that other people that have worked with her like know what she's doing and like catch up and like know it like everything about like her life. Like she she recently went through a divorce that I had absolutely no idea about. But somebody who I don't think worked as closely with her or knew her as well while she was was with us, like knew about all that stuff and like like was was like caught up on this thing. And it's like I'm just like I I get the same way where I get unplugged from things thing and like plugging back in is just not it it's not a a natural thing for me where I like I I don't just like I I don't reach out to people just to catch up, but I feel like I should probably do a better job about that. But I realizing and I'm self-aware enough to know that that like that's just not not baked into my nature. Part of and when you had said you know, your parents say and it's part of it, you know, is because they ask you why you don't call them, you say because you call me all the time. I also have parents who call me all the time, like that's that's when I like catch up with and um and like I I I I wonder if that's where some of it comes from, where it's like I'm I am I am like used to I know that there's gonna be that call. Yeah, but it but it doesn't come from everybody. So I I I don't know. That's just just that I had when you when you had said that. I I wonder if there's some kind of correlation there.

SPEAKER_01 33:05

I have I have a lot of thoughts that I'm trying to like make into a cohesive thought. So what one question I'll ask is um, do you guys have any so you're saying that you're and I'm not saying I'm saying that I'm the exact same as you guys, which is why I'm having these thoughts. Is there anyone in your lives that you feel like consistently reaches out to you outside of family? Is there anyone that you have that consistently reaches out to you that you're like, man, this person's really good at like keeping tabs on me and like checking in?

SPEAKER_00 33:34

Um I think this isn't someone who this is like the closest it comes. Uh so it's not someone who keeps tabs on me regularly, but the person I feel like I always uh feel their presence in my life, even if I don't talk to them for like a month or two months, is probably my like big sister professional mentor person. Um but also she's somebody who you guys are really close, right? I mean, like Yeah, we are we are like again, like I I would do anything for her, but like, yeah, it's it's interesting. She she just is so naturally will, you know, text me out of the blue or call me randomly on a Thursday night and we talk until like midnight kind of thing. And it's there's no like I don't even feel a pressure of like, oh, I should reciprocate by initiating next time. Like it's it's just kind of it is what it is, and it's really nice. Um, so yeah, that's probably the closest it comes to for me. But even that is not like a every other week kind of thing. That's like a every other month thing.

SPEAKER_01 34:34

And so the reason I asked that is because between us three, we all feel the same way, right? That like we don't reach out and keep in touch with people on a regular basis. And conversely, we don't really have anyone that does the same to us. Yeah, but we feel like this happens outside of us. Yeah, you know what I mean? So and I feel like if you talk to most guys, they would all say the same thing. Most guys just generally aren't in just like reaching out to catch up with people, you know. Uh, not making it a gender thing at all. But I think that like most of like the guys, we would say, like, like if you just ask a random guy out there, be like, hey man, do you like check in with your buds for now? They'd be like, I mean, not really, no, just like, you know, just when he's in the area, he'll you know, come by and we'll get together and we'll like do something. But like we all feel like this does happen regularly that we're wondering what we're missing out on, you know.

SPEAKER_00 35:19

I'll put one one data point against that though, is my buddies in New York, they will call each other. It's not always checking in. Yeah, they will call each other and they will just be like, Oh man, you see what happened there, and like just bullshit for like 10-15 minutes. And I'm never part of that. Right.

SPEAKER_01 35:35

So like it happens, it's just none of us do it, and we also don't have anyone that does it to us. So that's that's like a pretty large sample size, you know, of like people. Uh so it it I don't know what I'm trying to say from it. It's just interesting that all of us feel the same way, and but we also don't have anyone that's constantly doing it to us, um, was one thought that I had. The other thought is how interesting it is about how um about how different about how you perceive things might be different than how other people perceive things and how that can cause the relationship to alter unintentionally. That was a convoluted way of saying that like if there's someone that reaches out to you, right, and you're just like, hey, this is the person. I would I always appreciate it. They always reach out to me. Because of that, we're able to keep in touch, and then you really appreciate that person reaching out because then like you always talk. But then from that person's perspective, be like, damn, I'm always the one reaching out to this person. Why don't they ever reach out to me back? And then, like, because of that, they'll they're like becoming increasingly like self-conscious of like maybe this person doesn't want me, you know. If they don't reach out to me, like why am I continuing? You know, like that it could cause a degradation of the relationship unintentionally, but just because like the dynamic is that this person reaches out to me and then we talk and we catch up and it's great. But from that person's perspective, it's like, well, it's not reciprocated, so then why am I continuing to reach out and do this? And then eventually it just like dies out, you know what I mean? Um of just like your perception of how things are and who's doing the work of reaching out, you know, where it's like, oh, this is a good dynamic that we have, but uh to the other person, they're like, this is very one-sided and it's not going both ways. Um, but when you were talking about how you know they keep having so I had a very interesting uh uh experience with this uh in the military, you know, I got to my first squadron, you know, you're young, straight out of college, people are mostly single, and then like throughout those next few years when people are getting into serious relationships, getting married, um, et cetera, et cetera. So like those big life events are happening. And so, you know, when I got married, it was all of you guys were all like groomsmen and best men. Um and so like there were people that I've been friends with for at that point, you know, 10, 15 years, whatever it was, you know. So people that have been in my life for a long, long period of time that I'm like really good friends. But everyone else in the squadron, when they got married, the the grooms and best men were people in the squadron. And it was always so interesting to me, like, wait, you just met these people like within the last year or two, and they're like the people that are standing next to you at the altar of like the most important people in your life. And it was so interesting to me. I was like, wait, like, did you not have like anyone before this? Is it just like, are you creating these relationships right now in your workplace? Um it was just interesting that like those immediately became like the most important people. So, so what it made me think of when you were talking about that, you know, are those people that have strong relationships outside of work, or like was work the place that they built those relationships? Yeah, you know, like whereas like we have people outside of it, right? Like we have our friends back home, Srab, you have your friends that you've lived with in New York for like that's your group. So, like, I don't like need probably isn't the right word, but like you didn't need to keep in touch with all like very ancillary of like on the surface I can keep to have, like whatever. Like, I don't have to like constantly check in because like my social interaction is with this group. When I leave work and I go home, like this is my group that I hang with. You know what I mean? That's interesting. Are those people, you know, like do they have good strong relationships outside of work, or like is that where they were developed?

SPEAKER_00 39:04

You know, yeah, that's curious. Like, what if we just formed such secure, strong friendships so early on? Uh, and also, you know, we're getting some level of connection uh that we're not craving more of it. Maybe it's like having the space to fill is what drives more people to like reach out and kind of do that thing, and we our cup runneth over, so it's like uh like it just doesn't occur to us to do that with other people. Like, yeah, I don't know. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 39:34

Like if you like if you move to New York City with no other ties, just came in fresh and like started this job, and like those became your friends, and then someone moved away. I feel like you would be more inclined to be like, well, this is my friend. Like, you know, we we have a close friendship, we did stuff outside of work and whatever. So like obviously I'm gonna keep in touch with them. Whereas you already having established relationships, it's like not as much of it's not as like important.

SPEAKER_00 39:57

That's true. I get I get my socializing.

SPEAKER_01 40:00

Yeah, yeah. Um, yeah. Sorry, those are a bunch of like pockets of random thoughts. But uh I th I thought I was going somewhere else with that. But yeah. No, no, no. It's interesting.

SPEAKER_00 40:10

But it's also like it it's it's good to know that it's not necessarily just me a me thing. Um but yeah, always just curious when you notice when you notice that stuff and you're like, hmm. Do you feel left out? Like, do you take it personally?

SPEAKER_01 40:23

Are you like, man, did I like bother someone or am I not no am I not as close to this person as I thought I did?

SPEAKER_00 40:29

It's just uh I never take it personally. I think my first instinct is to wonder if I'm not doing the right things, right? Uh because there's a lot of things you could kind of like infer, right? Like with the work people, for example, right? I'm like very senior. What if, and it would be fair to be like, well, that dude's super senior. Like, what like is it my job to be, you know, hitting him up and being chummy? Like, or do I need to like, does he need to be the one who initiates so that I feel comfortable knowing that like, you know, we're not like peers necessarily, uh, and still trying to have this like, you know, human connection. So maybe that's that's at play. Um, and then yeah, I don't know, with other stuff with like friends and family and whatever else, like that part is a genuine question mark. But like I always I think that the thing that I would love is for someone to just say, Hey, I would love if we kept in touch more often. I would love if you called me every now and then. Because I think as soon as I get that, I'm like, cool, I will implement this immediately, right? Like set my reminder, make sure to hit you up about like giving you a ring every two weeks, every two months, whatever it is. Um, but I do think I also have a little bit of a default sense of it's like, well, I'm like my life is pretty busy and I got a lot going on. And in what world would I assume that people are just sitting around waiting? Wondering about you. Yeah, that's the that that's the same exactly. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I'm like, uh, yeah, that's where and I get that like sometimes it's kind of like beautiful that people are like, oh, I I'm gonna just call someone and we're gonna talk 20 minutes unexpected, and it's just gonna feel really good, right? But I can't mentally get past the idea of like this person just around for the next half an hour to bullshit with me. You know what I mean? Yeah, and so that part I don't think I've ever gotten past either. Um, I think the the most I ever did when I think about it now is like during the pandemic, I s had like a stretch where I was very, very isolated, right? Like it was it was just me alone, my apartment for like two months, and I would see my friends on like the weekends when we did like some outdoors things, but it was like a considerable amount of like really not being around human beings. I feel like I would like randomly just like call my brother, if anything. And maybe I think it's because it's my brother, I feel I felt comfortable just being like, I'm just gonna call the student see if he's around or not. But like, I don't know, even that is like that's someone I don't mind bothering, right?

SPEAKER_02 43:11

Like and I think I think that's exactly what it is, Rob, is that there's this this innate feeling of like if I'm calling, like I'm bothering them. Like they got stuff going on. Like I don't I don't wanna be a burden. I don't want to like bother somebody and interrupt something that they're in the middle of. And like getting over that is just like it's like, well, you know, you know, if there's something to talk about or something that we need to, like, they'll reach out, you know. That's that's kind of where where it's always been for me, like like always. That's just that's just the way that I'm wired. That it's it's like why like I I don't want to be this this it's like a burden. It it it's a bother. And it's like well, like if if if I don't have to do that, then I then I won't just because for that fear of of being that way with them.

SPEAKER_01 43:55

Yeah, like I think that now that you mention that, like I think unfortunately That is where we are at as a society right now. That like if you're getting in touch with someone, it's for a reason. It's like you have a purpose that you're reaching out to them. Like, I'm just imagining me calling someone. Be like, hey man, what's up? They're like, uh nothing. What's up with you? Not much, man. I was gone. Like, it feels very awkward. They'd be like, why are you calling me?

SPEAKER_00 44:22

Like, what are we doing here? Like, I've got other stuff to do. You know how many, how many exchanges I've had like that where they've been like, it's like, oh, how are you, man? It's like, I'm good. How are you? It's like, I'm good. And then I'm just like, cool, man. How are you? And I I realized I said it again. Yeah. Because I'm just, I'm just not computing. Like, it's so funny.

SPEAKER_01 44:42

Yeah, that if you're reaching out to someone's reason for it. Like, I don't, this is weird. I mean, are we done here? What do you call? No, man, I'm just calling just to talk and you know, catch up. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 44:50

But at the same time, like, like, I like I would be like, I would have no problem receiving those types of like outreach. Like somebody calling me just to catch up, even if it's just like uh the sure like, oh yeah, you know, what's going on? Like, I don't have a problem with that. And I I would I would love to have like more of that and do that. Initiating that is is just like the part where it's it's not natural to me and it's not something that I think of as having like the inherent permission to do, to reach out to somebody. And it's weird that I feel like I I need like the permission to do it. But like I I wouldn't want it to be like, oh yeah, like, hey man, what's up? Hey, nothing, okay. All right, see ya. Because the the other thing is is that I often like I have this tendency to like downplay the things that are going on and like like thing is just like like I don't see changes or things to myself worth talking about. Because again, it's like like why would this person like care about some of this like random ass bullshit stuff? Which again, like I like hearing about the mundane details of of other people. I'm okay receiving that. I struggle with sharing that information. It's like, eh, like do we really care about it? What what does that mean? And then like that's the other part. So then it's like like what am I gonna talk to them about if I don't find if I don't think it's something worth sharing or uh man, I keep having all these thoughts that I want to get to on it.

SPEAKER_01 46:10

I don't want to like you know get stuck in the mud on this, but I think it's a very interesting conversation that I think applies to a lot of people out there. So uh hopefully people are are are connecting with it on uh some point. But um, yeah, so first of all, uh you were like, oh, like what do people care about these mundane things? And that is one thing that I personally feel so strongly about. Megan and I were just talking about the other day that I've rubbed off on her, may maybe not in a positive way, but now she's very conscious of it well as well. I'm very aware if someone cares about what I'm talking about. That is such an important metric for me, and I'm hyper aware. Like if I'm talking to someone and they like go off on their phone or I can tell that they're like not really listening to me, I wrap up what I'm talking about immediately, and I just kind of like don't want to say like shut down, but like I do kind of. I'm like, I it it immediately sends a flag that like this person does not care what I'm talking about anymore. So I'm not interesting that, you know, not I'm not interested, but what I'm talking about, they're not interested. So I'm not gonna keep talking about it. There are very there are instances that I have where I notice someone talking to someone else, and like this person does not care at all. And I'm like, how is this person not picking up? That like, why are they continuing to talk about the same thing? Like, this person is totally checked out. Like I'm hyper aware when someone is listening or not. What that is developed into is that I am because that's how I feel, and I, and it's very important for me to get validation that what I'm talking about is important or is being heard. Where this comes out is that like if someone is telling a story or something or talking about an experience that gets interrupted by in some way, I am one track of like, I we've got to get back to this person so that they finish what they're talking about. Because to me, when that's happened to me, where like I'm talking about something and then something happens and then everyone just moves on, it like it bothers me so much that I'm like, oh my God, no one cared at all about what I was saying because no one cares to like get back to what I was saying. You know what I mean? Like it's uh it's like a weird social thing that like because of that, if someone's talking, I'm like, they're gonna finish this. And if it gets interrupted, it's like a bookmark in my brain that's like, we're not talking about anything, like we're not moving on. I'm immediately gonna be like, hey man, so what were you saying about that experience that you had? Because it's like so important to me and it's such a red flag to me. It's like, man, it it just like makes me so uncomfortable to realize that nobody cared what I was talking about because they don't care to get back to it. So it's like, oh, you were just oh, I was just talking in the background, uh, you know, and now we're just onto something else.

SPEAKER_00 48:42

The number of times I've like consciously been like, oh, I'm I'm I'm I've been interrupted. I'm not gonna pick this back up on my own. Yes. I'm just gonna see what happens. Yes. And that's the thing. There's enough times where people are like, sorry, man, what you were finished the thing about this or finish the story. And I'm like, all right, thank you. Good. Uh and then there's other times where it's like, we just don't go back to it at all. And I'm like, cool, I guess I'll go fuck myself. Yeah, that's exactly that's exactly that's basically what everybody is saying.

SPEAKER_02 49:12

But it is. Yeah. And some of the part of me thinks the burden on on like bringing that back around should be like the person that interrupted. Like I like if it was if it were me in that situation, if I have something that I have to contribute or or come up to say, like I would want to make sure that whoever I interrupted goes back to what they were saying, because that is that is super rude to do to somebody. Because you you you are. It is a you know, like nobody actually cared what you were saying. We were just letting you talk. Thank God somebody interrupted you because now you don't have to finish it, which is like it's a shitty thing to do.

SPEAKER_00 49:45

But sometimes it's also not someone who interrupted. Sometimes it's like the waiter came to us actually get your order and stuff. I will say, not to again take us down a tangent of this specifically, nothing I fucking hate more than when you try to pick it back up, and in just perfect breaks, you keep getting interrupted again. You know, and you just end up repeating the same like four words that you're trying to say to pick the story back up, and it's just so painful.

SPEAKER_01 50:14

Because you're setting up the rest of the story, but you keep having to go back to the setup.

SPEAKER_02 50:18

And the more and the more that that happens, the more you're like, I don't know if this is gonna be worth it.

SPEAKER_01 50:23

Yeah, it's more like a bit of expectation. This conversation has I've been trying to tell this story for 20 minutes, I've got to land the plane. I gotta it's gotta be all gotta get it in your life.

SPEAKER_00 50:35

Like, anyway, so you know, we we get out on the street and someone's like, should we order appetizers? And it's like, so we get uh actually, yeah, let's do that. Then uh Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:49

Um uh the other thought that I had was that when we talk about catching up with people, I think that we've kind of alluded to as well that like sometimes it's it's like daunting, right? That it's like if months have gone by, and Brandon, you were saying, like, well, what do people care about? Like this little minutiae that's gone on. And I think that's the problem that when you're trying to reach out to someone after months, it's like, okay, hey man, like what's been going on? And to that person, like, they don't care about the little stuff. So it's like, what's the big stuff that's been different? Well, not really much. Like, I don't know, I'm still at my job, like, you know, got kids, like, they're doing things, but like they don't care about like the day camps and like the day-to-day stuff like that. So like it it's just hard to like because the important the important stuff, like, not much has really changed, but there's been a lot of like little stuff along the way, unless obviously like you've had a major life event or something like that. So I mean, that's that's honestly why I appreciate what we started. I know you know it adds and flows, but we started something uh called Waffle Wednesdays in our group that I think it hit the that I appreciate it because the idea of it is because it it gets rid of the groundwork for you. Yes. That like if you if just on a week to wait, like it prevents you from just doing wave top stuff. Like when you look back, because we do it every week, it's on Wednesday, right? And it's just like, hey, what's been going on in your life? Well, in the grand scheme of things, not much has changed in one week, but there might be little things like, hey, I went to this place, you know, my kids are doing this, like I went on a date with my wife and we did this. Like that little stuff is there so that when it comes time to like actually reach out to someone, you can be like, hey man, I saw that you were talking about you went to this museum, man. Like, how was that? Like, like that sounded really cool. It it it it it like allows you to have natural conversation topics because then if you just do wave tops, like you're not getting to like you're not actually talking to that person. You're like, it's hard to it, like it like takes a while to get down to like stuff that actually matters. So I feel like having those things where like it's not, I don't need to reach out for you to tell me these things. It's just like, hey, we post, and it's like, hey man, this is what's been going on this past week. So that if anyone wants to talk about it or you know, find out more details, then it like opens the door for them to reach out, be like, hey man, I saw that your kid was doing this, my kid's doing the same thing. Like, what did you think about it? So I you know that that's that's why I keep doing it, is because that's how I think of it is that it it is is that you're talking about the minutiae that you to your assumption no one really really cares about. But if someone wanted to reach out to you and to keep in touch, they now at least have a backlog of stuff that they could ask you about.

SPEAKER_00 53:12

Yeah, that it's not just so uncomfortable, you know what I mean? That's kind of what to me, I feel like this podcast is just an elaborate structure to do exactly that. Which is also why I'm so bad at you with the ones in it. Because I'm always like, I I got nothing. Like, listen to the podcast.

unknown 53:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 53:29

You hear everything that's going on in my head.

SPEAKER_01 53:31

But that's assuming that the people that you're reaching out to listen to the podcast. Yeah, yeah. Which that's yeah, because Megan's the same thing. She's like, she's like, you talking about this, but like you just talked about that on the podcast. I'm like, yeah, but like, I don't know, they probably didn't listen to the podcast, you know. I don't want to isolate the people that don't. So um all right, cool. Let's I I always appreciate these conversations. I think that's what this podcast is kind of about. Yeah. Um is like getting on these things and hopefully people connect with it uh along the way. Um before we get into the next big topic, I just want to, as we're talking about some like personal stuff, I have two stories uh that I have to talk about for my kids. One of them is very wholesome. The other one, uh, we'll see how people take it. So um on Sunday was the World Cup final. We haven't even talked about that. Yeah, uh totally. A lot's been happening here. Um, so a while ago, uh, my wife had bought tickets to a local high school, was putting on a production of Frozen. I really love going to theater shows. Our middle daughter is all about theater, so is our youngest as well. Um, they've been going to a bunch of shows. So she bought these tickets for us to all go. However, the show was Sunday at 3 p.m. And I was like, Megan, you know, honestly, I I do really want to watch the World Cup. And it's like right at that same time. It's a big spectacle. Um, Lucas has been getting into it a lot. So he also wanted to stay back and watch the World Cup with me. Um so both of us watched it. Unfortunately, it was kind of a shitty World Cup to watch, uh, not a lot of excitement. It was very one-sided, whatever it was, but it was still cool just having that experience with him, especially because he's at soccer camp now, where like all the kids are talking about it, and like a lot of the trivia questions are about the World Cup and the final and everything. So I'm really glad it really set the stage for that, which was which was beneficial. So, anyways, Megan and the kids come back, we're all filling each other in on the day. And so um they said that the production was awesome. Megan was like, it was really high quality production for this high school, really good acting, really good singing, everything like that. Logan was really she wanted to show us all of the pictures um that they took there. And so she was like, Yeah, show them the picture of Kristoff, show them the picture of Olaf, show them the picture of Elson. She was going through. So then she gets to Elsa, and you know, Elsa, you know, Nordic, white skin, blonde hair. Well, in this high school production, it was a um, it was a black actress that they had with the with the white wig. And Megan was like, she was cast phenomenally, she crushed it, she could sing her ass off. She was fantastic. So then she showed the picture to everyone, and um, and then Lucas is like, wait, can I see that picture? I'm like, I'm really interested in how this is gonna go. So then he like walks over to the picture and he's like looking at it. He's like, that doesn't look at all like Elsa's hair. And Megan's like, oh, yeah, she just she just tied it differently. It's like a different knot, but like he got in really close and he was like, doesn't look at all like Elsa's hair. We were like, whoa, okay, yeah, man. She just like styled it differently. It was just such like, I don't know what it is about it, but like the fact that it didn't even like register at all, you know. Like kids are very forthcoming about that sort of stuff. They notice something different, they'd be like, Oh, why is it that way or whatever? But the fact that he wanted to get a second look at it, and it was because of her hair. It was like that's so, I don't know, it was just a wholesome moment. They're just like, didn't matter, you know, because all they were talking about was like this also the you know, she was such a good singer, she was such a good actress up there, like she did a great job. And like it didn't register at all to him. Um, you know, that I thought was very uh it was just you know a cute moment, you know.

SPEAKER_02 56:56

Oh kids kids got it figured out, man. They we we life messes them up, but man, they let's they they know the way your default way of seeing things when you're a kid is preserving that is like the the number one thing that that parents need to have to have to do because they they really do got it figured out because that's that that's everything you want, right? Like you want your kid to look at that and see like, oh yeah, the the detail that he notices is that the hair is a different braid, not anything about the way the the person looks. That's that's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 57:30

Yeah, I yeah, and I and I think that's the that that's the that's the reminder, is that like at a baseline, you know, the stuff that matters is not at all what you think matters, you know? Or what we're or what we're grow what we grow up to think matters. It's like, man, when you're that age, whatever, like it is weird that you learn to pick up on these differences from other people, unfortunately. You know what I mean? Uh that that there's just like at a baseline, it's just like not even a thought about that, um, which is really cool. Um so the other story I have is about uh is about my middle, um, Logan. And so there was uh we were actually we were uh Brandon and I were playing, and Megan came down. She's like, hey, just so you know, like Lucas just threw up, and I was like, oh man, that's really weird and random. Uh but because of that, he wasn't able to go to the camp the next day. Lucas and Logan were both at the same camp. Um Logan's very funny in that she's very performative and she has an understanding of how she sh is supposed to feel in certain situations. And it's hard to tell whether she actually is feeling them or if it's just her acting how she's supposed to feel. Um, like like on her first day of preschool, before preschool, she was like, you know, I'm really nervous about preschool tomorrow. We're like, what? Like you're great in social situations. You were talking about how excited you are about preschool, but it was like, it was almost like we've read so many books where it's like people are nervous about their first day of school. She's like, It's my first day of school tomorrow. I'm supposed to be nervous. Okay, mom and dad, I'm really nervous. Let's talk. You know, it's like this feels very weird. So similarly, Lucas did not go to camp that day. So then we were driving in and it was an hour down there. She's like, Daddy, I'm really nervous about camp without without Lucas today. And I'm like, You guys are in total like you guys aren't even in the same group. Like, you know, like you see him in passing at lunchtime, and that's it. So it just felt like another one of those situations where she's like, Yeah, I'm really nervous about it. Because she was like, Oh, I'm supposed to feel this way. Um, so anyway, so I was gonna tell her uh one way that I was it uh you know, I'm obviously gonna entertain the conversation and you know, say what I need to about it. So what I was gonna tell her is like, hey, like even if you're in these situations that you're nervous or you feel like you're alone, just know that like you always have like parts of mommy and parts of daddy are always with you because like we made you, right? So like when you're ever nervous, like you your mom and dad are always there with you because like that's who you are, you know. Um so uh so we were like just pulling up, and I was about to start, I was being like, hey Logan, I know what you're nervous about today. I just want to tell you, right? When when a mom and a dad make a baby, and she goes, Yeah, yeah, I know the mommy's vagina gets really, really big until the baby's head comes out. I was like, I was like stun-locked, you know?

SPEAKER_03 1:00:08

I was like, What? Hold on. Uh yes, that's that's true.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:13

But also, I'm I'm going somewhere else in this. Like where did that go? Good job, you got it. Like, go on out there. Like the fact that she like cut off my story, she's like, Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Like, like that, I was about to go into the birds and the bees talk as I was dropping her off to a five-year-old day camp. Jesus Christ. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know the mommy's vagina gets really, really big until the baby's head comes out. Okay, yeah, true.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:42

Very true. Also, such a weirdly specific detail.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:47

I it caught me completely off guard. I had this whole train of thought. You were prepared for that. I get to know. I couldn't get back to what I was saying. I was like, well, that, but then also, you know, they come together and they make but you know what? You got it. It's all right. You know what? I'm gonna do my channel.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:06

There's nothing I can teach you.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:10

That's the reminder. Uh, dad's dad's gonna tell me how babies come out again before drop off. Yeah, yeah, I got it, dad. I know.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:18

Talking about babies and vaginas again. So I got back and I was and I I was telling Megan the story. I'm like, have you talked to her? Like, where did she get any of this from? Like, I haven't had a specific conversation about this. Like, I don't mind having that conversation. She's like, no, absolutely not. She's never really asked that or cared about it. I'm like, where is she learning this? You don't know where she learned this? I have no idea. No idea. And she just and she was so confident about it, you know. She's like, Yeah, I know this is how it's done. So, like, I don't know where that came from or what you know. That's so good. I appreciate that wherever she learned it, she learned it correctly. Right. So like that's a plus. Whoever educated her in that I don't have to like undo some some incorrect learning, but holy shit, did that take a hard 90-degree turn on me that I was not expecting. No, so uh yeah, yeah, I feel like I had to. Those are just some again. First story about Luke, wholesome. Second story about Logan, I don't know. Think for it what you will. I don't know what the vibe is there, but uh I don't know if wholesome's the right word for that one. Um all right. Uh so man, we are we're deep into this podcast and we haven't even gotten to like some other major topics here. Uh I feel like we would be remiss not to mention it, but um the new trailer for a bet for Avengers Doomsday dropped uh yesterday. And uh so there have been a few teasers throughout that we've brought up here and there, but the actual uh trailer dropped, and there were a bunch of notable things that I took from it. Um, but uh overall, what was your guys' vibe from from the trailer?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:52

Um I I'm gonna make a comparison here. I think there was a point in the 2010s where I noticed that like Eminem was gonna drop a new album, and I was like, yeah, I'm definitely tuning in. Like I've like Eminem's one of my favorite artists ever. And I noticed that like the entire vibe had shifted though, right? Like it's like I'm tuning in, but like the culture does not give a fuck uh about this. Or like something's like something's something's shifted. Like this is now strictly for the people that are the fans, and it is no longer like this thing that was like stop the world, stop turning when it happened, right? And I feel like I felt that watching this trailer where I'm like, I know that I'm too much of a fucking dork to not be intrigued and very interested, and I'm already like, which one do I watch first? Because you know, comes out the same uh weekend as Dune. I will put money on this right now. Dune is going to fucking run laps around Doomsday in terms of like even quality that they're releasing on the same weekend.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:03

What the hell?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:04

And and and like Dune has all the uh all the IMAX screens locked up too, uh, which is why which is why Disney made up their own special format called Infinity Vision, Infinity Vision, uh, which is just hilarious. I think we talked about it in this podcast before. Anyways, point being, I was like already like, all right, I'm gonna watch this for sure. Like I'm I'm always gonna tune in. I want to see where it goes. I've watched every Marvel property there is as it relates to like the universe. I've watched the dog shit TV shows that they try to put out. Like, it's I'm always gonna tune in. Um, so that's just a little bit of my context and my point of view. Trailer itself, I don't know. It it was it just overindexed on the South Park concept of like member berries. Because it was just non-stop, like remember this, remember this, remember these characters, remember this.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:58

That's but that's the that's the thing, is they kind of have to do that.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:01

I know, I know, I know.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:02

Because like like Shang-Chi's in it, and when was Shang-Chi last last seen on ones?

SPEAKER_00 1:05:07

Two years ago.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:08

Gotta God knows, right?

SPEAKER_02 1:05:09

Yeah, yeah. Which is in insane to me. And that's where so I am I am the culture that this has passed by. And that I that has never been more stark to me than when this came out. I was really hoping, and I think I've talked about this here too, that that this would be what draws me back in. Like I've I so badly wanted to have something to hold on to, to get excited for this movie. It's like, all right, I'm back in it. Let me come back in and and and and reinvest and get ready and psyched up for this movie. I've mentioned before that it's adapting one of my like favorite stories, non like like full stop all time. Secret Wars, the Jonathan Hickman run, phenomenal story. Like I'm so into everything that that like what they're adapting. This should be right up my alley. I feel nothing. I feel absolutely nothing. It was a whole bunch of membranes, and I Don't like I didn't see I like I didn't watch Fantastic Four. I don't I I don't care about them. I didn't like the new Avengers. I'm like uh like there's all of these these all of these characters that they're highlighting in and I think that that that that that's kind of why uh Dune, I think you're absolutely right, Dune's gonna run circles around these guys because what this should have been, and when they're bringing back even and even the old characters and and the like trying to like get that nostalgia hit to bring bring things back in. It I I don't think it's gonna work. And I think it's because there's been a lot of people that have fallen off the bandwagon and that have not kept up with all of this stuff. And rather than like hitting a reset and trying to like come back in in a big way with something that's gonna draw people back in, it's a like, oh yeah, there's all like like Gambit and Shang-Chi are fighting. Who like who cares? Is is is my like I my my reaction is I don't care. I don't care about that. I don't care that Shuri is meeting up with a Fantastic Four and this like desert thing. Yeah, and and and like oh like there was like all of these like things that were happening, and like Thor is giving this this like background speech about of like this big danger, and like none of it sh like shows. It didn't show me anything about like what it should be. I and again, knowing some of the background detail, like I know what Doom means to this story or what it means to like that story. Yeah, I don't know what Doom means to this story. And that's what I was hoping to kind of figure out during this is like what that is going to entail and why like why I should care. And it did not give me a reason to care at all. So like that, I I have never I've never been more like out on this stuff. And honestly, I I don't know if I'm gonna I don't know when or if I will even like see this movie. The other thing, and I know I know it's a trailer, and some of it might be coming off of of having just seen The Odyssey where everything is everything is practical.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:56

Having seen real cinema.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:58

Having seen real cinema, the the CGI and the color palette and like edges, everything about it just looks it looks bad. Like when when Thor like has his hammer and he comes up and like does his thing and and uh Dune is like there and just like stops it with like one finger, like that should look awesome. I thought it looked terrible. I like I thought that CGI was was really poorly done. And again, I know it's it's a trailer, some of that stuff can be fixed in in post or by the time it actually makes it. But the fact that they looked at this and they were like, no, this is what's ready to get people excited. Big red flag for me. And then the last piece of it was and and the kind of the part that made me realize I I just don't care anymore. When Steve Rogers like shows up and he gets the hammer, it's like, guys, we like we hit that beat.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:45

We hit that beat. He picked he picked it up in in Endgame, and like that was like this big moment, and like you're re-treading that by just having him show up and it like fly into his hand.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:55

Dude, I hated that so much. It was terrible. Oh my god, you are spoon feeding this to us, like we're the most stupid fucking audience that wouldn't connect the dots of like what it means. Like, you need to show us this moment again. Like, oh god, like what do you think we have short-term memory loss? Like, it's it's so like cheap and pandering. Like, I hated that moment so much, so much.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:21

But just like because like the whole thing of it, like it was so like it was so earned when it happened in Endgame. You had like all these, like, these movies build up to it, and like like Cap is like the one person who should be worthy, and he gets it. And then you're just kind of like replaying, like, you're replaying the old hits without having any of the emotional impact behind it about what made that the significant moment to begin with, which I think is is very like indicative of the pitfalls and why everything has like why the bottom has fallen out is because it's lost all of the emotion behind it because you're spread across all of these characters that nobody I shouldn't say nobody, I'm sure that there were some the the majority of the fans who were in, I I'm suspecting the majority of the fans, certainly fans like me, don't have that same emotional attachment. So those moments do not hit the same at all.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:09

Yeah, I agree. Well, I for one am fucking in. I am in on this. I am so floored that you guys are so negative about this. Like maybe it's because I am maybe the nostalgia stuff just hits for me. I did not know what to expect going into it, but like it felt like like I haven't had a feeling since like Endgame, really Infinity uh War. That that was like the peak of it. Endgame, I didn't think was that was that great, but it still has had the same vibes. This is pulling me right back to that. All of the MCU, I've there there have only been a few things. Well, I don't know. There's probably been more that I haven't kept up with, but I feel like I've hit the important stuff throughout it and I've had degrees of enjoyment for it. And it's enough to make me be super fucking hyped for this. Like I am, I am so excited for it. I think that the vibes are awesome. I thought it was impressive about how like I didn't know, you know, I don't know much of the story. Maybe that's why is because like I'm not as invested in the Marvel universe outside of the MCU to know like what should be coming or how they're handling these sorts of things. But like the fact that it takes one kind of like melancholy speech from Thor and it's like serious Thor, and I'm right back there again talking about what a big deal this is. And then when he comes charging with Stormbreaker and Doom just blocks it so easily, and then you have RDJ in his voice opening the trailer where I was like, holy shit, who is this guy? And then to realize that that's Robert Downey Jr. doing it. Um dude, I'm so in. Like Robert Downey Jr. is a fantastic actor. He's I am fully convinced that he's not just doing this just for like a money grab. Like he's gonna do it because he believes in the role and he's ready to deliver as as Dr. Doom. Like, I'm like, I think it's awesome that they're bringing back Shang Chi finally, that they're like addressing it after five years. Yeah, it's been a while, but like I thought that that movie was good, and I'm excited to see him as part of this. I saw the Fantastic Four. I didn't think it was great, but I thought it was a good like stepping stone for the Fantastic Four, so I'm excited to see them again. Um, Gambit to see uh Channing Tatum in there as more, you know, that he's actually part of a battle that he's gonna be involved to some extent. There's a lot of different moving pieces that I'm just excited about how they work together. Um, but uh like I immediately felt the gravity of the situation against Doom. And I think it was just that one scene with Stormbreaker. The fact that he just blocked it that easily was like, shit, this dude's not fucking around. Like, this is a real deal uh thing. You know, coming off of Thanos, like it's hard to, you know, I'm I'm I'm interested what like the power, like how they handle because like he seems like no one stands a chance to him. So, like, how are they gonna defeat him? And I'm all about that. I'm all about figuring out how you know how they all work together. Uh I don't I don't know. Just seeing the Avengers logo again come out for the movie, you're right. That's probably what the goal of it was, is like, how do we bring everyone back? But I'm hey, I'll stand on Isle and I'm super excited for it. Like, I've not been I'm I've I haven't been more excited for a Marvel movie in a while. Um and so I don't know. I for one am I am in. I am ready for this.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:21

I'm jealous because that's that's what I wanted, that's what I wanted to feel. That's what I wanted this to be. And I feel like that there's been a lot of part of me is I I think there's been a lot of telling you things through these movies rather than showing you and getting you. So it's it's like having Thor just like say that this stuff is important without really like why. Like, yeah, okay, so he can he could stop Stormbreaker, but it did it didn't give me any inkling behind like what the overarching threat is. By the time Thanos were the movie.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:54

I don't want them to tell me the whole movie before I get to it.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:57

I just like the big deal. But like what are the states, but like why? Like by the time Thanos showed the movie is though in in those movies, though, like you had you had an investment. There was like what was coming and like what the the stakes were and why it was important. And there's been no cohesion across any of this to show like where what like what actually matters or what's important. So it's kind of like that it it's a leap of faith going into this, and it's like which like you seem like you're like like like bought in and willing to take. And I and and I get that, that there's an element of that to it. And I I struggle with with taking that seam weak.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:34

I think that is exactly why I am unable to get as excited as you are, Brendan. Is we've been on this journey and we've seen how they've done it when they've fucking nailed it, and it's hard not to interpret this as like a very hand-wavy there's a new threat, and it's bigger than all the others. That's it. You're just gonna say that. And like I I agree with you completely on like I think Robert Downing Jr. is not gonna do something for bullshit or whatever. Um and I also like I don't disagree. Like, I love Shang-Chi, I love Chen Tatab as Gambit, like they were incredibly entertaining in the movies that they were in, but the trailer felt so much like the same thing as like a kid who just like creates like a storyline for all of his toys to like fight each other, and like I don't know, it just like it just seemed like it was throwing random shit together. If I was Marvel, if I was doing the marketing for this movie, what I would actually do is completely dig into Doom, like stop all this other shit with these other characters and trying to squeeze in all these faces as if like that's gonna put us in seats. Literally do the entire trailer about Doom, like not and to your point, I don't don't reveal too much, but do like a weird origin story, do like just clips of like stuff for us to interpret of like why is this guy doing what he's doing, and then the rest of it comes together. Like, we know how it works. Um, I'm that and that I would love this. Yeah, I would love to be surprised.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:07

Because that is is because the Doom origin should be built up in it in stories prior to Avengers, just like what Brandon was saying. Like, you knew what Thanos was about before you got to the Avengers. By the time you got there, you're like, holy shit.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:17

Yeah, Thanos showed up in the Infinity War trailer, and you were kind of like, they don't need to spell anything out for us. We've been watching post-credit scenes and full movie plots, knowing what this guy's agenda is. Um, and so it was just that's the beauty of the serialized, you know, movie storytelling that they did. Here it really is so hap-hazard. And I I think something uh here's the only thing I'll cut them some slack on. This whole shit with like Jonathan Major, uh majors and like Kang and having to pivot. Yeah, uh this is a bind. Yeah, you you didn't get a chance to do this the way you could have. So it is what it is, you know.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:01

I I think you're exactly right. I think that like that would have had me all in. If if I was looking at this and I was like, all right, like if this was the if this was the starting point, if they were like, look, we're gonna do this Avengers movie, it's Doomsday, like this is yeah, we haven't had the buildup of all these other movies. And and actually I think it would be more daunting if they did it in that way with just how many movies they've had. But if they were like, look, reset, we're gonna focus this movie and we're gonna build up this like big heavy villain, we're bringing Robert Dooney Jr. back in for it. And like the the trailers and all the buildup to it is like building up this threat and like giving you like little grip glimpses into like what it is and and kind of peeking behind the curtain. Not honestly, I think it would have been way better if they just saved that piece of like Robert Downey Jr. and had a reveal of him like during the trailers as like like doomed, then I would be like that would have gotten me all in. Having already known that and know that there's something behind it, and now there's just this like like shroud of mystery around the circumstances of like, why is it Robert Downey Jr.? Like it like it didn't even it didn't even show him in the trailer, right? Like, other than you already having that background knowledge, like you there's nothing that would tell you that this is somebody who is uh was playing a different character and there's some kind of like relation on why that's that's Robert Downey Jr. Like like you wouldn't get that from any of the trailer. All of that is like the background stuff that you know from all of this, like like the news cycle around it. But like, like like show it, like have the reveal, build, build up the threat and make you care about it because like that's again.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:31

But that's no think that the movie is going to do that for you. Why?

SPEAKER_02 1:18:34

Like why would I have faces when they're showing me all of these things? What I'm gonna think about in the movie is that they're gonna cram all of these faces and all of these things, and there's gonna be the X-Men, and there's gonna be the Fantastic Four, and there's gonna be the Black Panther guys, and there's gonna be all of these people who are gonna be competing for screen time. No one's gonna get enough. I'm not gonna care about any of them, and then who knows how much Robert Downey Jr. is gonna be in it or why. And it's gonna fall flat. Based on based on the recent output of Marvel, that is my expectation now. I have no reason to have faith in it being any.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:06

Man, I just think I just think this is a totally different vibe than previous Marvel. I think that and and and I think that that that the pillar of this argument is based off of Robert Downey Jr. He knows what a pillar he is in the MCU and how important his role as Iron Man is. He's not gonna allow that to get destroyed with his Doctor Doom.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:25

Then show me that in show me that in the trailer.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:27

But I have faith that they're gonna like the opening scene isn't going to be Thor giving the speech where you're like, what the fuck is he talking about? This makes no sense. I have full faith that they're gonna build the situation so that by the time that he's giving that speech, you're like, holy shit, I get it. Like, this is a big deal. Like, I just have faith that they're going to treat this right with the people that they have involved in it and the characters that they're building. I have full faith that they're going to handle this movie appropriately. I like I don't see how it falls flat.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:56

Unless it's a four-hour movie, I don't know how I don't know how they do it. I'll say this. I hope you're right. I would love for you to be right. Genuinely. I'm gonna watch the movie, and if it's awesome, like I'm gonna be fucking hyped, right? But I'm not putting money on on this. And as much as I I feel you on the Robert Downing Jr. stuff, uh he's not like some he's not like Tom Cruise, right? Like he's he's got a good track record, but like very recently, and like his attempts to do stuff outside of Marvel, even when he was Iron Man, were dog shit.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:27

Like, right, so he's not this guy Marvel role is gold to him. Like, that's everything. I I just I find it impossible to believe that he's gonna have a career that it's like, man, him as Iron Man, awesome. Dr. Doom, what the fuck was he doing there? Like, that made no sense. Like, I just think that he knows what an important role he is. And the other part that gets me super excited is you know, I don't know how big of a role it's gonna play, but Loki's role. I thought that the Loki TV shows were top-tier television, those are up there as my favorite television series. I agree. So then where it ended with him, uh spoiler alert for those of you haven't seen it, but like it's years old at this point. But with him as the god of stories and the temporal loom, and like then what and then when they showed the ID card at the TVA and then it showed Loki. You know, I'm so in on what they do with Loki. Like, again, I just don't think that they're gonna pull in these pieces that are so highly regarded in the MCU and throw it down the drain. Like Loki itself and where he is at the end of season two, like that is that's like top-tier television across the board. Everyone believes that. Same thing. Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man, top tier. Like, they're not just gonna mess around with those. Like, they're not gonna have a movie like this and not put the effort into to give it the fan service of what it it it uh deserves. Like, I I just I don't see how it's possible for this to fail. And yeah, maybe I'm just wishful thinking and that and and I bite off in the nostalgia stuff a little bit deeper, but I think that they like needed to because of how bad, like if they had the Thunderbolts leading the charge, I would I would have been totally out. You know what I mean? Like, I don't, you know, if they would have had, you know, obviously Captain America now with um uh blank on his name now, but Anthony Mackey. Anthony Mackey. If they had him leading it, I would have been out on it, right? Like, so like I think that they knew that they were like, man, these this new Avengers team, like it's not hitting with the audience. Like, we have to have some connection point back to the old ones, and that's what it did for me because like I'm in because of Thor, because of Captain America being there. And I'm interested in how they tell the story about how do you how is Captain America back now? Is Loki involved in that somehow? Like, what is the TVA's role in this? The multiverse stuff gets messy, but they can handle it appropriately where it becomes really awesome. And so again, I think that they needed those touch points. I you you guys are seeing them as this negative, but like, is the alternative that it's led by by Florence Pugh, you know, like that would have been worse. Like, is she the one talking about going after dude? Like, you would have been like, okay, I'm now I'm way out on it. But the fact that they're bringing Thor back and it's serious store, like that's bringing me back in because it's skipping the stuff that was really terrible. Like, I don't want the Thunderbolts leading this charge again. It like that sucks, you know. So, like I feel like they needed that.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:07

My my fear is going off of the trailer is it's showing all of those people that I don't want to be leading the charge and showing that they're going to be a part of this whole thing. So, yeah, Thor's gonna come and give this rousing speech to try to bring all these uh lesser characters together is what it shows through the trip the trailer. If they had if if it had gone all in on like Thor's trying to put this stuff back together and Steve comes back and gives does more than just try to hit this beat where he's picking up this hammer thing and gives me more to care about for that, then I would have been all in. But that's not what the trailer did. Like, just like if I'm if I'm looking at this in in a vacuum and I'm not gonna take into account who Robert Downey Jr. anybody else is involved or any of the stuff in Steve, like Steve Rogers shows up randomly on the spaceship for Thor for some reason. Thor's talking about this nebulous event that's this big thing, the big threat that he's seen other people die, so we should really take it seriously. And then and the we is just a smattering of shots of all these characters from different parts coming together and meeting each other. And they're all people that I don't care about. That maybe I saw their movie and didn't like it, maybe I didn't even bother to watch the movie, but they're all these people that I don't really know and that I don't have the same investment in. That's that like that's what the trailer showed. I agree that if it can be done correctly, the trailer doesn't give me anything to like latch on to just to give me confidence to think that it is going to be done well.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:37

That's a good way to put it. I feel like I feel, except for certain certain characters who uh have not really gotten their chance to shine. I think Shang-Chi especially is one that like I I love that movie and it's crazy he hasn't gotten another chance to you know show up again. Uh yeah, I feel like I felt nothing for most of what I saw. And for the people I did care about, I felt like it was patronizing more than it was a thing that I was like pumped about. All that being said, I'm gonna bookmark this episode because I think we're gonna need to uh in December, end of December, whenever we record uh the episode, then I think it'd be really funny to bring in clips from this episode just to be like, yeah. Uh so Brendan, uh tell us tell us again how you feel. I know, it will be. Or maybe we'll be wrong, you know, which I'd be happy to to say we were we were too uh pessimistic, but we'll see.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:35

Uh I I I genuinely hope that I am, but the the where I'm standing now, and less like in their lead up to it, things drastically change and there's something that like gets the the juices flowing for it. It's one of those ones that I'll I'm gonna wait until it comes out and see what the general consensus is to see if I'll even try to make an attempt to go to see it, or if I'm just gonna wait for it to hit Disney Plus. Honestly, that's where I'm at.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:58

Totally fine that I'm that we are so drastically different on this.

SPEAKER_00 1:26:02

I'm I'm in between in the I'm gonna see it first. I'm gonna see it before Dune because at least I know Dune isn't gonna get, but not for the reasons you are. I'm gonna see it before I I I'm more excited for Dune. Dune is easily like the movie I've been looking forward to the most this year. So um next to the Odyssey.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:20

Just so that you know, if you go to the Odyssey in 70 millimeter, yeah, the because Dune has shot an iMac 70 millimeter as well, and it shows an extended preview through it, which looks sick from what I already. Oh, it gets you out. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:26:32

Yeah, I'm I'm so ready, but the point is Avengers I know is gonna start having clips float online like minutes into being released. Uh so I'm like, okay, that movie is almost gonna be made for social media and for people to spoil like the big cameos and the big whatever. And so I was like, that's why I'm gonna watch that first. Dune, I know that like people might be able to spoil certain things, but you there's nothing that could like take away from the experience probably of fucking watching that movie. I'm so excited to see it. But yeah, it might do doomsday Saturday, Dune Sunday. Um, it's gonna be a big weekend.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:08

And that'd be the one that we should get together to see. We should.

SPEAKER_00 1:27:11

We should.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:12

We should watch it. Yeah, yeah. We should do a double feature of both of those together, get together for some weekend.

SPEAKER_00 1:27:18

Do the Dunes Day.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:20

Yeah, yeah. And see Dune one day and then doomsday the other. And well, we'll see. Um I don't know. I'm like more excited about it now after talking about it. Because I'm just I'm just surprised that we're on such opposite ends of the spectrum about it. But uh, I get it.

SPEAKER_00 1:27:37

Only only only only two of us have seen the Odyssey literally two days ago. So there's there's a correlation, I have to say.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:46

You guys you guys just have a more sophisticated look at cinema now. This is too low brow, this MCU shit.

SPEAKER_00 1:27:54

We're not fucking sheep.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:56

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:27:57

You can't just jingle keys in In front of us and get me excited.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:01

That's me, man. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:03

But still, hey, the C the CGI is a real concern though. Did that stand out to you at all, Brendan? Or were you like it didn't?

SPEAKER_01 1:28:10

No.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:10

I mean, it was a Marvel movie.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:11

I mean, is it much different than than Infinity War or Endgame or any of the other MC? Like, it's gonna be about a bunch of CGI. I don't know. Like, it's just it's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:21

But it's like bad CGI. And I and I don't know, maybe maybe it maybe it was just as bad for Infinity War and Endgame and those. I mean, granted, those are 10 years old now.

SPEAKER_00 1:28:29

It wasn't. And they've also like fired a bunch of people. No, no.

SPEAKER_04 1:28:34

No, they used to basically laid off their entire like art department.

SPEAKER_00 1:28:37

They like laid off like the entire department behind the Marvel successes. Like it was crazy. Um and so they're relying on like all kinds of like kind of third party like contract support for VFX, blah, blah, blah. So there is a real dip in quality that's been there, but I don't know. Let's see.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:54

Yeah. It'll be interesting. Uh all right. Let's uh I think we just we just skip right to question of the week. Any uh Yeah, let's do it. Okay. All right. Uh cool. Yeah, so unfortunately, no trivia this week in history. It went long. I kind of had a feeling we were going through some deep topics here and had some good and had some good conversations. So uh just getting to the question of the week, which is gonna be uh what it well, this this could also be a deep conversation as well, but uh what is a canceled show that you wish would return? Not deep as in philosophical, but like it could go onto some tangents. But uh do you guys have one to start it off?

SPEAKER_02 1:29:31

I I do. I feel like mine is a common reframe across like a certain number of fan fandom. But the the biggest what if show for me, uh Firefly, 100%. Ooh, yeah, it's a cult class. Early Joss Whedon. If you watch the one season that actually aired on that, it is like it's phenomenal. It is like like Joss Sweeten at his his top of his game, but the talkiness, it's Nathan Fillion who is at his like all-time most charming. Um you got Alan Tudic and Morena Backering, like a lot of really good talent, uh, really good comedy, uh, but also kind of hitching the feels a lot with it. And it was like they were essentially like space pioneers, so it was like cool sci-fi element to it. Um, really great show. I don't understand why it didn't catch on or get more than like it it's something that definitely deserved more than one season. It's an excellent season of television. Uh and I think that if they it I think it may have been maybe just a little bit before its time, and I think if they if that's something that had launched on streaming, I think it would have been a hit. And um and we would have gotten a lot more out of it than than what we did.

SPEAKER_00 1:30:35

But in some ways, it was even nice that it didn't work out because that's why Josh Whedon ended up architecting the OG Avengers movie and Age of Ultron.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:46

Because Firefly was canceled? Fi Firefly is like what put Joss Whedon on the mat.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:50

Um and then so was it because it was canceled or just because Firefly was good? No, because Firefly was good and then it got canceled.

SPEAKER_00 1:30:59

Yeah, I think it was on Fox or something. But that was the thing. It's like he was getting work that indicated that the industry was very confident that this guy is making good shit. Uh Firefly, for whatever reason, just didn't land with audiences and you know, got ended up getting pulled. But it is still to this day. Really? It didn't land with audience because now I I feel yeah, like it's like a cult thing where like everyone tells about how Firefly. But think about think about how many movies come out that are like can like critically considered awesome, but just no one went to see it. It's not like saying that like people saw it and didn't like it. People just didn't check it out in the first place, and that's not a problem you can easily solve. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:31:37

And it is like like the circumstances around it. I don't even know, I don't know if it like moved times and like moved its day, but there's something about the timing and when it was airing and that it was airing on Fox, um all played into it like under underwhelming. And honestly, by like today's network standards, I don't even know if it would have been like that bad. I also think some of the perception around it is uh like the goalposts had moved, and I don't think anybody realized it yet, because then you get like all the cable networks and and the rise of that stuff too. So um uh the the circumstances around it were are very like weird on why it didn't catch on, but I've uh uh basically everybody that watches it now is like, oh man, that's like it nobody really understands why it it nobody watched it during the time because it was like almost objectively awesome television.

SPEAKER_04 1:32:28

That's always my biggest one.

SPEAKER_01 1:32:29

Yeah, you're yeah, mine is a little bit more unique. Uh I don't think I've met another person that has seen it. Uh but mine's a little more mine's a little more unique.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:41

Also, I'm really mine's more unique than that. And that's sloppy's just started out.

SPEAKER_00 1:32:48

Mine's mine's like really unique, and also the Avengers trailer worked on me completely.

SPEAKER_01 1:32:55

Yeah.

unknown 1:32:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:32:57

My dreams came true because they revised the Avengers franchise. If you guys have heard about it, they're coming out with this new movie, really excited about it. Um, no, there is there was a show on Netflix called The Society, and so it released in 2019, and unfortunately, it was a um it was a casualty of COVID because it was picked up for a second season, but that was right in 2020, and unfortunately, there were production issues that caused it um to get canceled by Netflix.

SPEAKER_00 1:33:24

Who's the star? Because I feel like I remember this show. Ooh, the star.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:29

No one uh no one big. I don't know if you know Toby Wallace, Catherine Newton, Christianity.

SPEAKER_00 1:33:34

Yeah, I know Catherine Newton.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:36

Okay. Okay, Gideon.

SPEAKER_00 1:33:37

But but but it wasn't like big, big stars. It was like uh Noah gotcha, okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:42

Yeah, because the premise of the show is that these kids are going off on a field trip, the field trip gets canceled, the bus has to turn around. When they get back, the town is empty. All of the adults are all gone, and the town is cut is is uh encircled by this thick woods, and they have no contact with anyone out there. So it's a Lord of the Flies concept in that these high school kids now have to build a society and um and how they determine what the ranking, you know, how they figure things out, and it was it was so interesting to me. And like you could tell that they were building for this show, and so season one, there it it ended with a whole bunch of cliffhangers, and so I think that's the biggest reason is because like I felt blue balled so hard. Like I had it marked to check for season two of uh society, and I was really excited for it to come back because I was like, man, I'm really interested about what happens with this character and this character. Like the antagonist, Toby Wallace, was like the most like he was perfectly cast for that. Like as a high schooler, you were like, dude, that dude is bad news from the get-go. Just look at his face, and you're like, This dude sucks. Um, it it was just a really, really interesting show. I like the premise of it. What's that? Said no offense for Toby Wallace. I'm sure he's a great guy outside of it, but he was cast really well. Um but yeah, it it was really, really interesting. I liked where it was going. And uh then for it to, you know, COVID obviously messed up a lot of stuff and it was a big turning point. And uh and the society was the biggest, uh was the biggest one that got canceled because of COVID. So according to me. So yeah. Yeah, I mean, like I still think that if you guys are looking for something, that one season is worth watching. Know that it's not going to answer all the questions at the end, but uh, you know, I thought it was very enjoyable for a season. And I never even heard of that. Yeah, I was gonna say I don't think I've met another person that's seen it, but it was it was good.

SPEAKER_00 1:35:39

Mine is uh very much the opposite in that not only have a lot of people seen this, but the amount of like online campaigns and pure like fanaticism and wishing that the show could be brought back is like pretty like loud. Like you could look it up and see, but mine's a happy endings. Uh yeah. Wow. That show, like I I'm not a big re-watcher of shows. I think I cycle through all the available seasons of that show really every like every other year at the minimum. It is so densely packed with comedy. It is so such a fun balance of like, you know, maybe somewhat realistic dating stuff, coming of age, growing, you know, in your 20s and 30s kind of shit. And then also just this insane dose of just like wacky, absolutely not realistic, over-the-top kind of comedy. Um, yeah, it is an incredible show.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:40

And so that guy's named Adam Palley. Is that who was like Adam Pally?

SPEAKER_00 1:36:45

No, no, no. Adam Pally was the, you know, at least in the way that the show would always position him. He was like the chubby gay friend. Um, the I'm forgetting the name of the actor who plays the main guy, but the his his name is his name is Dave. Um Zachary Knighton. Zachary Knighton. I don't know how Zachary Knighton is not a like comedy staple because his ability to make people laugh in that show specifically was so good. Like he's not even like a comedian as compared to like other people that were cast on the show were cast because they were funny, right? Like um Adam Pally is a comedian, uh Damon Wayans Jr., like hilarious, and also like literally did happy endings instead of doing uh New Girl before coming back to New Girl. Um, what's her name? Um, I'm forgetting the name of the the one uh uh female lead uh who's also just hysterical. I think she's married to the creator of the show, but fucking Zachary Knighton was so funny. And then uh is it Alicia? Elisha Cuthbert.

SPEAKER_06 1:37:54

Elisha Cuthbert?

SPEAKER_00 1:37:54

I don't know how you say it. I've always seen Elisha. Her and Zachary Knighton. Incredible for like people who are not comedians, they were so goddamn good. Uh one of the funniest shows of all time. Like, I what I would give for them to have continued and done like six more seasons of that that we could keep watching. I we keep watching.

SPEAKER_02 1:38:13

How many seasons did it did it get?

SPEAKER_00 1:38:15

I think it did like three.

SPEAKER_01 1:38:17

Yeah. I'm surprised because uh yeah, I mean, the the crossover Damon Wayne's was on New Girl, then left to go to Happy Endings. Um, and when you were saying like the show that you could rewatch over and over, mine is New Girl. I could watch that. Like, that's such a feel-good show similar to and I loved Happy Endings. I'm I'm I was surprised that you were saying that there's such a public outcry, or not outcry, but movement to have that to have it bring the show back. Because I feel like I mean it's been 12, 13 years ago now.

SPEAKER_00 1:38:45

Like, yeah, do they think it's gonna like I can't imagine it's like no one realistically thinks they're gonna come back, like it's but I guess here's here's the reality, right? Unlike New Girl, this was a show where the characters it it does in some ways like we didn't get to see where things ended, right? So there's a world in which it's like you can just pick back up on wherever they are in their lives now, and it would still be funny because the the show is about friendship more than it was about like what they were going through at that time and finding love and whatever. So I think there's maybe I don't think anyone realistically expects it's ever gonna happen. Uh is there a way to write something, even in terms of like a funny reunion special? Maybe, yeah. I wouldn't put my money on anything ever actually happening because man, what better scenario could you want as a creator and as performers to have left people wanting more so badly? Like, just let that be. Like, don't don't ruin it now. And you know, they just get together and they do like panels and stuff, right? Like little reunion panels where they get interviewed about the experience of being on the show and stuff, which is nice. Um, but yeah, that's a that's an all-timer.

SPEAKER_01 1:39:56

Yeah, I was gonna say that a reunion would be interesting as well. Because did you happen to see the one of the actors, maybe this is who you're talking about, Eliza Coop? Yeah, she seen the pictures. Do you remember her from Scrubs? Yeah, she was in Scrubs.

SPEAKER_02 1:40:11

Yeah, yeah. Like like the revive season. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:40:14

Yeah. Um, there's some pictures that came out from some red carpet. Uh I mean, I'll let you Google it, you know. I'll just let you Google them and take a look and have a it'd be interesting. Them coming back to do a reunion. Um, you know. Uh because she she's a little bit different. It looks like things have taken a turn for her, unfortunately. Um but uh yeah, I mean I'm glad you brought up that show because I would love to uh it where where is it available? Is it available for for streaming somewhere? Yeah, it's gotta be on something. I don't know what, but you know, I'm glad you brought that up because I've fallen into the trap where with all the streaming services, and I in some way or another, I have essentially all of them. My assumption is that everything is on something. And that is not the case. And it's like disappointing. Um Happy Endings is on Disney Plus. Oh, yeah, it was a DC show. Yep. Yeah. Um, but like recently I wanted to watch Kung Fu Panda with my kids. Nowhere. Not on Beacon? Nowhere. I was I wanted to watch Sean of the Dead the other day. Nowhere. And I'm like, man, is this thing? No, man. Nothing. And I was it it it like bothers me, you know, that there's so many streaming services out there that you pay so much money for. Like it feels like we should be at a point where, like, okay, yeah, it's annoying to go from one to the other, but like I should be able to watch everything somewhere. And it's frustrating that that's not a thing right now. I mean, there are ways to do that, um, but above board, there's no legal way to do that, which is I hate that it's like surprising that that's a thing now.

SPEAKER_00 1:41:52

I felt the same way because I was reading somewhere that you might be able to consider tenant, Oppenheimer, and the Odyssey as kind of this reverse thematic trilogy. Oh, uh from Nolan, where like chronologically it would be like the Odyssey and then Oppenheimer and then Tenet. Uh, not the tenant, tenant's obviously fully fictional, but but but the idea of being like men dealing with their actions um in whatever ways, uh, and I could not find either Tenet or uh Oppenheimer anywhere, and I get really annoyed, not because they're not there because I get it, they do weird licensing deals and whatever. Um I get annoyed because I feel like I'm constantly being advertised these movies when when I'm not trying to watch them, and then when I want to watch them, it feels like they disappear.

SPEAKER_01 1:42:42

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's just weird that uh it's funny that you mentioned tenant. I don't know why this made me think of it, but like there was uh there was an ask Reddit question. I forget the exact parameters of it, but it was like, hey, if there was if you could watch a move, you know, if you had to, if you got paid like $30 million to watch one single movie, you know, 10 times a day for a whole year, like what would that movie be? Like the top answer was I would pick tenant, because maybe by the 3,000 time I've seen it, I probably understand what the fuck was going on in that movie. That's pretty funny. Yeah. Uh all right. Sweet. I as Sarab is yawning. I think I was bringing a rap to our first ever Game Boys show podcast.

SPEAKER_00 1:43:26

Game Boys.

SPEAKER_03 1:43:29

All right. I feel like we should have workshopped that a little bit. You gotta you gotta you gotta really pronounce the M there, Sarah.

SPEAKER_01 1:43:39

What do you mean? I feel like we should have I feel like we should have talked about this a little bit.

SPEAKER_06 1:43:43

Uh uh. Uh-uh. I think it's perfect.

SPEAKER_01 1:43:46

I like it. All right. Uh you guys have anything else to add for I do not follow that. Cool. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Uh got to uh got to talk about what's good, followed up from last week about some social interactions and how we perceive following up with people and uh and how that goes. We talked about some Avengers Doomsday, some stories for my kids, and uh finished it up with with uh shows of which came back. So hope you guys enjoyed listening with us this week. Um hope you all enjoyed the World Cup. We're into the dog days of summer now. Top plays are dominated by baseball, which is just the worst. I hate it when it turns into this because I'll I'll be out of limb. I think the baseball top plays are just not that impressive. I feel like anyone could do that. But uh, so it sucks that that was like the telling of when I turned on top plays and it was all just baseball. Um but yeah, uh hope you all have a good week, and uh and we'll be back with you again next week. So I hope you have a good one. Well, and we'll talk to you then.

SPEAKER_06 1:44:41

Team boys.