January 30, 2025 • 65 mins
In this super special anniversary episode of Scene N Nerd, your favorite dynamic duo Sarah Belmont and Will Polk are celebrating eight awesome years of podcasting! They kick things off with a trip down memory lane, reflecting on how far they've come since launching back in January 2017. It's all about growth and the evolution of their fun discussions! (0:00)
Sarah shares her thoughts on binge-watching the first season of "Landman," and she can't help but draw some cool parallels to the classic "Friday Night Lights." Will jumps in with some behind-the-scenes insights into the show and its creator, Taylor Sheridan. (1:40)
Next up, they dive into the buzz around the much-anticipated "Superman" trailer that’s set to debut during the Puppy Bowl, along with all the excitement surrounding the upcoming "Fantastic Four" reveal. They chat about the outrage culture that seems to swirl around film trailers these days and how important it is to manage our expectations in this wild world of social media. (7:58)
They quickly go back to reflect on the last eight years of podcasting and being true to themselves and to the audience. (11:40)
To wrap things up, Sarah and Will take a deep dive into the new series "Paradise," breaking down the pilot and second episode. They analyze the character dynamics, highlight some standout performances, and talk about the clever use of flashbacks that make the storytelling pop. Plus, they ponder the intriguing mysteries surrounding the characters and what it all means for the narrative. (14:55)
We’d love for you to join in on the conversation! Follow us on X @SceneNNerd, on Bluesky @SceneNNerd.bsky.social, friend us on Facebook, and check us out on Instagram and Threads @scene_n_nerd. Don’t forget to visit our website at www.scenennerdpodcast.com. And hey, if you enjoy the show, please rate, follow, and drop a comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you tune in!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
>> Sarah (00:00):
Greetings, nerds. This is Scene N Nerd. I'm your host, Sarah Belmont, and with
me, as always, is our Mr. Producer, Will Polk How are you in tonight.
Will.
>> Will (00:06):
Doing very well, Sarah. Happy Thursday night.
>> Sarah (00:09):
Happy Thursday. And happy 8th
anniversary to us.
>> Will (00:14):
Yes, yes.
>> Sarah (00:15):
As we published our first podcast
in late January 2017.
>> Will (00:21):
Yes, we, yes, we did. Yes, we did. Here we are
eight years later. We. I think, I think
I sent you a message last night about it and,
you sent a message, message back to me that,
we've, we've gone through, high school and college, so I guess now we're
starting grad school.
>> Sarah (00:36):
Yeah, yeah, grad school.
What? Law school, whatever.
Like, we're going the distance on this thing. I, I, I'm
looking forward to the ten year.
>> Will (00:47):
Yeah, yeah, me too. Me too.
>> Sarah (00:50):
the, the decade that that will
be that has gone through many transitions. I was
also thinking how it's funny we're moving to, we've moved to
Thursday night. I feel like there are
long periods of time where we're on one night and
then because of content, like, eventually we'll get back to
Tuesday sooner than we did last
year because, April is on the
(01:13):
horizon. but, oh,
I, So
before we get into paradise and some of like
the one news item you have,
I have to tell you, over the weekend, I did a, I did
a binge. I did a binge watch
because I finally did it. I finally
(01:34):
committed to watching the first season of
Landman.
>> Will (01:38):
Oh, yeah, that's, it's on my list of things I want to
check out.
>> Sarah (01:43):
So I basically had it on my TV
from about 11am
M. To about 6, 7am and I think,
or 7pm and then I think I had to finish
the last episode or watch the
full last episode, the next night.
And I was.
(02:04):
It's an artsy show, so there's a lot
of, there's a lot of time
where I would, I was able to do
stuff while watching it.
>> Will (02:14):
Yeah. Yeah.
>> Sarah (02:14):
It's also not that complicated of a show.
Yeah, it's not bad. I understand why people
like it, especially if they like Yellowstone. I mean,
it's the same showrunner, same writer.
Yeah, Sheridan.
>> Will (02:28):
Yeah. Yeah.
>> Sarah (02:28):
but what was really funny, and I kid you
not, because I was talking to my parents about this
show over the weekend because they're the ones who were really
like, sir, you got to watch Lame Man. You got it. You got. When
are you going to watch Lame Man? For months. And then I
finally did because I finally got Paramount plus for
my Own purposes.
(02:49):
And in watching it, I thought to myself,
I need to look this up because
this score reminds me so
much of this Is Us.
Need to see if the composer is the same. It's
not. I was sitting there
and I did not look this up, but
(03:10):
I am 99% sure the
score of the same composer composed
score of Paradise. Same guys, this is Us. Because
there are themes that I just like.
Okay, that's very eerily similar,
but so. So, so
that apparently my mom was telling me my
(03:30):
dad said the same thing
and he wasn't even in. Like he. He
wasn't like a super fan of this Is Us. Okay.
He saw it on TV every once in a while while my mom
was watching it, but he did that. And
then I was telling her about how.
And then I had to figure out if
(03:52):
Sheridan is also behind Friday Night Lights
because I don't know what it is. Both shows take
places in Texas,
but there's something about the cinematography, there's something
about the writing that gave me so money.
Friday Night Lights vibes. And I. And I looked it
up and I didn't really see anything, but I.
(04:12):
I guess my mom heard in an interview
he was a part of their writer's room.
He did have something to do with the show. But, which,
which makes sense. It makes more sense to me
that he would, like, that would be a
starting point in his career at like a low level
position. And he worked his way up and. But
(04:33):
there's still, still. You learn from your mentors and everything,
but you can definitely see
how that whatever role he
had there helped shape him
for storytelling because there was just something
about the way it was shot. And I've never been to
Texas, but between this show
(04:53):
and Friday Night Lights, I
feel as though arguably they do a
good job about
really showing
you how big of a state is the state
is. And also how there's a lot of nothing.
There's, it's a lot of desert. And also the. And I
(05:15):
think that's also pertaining to the
places where. I mean, we're talking about the
oil fields.
>> Will (05:21):
Yeah, yeah.
>> Sarah (05:21):
Talking about like places where. Yeah, it's
not. It's not the big cities that we're focused
on. so. And I think Billy Bob
did a good job. But I,
like I said, I wasn't blown away by
anything. It was a very straightforward thing.
Things happen within the first three episode
(05:43):
that was like, okay, I'll figure out. I
want to see at least how this whole season
ends. but.
And, and overall, if, if you're like
me and grew up watching Friday
Night Lights and kind of miss it every now and
then. I feel like this is a good substitute for that.
It's, it's very similar
(06:05):
but different at the same time.
>> Will (06:07):
Well, I know. I'm just looking at his, his bio right
now. He was not a part of
Friday, Night Lights, but, whenever he was an actor,
he did have some acting roles as far as Walker, Texas
Ranger, and, and then as far, you
know, also as far as,
you know, TV at this. I guess there's Law. Oh,
(06:28):
yeah. Land Man, Lioness Football. These are more recent
shows. But,
>> Sarah (06:31):
Yeah, yeah, he's a big runner now.
>> Will (06:34):
Yeah, yeah. but also Mayor Kingstown. I
don't know if he did that one as well.
>> Sarah (06:39):
Yeah, I was, I, I. And it's funny
because I've watched maybe the first few episodes of
Mayor of Kingstown and it did not. I, I was
like, no, it's not. He seems
to have a deal with Paramount plus.
>> Will (06:52):
Yeah, yeah, he definitely does all, all those big
shows. Yeah. Yeah. And speaking of which, I guess he even had an
acting role. just. There is a tie into Star
Trek. I guess he was on Star Trek Enterprise whenever, Whenever. He
was still acting. And, speaking
of Paramount plus, I, I was also on that service, that platform
just this past weekend watching the,
(07:12):
Star, Trek section 31 film. And I did
a, I did a live review about it, so
I won't spend too much time on it here. But,
yeah, you know, it happened and I'll just leave it, I'll just leave it at
that.
>> Sarah (07:25):
Yeah. I think you sent out some tweets and you're like,
okay, that happened. That, that happen.
>> Will (07:31):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (07:32):
What, what is, expected to happen during
the Puppy bowl this year is the
Superman trailer will be dropped.
and, I'm. All I can say
is I feel like I've seen the trailer.
>> Will (07:47):
Yeah. Yeah, it's, it's so funny how, like,
with this, with this film, I mean, how the, I mean,
I don't know if people are just. The outrage machine
is just like, you know, the algorithm just drives it these
days. Because I was watching a football game Sunday
and, you know, I, I missed the, like, little
32nd spot that they had, where he's doing the
(08:07):
barrel roll. but I just started
seeing everything, like, you know, trying to, you know, just happen to jump on Twitter
while I was watching the, the championship games,
and everybody was just all pissed. Oh, like,
up in arms over, like, whether or not He.
If his face was CGI'd or not.
>> Sarah (08:27):
Guys, calm down.
>> Will (08:28):
Yes.
>> Sarah (08:29):
we live in a century where you see CGI
in some of the most bizarre places.
>> Will (08:34):
Yes.
>> Sarah (08:35):
But.
>> Will (08:35):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
>> Sarah (08:38):
I just. But who cares? And
also, post production is not done.
>> Will (08:44):
Exactly. And also. And
again, maybe James Glendis needs to get off social media, just pull
a Kevin Feige and just don't react to
the algorithm outrage machine,
because you can't win.
>> Sarah (08:59):
Huh? is he reacting?
>> Will (09:00):
Oh, yeah, yeah. I know you're not. I know you're not on Threads, but
he. Yeah, he went to Threads and, you know, basically was
like, look, the shot was just, you know, there's no
cgi. It was just. I think he had the camera
lens that he used just basically made,
you know, of course, wet face look that
way. And. And. And. And also.
>> Sarah (09:20):
Yeah, yeah, look that way, man.
>> Will (09:23):
Yeah, but I mean, just. But the fundamental point is
just like, dude. Really? But, yeah, yeah. But anyway. Yeah,
I just. It was kind of. I mean, there's, like, stuff going on,
but I know we had talked about,
wondering if the full, trailer was going to
drop on super, Bowl Sunday. And. And it
will, but, you know, the. The little
(09:43):
spot that says, go check it out online
will, be on the, Puppy bowl, which, you know,
obviously, with tie in with crypto and everything makes. Makes total
sense.
>> Sarah (09:53):
I think there's more speculation, though, not
about Superman, because we already got the teaser. Okay. We
already got teaser. So that's why people are being critical,
because I think the more expectation is when we're going to get first look
at Fantastic Four.
>> Will (10:06):
Oh, yeah, we'll get.
>> Sarah (10:07):
We'll get.
>> Will (10:07):
We're getting. Yeah, we're getting next weekend.
>> Sarah (10:10):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's.
I. I just. I know I'm not
aware about all this, but, if he's responding to
people, then it's like, yeah, dude, you're. You
realize the job you signed up for because,
like, this is only the start. Wait until
you're. What. How many. How many M. Movies has
(10:30):
Feige done?
>> Will (10:31):
Yeah, the 40s now.
>> Sarah (10:35):
Like. Like, just brace yourself for impact,
man. Like Snyder did. How many?
Five? Like, no,
we are. We are. As viewers and as
audiences, we are. We're
spoiled, and we are spoiled rotten.
And we're just. And. And we're
(10:55):
unfortunately very loud about it.
>> Will (10:57):
Yes, we are.
>> Sarah (10:59):
So buckle up.
>> Will (11:02):
Buckle up for sure. Buckle up for sure. Yeah, speaking.
Yeah, I, just happen to think about that as, you know, as I reflect
on how we've. How even we've
evolved and changed over time as far as how we approached a
lot of these stories and stuff. As, you know, as we've, you know,
we. We tried to not
always, like, fall into the outrage machine. And even to
(11:22):
the point where I know we're, you know, sometimes it's like, you know, you don't even watch some
of the trailers at this point because you're still worried about, learning too
much. But, it. It is funny, you know, I think, how
as we started, you know, we started with the Arrowverse,
and, and, now we've, you know, moved on to other things and,
you know, expanded our horizons. But, for
as far as they also.
>> Sarah (11:41):
They also shut down.
>> Will (11:43):
Yeah, well, no, no, but even before to shut down, even
before to shut down,
we're like, oh, yeah, we'll see where this is going. Let's.
>> Sarah (11:53):
We were like, Okay, so. So eventually
this will end. And eventually
either it'll end or we're like, how
do we make a quick exit?
I signed up for a trip, but this is
taking a left turn. And I don't know. I don't know if I
can. I can watch this all the way through this car
(12:15):
crash. we did bail out a few seasons there,
but you can't. You
gotta. You gotta do what's best for your mental health. And
people want to talk about things.
I feel like as podcasters, over the eight years,
we've learned how we get more
out of it when we are excited
(12:35):
to talk about it, whether that. Be excited
because we can have some really interesting conversations
about that are critical of, things,
and then also just excited because, like,
oh, my God, this is
amazing. A, B, C, Y.
But. But people. And I think
(12:56):
listeners respond well to
either of those kind of conversations. What I don't
think either us as, podcasters
or the listeners is when it's
too repetitious, when it's like they.
They've checked out, that makes listeners check out.
And like, I.
(13:17):
I just. I. And I don't want to do that to our
listeners. So even though I will
repeat things.
>> Will (13:25):
So I. But. But you're right. I mean, but if we're
checked out, then, you know, the audience can, you know,
pride ourselves on our authenticity. And.
And, I think that's whenever we are our
authentic selves and not trying to be something else or try
to, like, force content that, you know, doesn't resonate with
us. Like, you know, then. Then I think
(13:46):
it's hopefully, you know, we. We definitely
see that you all Respond as well as far as our listeners
and, and we definitely respond to each other, better
when it, and our better podcasters for, for when
we are genuinely like, interested in stuff. So
hopefully we appreciate y'all going with this on
this, Rod, as we, as we continue, for another
(14:06):
year. And yeah, let's hit that
10.
>> Sarah (14:11):
That, that is the goal right now.
Right now. So, so at this
point, I, I want to make it clear to our
listeners, stop listening if you
haven't watched Paradise. Yes, yes,
Stop listening now.
I kid you not. Please go watch
the, watch the episode. Watch both episodes and
(14:33):
come back. Like, I don't, I
don't, I, you don't. I went into
this having seen one trailer.
Okay, that was sufficient.
Will, did you see two trailers?
>> Will (14:48):
I saw two trailers, but it's still just as
Sarah cannot, emphasize it
more than what she just said. If you haven't watched the
episode, especially the pilot, go watch
it now.
>> Sarah (15:00):
Yeah.
>> Will (15:00):
And then come back and listen to us.
>> Sarah (15:02):
And then come back and listen to us. Okay.
And that is your warning. because,
yeah, I, I, I should
have known, Will.
I should have known. But here's the funny
thing because I told you this,
but I didn't, I didn't tell you this one
thing. Technically, I heard about the
(15:24):
pilot of this is Us before I watched it.
Okay.
>> Will (15:29):
So it wasn't me.
>> Sarah (15:32):
So this is Us.
It's been, it's like a eight year
old show.
>> Will (15:39):
Yeah, yeah.
>> Sarah (15:41):
So I'm not going to say this is
spoiler, but at the end of the
so this is Us, the pilot episode
was groundbreaking, viewer wise. And
also, and I heard about it because,
I was listening to like Kristian Harloff, I think he was
on Collider, and him and Roxy were talking about
it with Josh McCuga. Man, this show is
(16:04):
old, but, and they were
saying like, you're watching it and then
within the last half hour or last, the
last scene, there's a subtle movement
of the camera and you realize
that Jack and Rebecca
are the parents, of
these characters. So you, you're,
(16:26):
you've, you've just watched an episode of television
not realizing you're seeing three different points
in time.
>> Will (16:32):
Yep.
>> Sarah (16:34):
So, so like, and it was, and it
was a very bold statement.
Why did I not go into this?
I was sitting there
and I did
like early on,
Xavier is running, going on a jog,
(16:56):
going through the town. And I did think to myself, I was
like, man, I've been to
Hollywood and I've been on set Specific before.
Why does this town look like such a
set? Yeah, yeah, I,
but then it faded. And then it faded. It's
just there were. I, I have not
(17:16):
rewatched this episode, but
I had not.
I was capturing. They did such a
good job that they were subtle enough with all of
the context clues, but not
overly doing
anything that by the time
(17:37):
you're figuring it out right when they want you
to like figure out
that, oh,
it's not that we're in present day or anything,
it's also that we are literally in an
underground city because of
something that happens.
>> Will (17:56):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (17:56):
And it's just I, and
I will say, and then we can get some of your
thoughts on, on that big reveal.
But. And the whole episode.
But is that I did in the
back of my mind, all throughout the episode and even
leading up, I'm like, I still don't understand why this show is
called paradise.
(18:19):
Honestly. Why. Why Paradise?
And they were so, so at the point
when Cal mentions like how he's gonna
retire and go to paradise and everything, I
was like, oh, so that's Paradise.
>> Will (18:32):
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh yeah.
I mean, you know, this, this show because I mean,
and just a couple things from a
production standpoint, then I'll talk about the actual episode
too. you know, with the reveal. So, you know, I
wasn't this is US watcher, but I did watch
(18:53):
the, did watch the pilot and stuff because I think you, I think
you and I met about the time that when we first met, the show
was going on and I remember you talking about it. I remember you.
you know, and so I'll, you know, so. But maybe
I guess around 2019 or so, I probably finally did like
watched a couple of the pilot, the first few episodes and stuff.
So. But you know, but obviously you know, but I'm not
(19:13):
a. As far as Dan Fogelman's work. I mean it's
really, you know, I, I, I, by the
time I did watch it, it, the show was already
in I think it's third or fourth season. So it was too, you know, I
was way behind and there was just no way I could catch up.
but, but you know, but one of the things
that, with this to speaking of the
(19:34):
reveal at the end of paradise and,
and this show generally,
it was very vague as far as the
taglines what, what was, what
was going on here. And, and I think that was one of
the. So you know, from the start,
like you said, with, with when Xavier is jogging
(19:54):
and we're you know, he wakes up that morning,
and the, you know, it's like you said, all the little context
clues as far as, like, you just sort of explore, you know, exploring. Okay.
Realize that, okay, he's a widower. We get that.
>> Sarah (20:11):
I want to talk about that. But I think
what you're getting at, it's that
they forced focus on things
and kept certain things out of focus.
>> Will (20:24):
Yeah. Yeah.
>> Sarah (20:25):
If that makes sense. This pilot
episode is structured very much where going
into it, you're like, okay, his boss
is going to die and they're going to blame him.
Or. Or like there's some kind of conspiracy thing
going on. So that's what you're watching while
you're also picking up some things. Because,
(20:45):
like, if we want to start at the very beginning,
retrospectively, I find
the opening shot to be fascinating. Just
because it's like, him in bed,
dark, and that
there's clearly. He's
on his side of the bed, and he reaches over
(21:05):
and very poignantly, his hand is, like,
perfectly centered and it shows the wedding
ring.
>> Will (21:12):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (21:12):
Now the rest of the episode,
they don't verbatim, say she's dead.
No, I really. Right.
So part of you is also like, okay, so
now there's this other mystery about him and
his wife. What's going on there. And
you don't find out until the second episode that, yes,
(21:34):
she is deceased. Right. And
so that allows to, like. Okay,
so they want that to be like, a more
of a family story. But
yeah. Yeah. Cause the next
one comes with James and the giant
peach. And I warned you, Will,
that there's a few scenes that I have some
(21:57):
soapbox moment.
>> Will (21:59):
You warned me about that last Sunday night.
>> Sarah (22:01):
Yeah, I just had one of them. and my next one is
going to be about James and Giant Peach.
Just because I did
clock it. I was like, why. Why is he
so weird about that book?
that initially. But I just
love how
(22:22):
it We.
We. We fast forward
to towards when we find out
what his conversation, his last
conversation with Cal was about.
And during that conversation,
we learn about the significance of James and
(22:42):
Giant Peach. And it's
not. And
it was done so well because
he basically says his wife was obsessed
with the novel and he learned all of this
stuff about it, and then he drops the tidbit.
Did you know that it was going to be James and the Giant
(23:03):
Cherry? And now all I can think about is,
if that was the title,
what would the name of our son be?
Like, it wouldn't be James or would it?
And really, what that
story from the past
is telling the viewers is
(23:24):
currently in paradise. All he
can think to himself is, what
would have happened if
Cal had kept the
same lead agent. Yeah,
that's brilliant. Yeah, like. Like,
it's just. Oh, I could
(23:45):
go into so much about
why that is so substantial, and it's
mainly because it's a perfect example
of the use of a flashback.
Like, this whole show so far,
we're only two episodes in
that. But I am
loving their use of flashbacks to not
(24:07):
only contextualize the history of
the characters, but more importantly, to
contextualize the present day. I feel like
over the last years, we've watched several
shows, and the first one that comes to mind is Reacher.
This past season of Reacher, season two,
there was an entire Bee storyline
(24:27):
in flashback. And I complained
the entire time.
I was like, why are we
watching what feels like two different shows?
But, like, the flashbacks aren't really
saying anything significant about who these
characters were versus who they are now.
Like. Like, I understood how they were using
(24:50):
it. It just. It wasn't.
It wasn't anything special. But
Dan Fogelman, what he's doing with
this, and it makes all the sense in the world for what
he. How he played with time in this Is
Us. But the
flashbacks are really
showing you in very, unsurprising,
(25:12):
like, surprising ways about
why the characters are behaving. They are.
Way they are in present day.
>> Will (25:19):
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that was whenever I have that
moment, whenever. At the end of
pulling it, pulling the book
and the story and understanding
why Xavier had that reaction
when his son was. Was reading the book. So first I was like,
okay. I mean, I know Roald all. I mean, you know, so.
And I was like, so what's
(25:42):
so significant, you know, about
why. You know, because. Yeah. I mean, this book was banned and
stuff, so I was like, hey, you know, so I was trying to figure out, like, okay,
now what's about real doll. That's like.
Ronaldo was like. Calls him
just have that reaction. And. But then whenever, like you
said, the use of the flashback to, like, it
just really just contextualized everything
(26:05):
that. That. What. That
why Xavier reacted the way that he did.
And not only the,
you know, the story, but also there's that quick moment
when they flash as far as, you know, with the.
With Xavier's wife.
and. And of course, you know, and we get.
>> Sarah (26:25):
That's the second episode.
>> Will (26:27):
Oh, yeah. Second episode. Yeah. That's the only thing I'm glad we didn't do all three.
Yeah, I would have put it all three of this. Yeah. But,
but, but, but at least it did. Yeah, but I mean. But yeah,
that's to, to that point it does. Like, you know, when we do get
confirmation, it just like really explains their
relationship.
and, and why he was just so, why he was
(26:47):
just so, you know, bitter
towards him. you know, whenever that,
that, that last night before, Before Wildcat goes
down.
>> Sarah (26:56):
Wait, wait, wait, wait. So wait,
you gotta, you gotta.
>> Will (27:01):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (27:01):
I don't know if you ex. Expressed, your point.
>> Will (27:04):
Yeah, yeah. No, I guess the, I mean, I
guess it explains. Thanks for. Yeah, thanks. I was
getting the episodes conflated there.
hearing the story at the end of the episode makes it,
it really, it, it contextualize why for
me, why he was so.
His, his reaction that morning at breakfast whenever
(27:26):
the book came up. and to your point, it
does explain. You know, it's a great use of
flashback to just flesh out these characters and help
us understand their motivations and.
>> Sarah (27:37):
Right.
>> Will (27:38):
And you know, and we learn so much
about them, you know, with a natural flow of the
story instead of just, you know, just
exposition.
>> Sarah (27:47):
Dump of oh my God.
>> Will (27:49):
Telling us, you know, showing us instead of telling
us.
>> Sarah (27:52):
Yeah, yeah. I mean, you could argue
like this is all dialogue, but it's, it's
the way it's written where it feels like honest
conversations between people who have
history. Like I,
I. Again,
we've watched shows where there are
characters who are mainly
(28:15):
or pretty much have to be in the past.
those characters never stand out to me because I'm like, oh, you're
dead. Cal is amazing.
>> Will (28:24):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (28:24):
Oh, James Marsden, I'm
so glad that you are on the up and
up because you're you,
you are cast so well in this part.
>> Will (28:36):
Totally.
>> Sarah (28:36):
like you knew it from the moment Xavier went in for the
interview. Like I felt as a viewer,
I was interviewing James Marsden because
I know Sterling K. Brown. Like,
Sterling, arguably, he's doing
the same role as a lot of things, but whatever. It's Sterling
K. Brown, James Marsden. Though
I'm glad that it was clear to me he's not
(28:59):
necessarily poking fun at a
single president, but more of like
a few mixed together.
It's not an impression or anything. No,
but you also
over with all the scenes, especially in the
second episode, you do start to see the
(29:20):
charm. And I think that
why I, the casting
is so good because the chemistry between these two
and the just
the, the within the first beating
the. So you hired me because I was black.
>> Will (29:37):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (29:39):
No, no, I didn't. I.
I'm hired. You because you're good. It's a
bonus that you're black.
>> Will (29:45):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (29:46):
Yeah, it
is. It's just. It was just the way.
And then he. Of course, we. We see.
Which I thought initially was a bit premature
because we. We do see during the
opening montage that there's a bullet wound on
Xavier's back.
>> Will (30:04):
Yep.
>> Sarah (30:05):
And we learn within the first episode where that came from. It
came from saving the President from an
assassination attempt. And
I was like, whoa, whoa, we're. We're getting that this
early? But I.
I'm. I'm guessing that there's a lot more to tell than
just where that bullet wound came from. And it
(30:25):
allowed for another good
kind of past meets past present
situation, like James and Giant Peach. Because
this episode is called Wildcat Down.
But you hear when
Xavier in present day calls in
that. Or when he calls his,
(30:45):
other agent, Wallace. Billy.
>> Will (30:48):
Yep. Billy.
>> Sarah (30:49):
He doesn't say Wildcat Down.
He says, Lancaster.
Right? Yeah, yeah,
Lancaster. Leitner. Leitner. Kristian
Leitner.
>> Will (31:01):
Leitner, yeah. Kristian Leitner. Yeah. Basketball.
>> Sarah (31:04):
Yeah. Kristian Link. Laetner. And
we don't. And, and so for a moment I was
like, what, What? Why, why
you say that, babe? Like, again, people. I don't know.
I. I was paying attention.
>> Will (31:17):
Yep, yep.
>> Sarah (31:18):
And I did not see the end coming.
But. So, so then
fast forward to the flashback of
him getting shot and taking the bullet for Cal.
Cal is by his bedside. And
then we hear this great story
from Cal about the
(31:40):
Wildcats and, And what it
means to get Kristian Laettner.
And I'm just. I'm like, oh, my
God, the writing, the writing.
>> Will (31:51):
And, I will tell you someone who, yeah, so, so
good. As someone who lives on Tobacco Road where
Duke and North Carolina, and. And
I love the. I love the banter too, because, you know,
thinking back to, like the conversation of,
whenever. With the interview with Cal
and. And Xavier, you know, about
(32:12):
race and black and, and just the, you
know, you know, Cal just assume it just. Just
because Xavier is a black man. He.
He was a big basketball fan or big sports fan or whatever.
And, you know, and again, it just. Conversations like that
flesh out the character. Again, you know, it's, it's,
you know, to use a dialogue in, In a, in an
(32:33):
efficient and, and, and realistic
way.
>> Sarah (32:36):
Yeah.
>> Will (32:37):
Really, really works there. So. Yeah, so.
So whenever I heard a Kristian Latener remark, you know, the story.
And, and of course, remembering that, Remembering, that
shot, you know, because I'm a big sports fan and stuff, and it just,
again, it just like, it just added another level
for me as far as, like, all this show
gets it.
>> Sarah (32:56):
Oh, yeah. Like,
it's. It's not just that the show gets it, that the
show is doing some,
This is one of the best pilots I've seen in
arguably eight years.
>> Will (33:09):
Yeah. Yeah, I was hooked. I mean, I.
For moment, from the start to finish, finished. I was just like, I
couldn't wait, you know, because. Because, you know, I messaged you. I was
like, hey, the show, it dropped early because it was really going to
drop, you know, Tuesday, and it dropped it early on Sunday
night. So I was like, hey, let me. Let you. Let me
tell you now because I want to talk, especially
(33:29):
after, Especially after I watched it. I was like, okay, please watch it tonight,
please, so I can, like, say something to you.
>> Sarah (33:34):
Yeah, yeah. Because it's. It's also something you're like, I
don't want to spoil that for anybody, but it's
just the
execution from start to
finish is so good. And.
Yeah, and I kept thinking
about this. I'm like, it feels
different talking about the brilliance of this show
(33:56):
in this pilot episode versus when we
were ragging not only, a few months ago, talking
about the brilliance of Penguins pilot
or even, surprisingly, Agatha all
along. But those are different
legacy. I think what people
forget is
this is an original series.
>> Will (34:17):
Yes. Yes. Yeah.
>> Sarah (34:19):
An original series that is also
not technically not based in. In,
in steep mythology.
It's. It's so. So it, For all intents
and purposes, this should have been a very
simple and routine
procedural. But there's. Which.
There is enough of that to not
(34:42):
overcomplicate things. But there's
also this subtleness that just
makes it feel so much more
alive and refreshing
to hear actual
dialogue, not get exposition
dumps, not have to worry about, like, oh, man,
I have to know what happened 100 years back
(35:03):
prior. Like, yeah,
just five. Five years prior. We have to
figure out. But we'll get there eventually.
We're here for the. The ride. And.
And it's just a lot of things where
I didn't really even pick up on this until
I was sat down to watch the next. The second
(35:23):
episode, Sinatra. But
he. So he finds Cal's body,
and we're going to do a synopsis of the actual events
and then jump into the second episode, guys.
but I just want to get through this. These few
beats first that he finds Cal's
body and he doesn't call it
in. He looks for the safe and then
(35:45):
it's the mystery for the next 20 minutes is
like why is he so concerned about
this? Whatever was in the safe, we find out that
it was the tablet containing the world's
biggest darkest secrets, global
news, etc.
>> Will (36:01):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (36:02):
But the most importantly,
he takes a cigarette box from
Cap, right?
>> Will (36:10):
Yep.
>> Sarah (36:11):
And he find we. We see him running
back through town and that's when we start to
realize where they actually are and where
the setting in present day is
paradise and what paradise is.
And he
So I didn't. And then he picks
up, he pulls out the cigarette and it shows a
(36:33):
code. And that leads us into the next
episode. But here's my point
for bringing that up. Not just because of the code
and it's significant in episode two, but
that
the second flashback we see between Cal
and Xavier. Cal is
smoking and he
(36:57):
and Xavier like they have an
exchange because Cal, Cal. I feel like it wants
Xavier to smoke.
>> Will (37:04):
Yeah, he
wants him to drink and he wants him to smoke. But.
>> Sarah (37:09):
But, but what? What? Because what's in that
box will kill you.
>> Will (37:14):
Yep.
>> Sarah (37:14):
And. And it turns out that there's the
significance of this eight digit number
potentially could behind
it lead to have led to Cal's death.
And it's just like that subtleness again, I didn't even pick it
up in the moment it took me to watching the
second episode to make that connection between
(37:35):
that line and that,
that scene.
>> Will (37:39):
Yeah, yeah, that, that's a great point
also to you know,
not only with that scene where they are out on
the porch, there outside the Oval Office
and the
discussing whether about kids.
>> Sarah (37:55):
Yeah.
>> Will (37:56):
And, and, and, and
you know, they have this discussion as far as like you plan on
having any more. And then Kyle's like that's probably a good
idea. And then when you tie that into like whatever
is on that tablet, especially after the assassination attempt
and where you know
where. Because of that moment
(38:17):
and you know, and also with
whenever Xavier's recuperating in the hospital and
just you know, whenever they had
that, that unspoken
like realization of what, what has happened
and, and now that their bond really, you know,
just seeing how that relationship evolved and then that, that you know
(38:37):
he took a bullet for him literally. And,
and that opened the door
to
getting in, coming into office with all the
national security folks and stuff and they're like we have something
we want to tell you. And they let him in on the. What's going on with you
know, the box, you know, secrets and all that kind of stuff,
so.
>> Sarah (38:57):
Well, they let him on the plane.
>> Will (38:59):
And he let him on the plane.
>> Sarah (39:00):
Yeah. And his children on the plane. And
we'll find out eventually why the W wasn't there
either.
>> Will (39:07):
Yeah, yeah. and one of the things I was
thinking with the code is like, is it, you know, is this code tied
to. To the wife and stuff? Especially what we learned in the second
episode. But let me get back to the first episode. where
I was going with that is just with the line
about, you know, it's probably a good thing, not that you're probably
not having anymore, just, you
(39:27):
know, clearly shows that Cal knew
something. Something was afoot that was going to cause this global
catastrophe that led them all to go underground.
And so that's another one of those, again,
context clues and another, like, line of dialogue, that
at the moment you don't realize it in the flashback, but
then when you carry forward and see where, you know, when we get the big
(39:47):
reveal at the end, why it makes. All makes so
much great sense and how they just sort of
unpack this mystery that's taking place in the show.
>> Sarah (39:56):
Yeah, yeah, you
though those scenes and we are
going into the second episode lead us to
understand why.
How. How Xavier earned his
way to getting onto the plane, and saving
his family from whatever happened. But,
(40:17):
I just want to understand why Billy got on the plane
and why Billy seems to know a lot more.
Like anybody else curious about that. I would just
like from the opening scene between the two of
them, I was at first thinking they didn't really like each other,
but. No, no, no. Billy and Xavier are tight.
>> Will (40:36):
They're tight. Yeah. I mean, Billy. Yeah. Cause I think he wasn't.
I think Billy held onto that cigarette pack until Kyle
was like, walking out of the room. I think they just had that,
like a quick handoff. yeah, yeah, yeah.
So.
>> Sarah (40:49):
So. So the next
episode, Sinatra is all about Samantha
Redmond, who we. We learn about in
this episode. We meet briefly, when.
When it is finally called in that
Cal Wildcat is down.
but this episode is really about
her and how she.
(41:12):
What her role is in paradise.
and arguably it sets her up to be the
antagonist of, like,
we don't really know, but it does it
in this way where, yeah, something's
off I can understand.
But we also,
(41:32):
we also watch, her lose her
son.
>> Will (41:36):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (41:37):
And I laugh because
it's, The flashbacks are. Are
all tied to her and her,
her grief about that. Very poignant.
Poignantly. And then by the end
of the episode, it's basically. The implication
is she built paradise for her son.
>> Will (41:56):
Yeah. Oh, that's the. The. Whenever
I saw all those, mechanical horses.
Oh, yeah. I was just like. Oh, I just
like chef's kiss. I mean, just
pulling every. Pulling that together and, you know, from.
>> Sarah (42:11):
From how, you know, you can't hate her.
>> Will (42:14):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (42:14):
You, can't. No, no, you cannot. You cannot
hate her for having gone. Go.
Having to go through that and also
figure it out. It's. It's very weird that interaction
she had with her daughter, though, in present day, I was like, wow,
you're still fucked up.
>> Will (42:31):
Yeah. Yeah.
>> Sarah (42:33):
But not. You're not who you were. But
I. I just love the
dialogue, the line of dialogue that
stuck out to me, at least in the past,
besides her interaction with Cal, but we'll get
there. was when she was
sitting down with Dr.
(42:56):
Yeah. and she says, time is making it
worse because it's taking me further away from
when he was here. And I was like, you
know, I am a very fortunate person. I have not
dealt with a whole lot of grief, but,
man, is that not
what I can only imagine
(43:17):
it is to feel like when you're going
through that, like. And.
And yet. And yet, oddly enough, I never heard
somebody put it that way on screen.
>> Will (43:29):
Yeah. Yeah, that's. I mean, I have to.
Yeah. That I had to pause, like, you know, as I was
watching that. I mean, I didn't pause the episode, but it was
just. It. It touched me, you know,
someone, you know. You know, one
just. You know, as a parent, I just really.
That my heart just, like, went
out, like, to this character because
(43:51):
I could just. That's. That's the thing a parent never,
ever wants to, like, ever have to experience.
And. And
so that,
you know, hats off to Julian Nicholson for
that. That was so real. As far as. I don't know
where whatever she tapped into to convey that
(44:12):
scene, but it was just. It was just real
and so honest.
>> Sarah (44:17):
Yeah. And it also. It
was said. And then it led to almost a
breakdown of where it's like, I. I
don't want to heal. I just need to be functional.
>> Will (44:28):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (44:29):
And you have that. And it. Which is such a
different. I know it's
not contradictory, but it's the opposite of what
you see her as in present day, because in
present day, she is very functional.
Too functional.
>> Will (44:46):
Too functional. Yeah, but also.
Yeah. Yeah, very functional. But also. But
also when we see, you know, with the. Whenever she and her
husband meet, as she's like on the
rise as well.
>> Sarah (44:59):
Yeah.
>> Will (45:00):
it just like, you know, they did again, the
great use of the flashbacks and. And
you know, how they met and, you know, when she talks about how she's
so broken, you know, her.
My marriage is broken. My. You know, I just want to be
able to. Like you said, be able to function. And, you
know, so. And so part of me too. I was just like, wondering,
(45:21):
like, with the one scene you brought. You brought up about her daughter, I'm
like, now, is the daughter still with us?
Or did the daughter.
>> Sarah (45:28):
Yeah, they. They edited that so well
when he's at the end when it's her and
Xavier and she says, oh, I had two
children. Cut.
>> Will (45:38):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (45:39):
Added to a flashback. And I'm like. So I
Going into that flashlight, like, oh, great, we're gonna get another
child dead. But.
But no, no, they. They made sure
to do that and only to trick us because no,
the. The daughter's alive. It looked
like her and her husband are
(45:59):
somewhat still in. Like, there's
something. But she is definitely
still. She's not.
She's not all there. There is something off
now. I don't know what that has to do with
Cal, but I
do. I did find. I
(46:20):
did like how. As we
continue to talk about the interplay between
the past and the present in this show.
But I was thinking the whole episode
now, why. Why is this episode called Sinatra? And then it's
like, okay, okay, Samantha Redmond
is. Is Sinatra. And so
(46:40):
I like how she. She tells
Xavier, do you know why my
detail calls me m. Sinatra? And he's like, I
thought it was because the hats.
>> Will (46:50):
Yep.
>> Sarah (46:51):
And then. And I feel like that may be in the middle of
episode because I felt like it was scenes.
And then we get. We get in the past
again and her sitting in on this very
weird conference about the end of the world.
And Cal randomly is there too. And then
they meet and he takes. He's the one who
tells her about how his dad refers
(47:13):
to her as Sinatra.
>> Will (47:15):
Yep.
>> Sarah (47:16):
I can't wait to meet Cal's dad.
>> Will (47:18):
Yeah. yeah, we did get a glimpse. I think we did get a brief glimpse of.
We did father and you know, and his ex wife
and, you know, obviously the son. Yeah.
>> Sarah (47:26):
But it'll be. It's more. I.
I like how they're kind of putting that character in the
background because not only are we starting
to get bits about Cal's relationship with
him, but now there's this connection. It
seemed like Sam. Samantha knew
Cal through his father.
Like, so How. How did they
(47:49):
meet and then. And also, what did she
do to make her, like, give
off this instance that everyone looks to her
like she has this power, and
almost arguably stability
in her to lead. which is something
that. That his dad tells Cal
that he lacks. but. But
(48:11):
Samantha, it's funny because it's only taking
me two episodes. Like, Samantha doesn't have the
charm that Cald has. Right. And
which he says it's like, enough people just like
me.
>> Will (48:24):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean.
>> Sarah (48:26):
Yeah.
>> Will (48:26):
Ah, you're right. I mean, you know, he definitely, you know, he's
not. James Norstead is like, playing this character.
Like you said, it's not. It's a. It's a
modulation of like, multiple
personalities as far as, like, past presidents. I mean, he's got the
charm of Bill Clinton. You know, he, you
know, as far as the policy pieces, you know, nobody. He's like,
(48:46):
I'm a senator at that point. Whenever they first. Whenever we do
get that flashback at that point, he's still a senator.
>> Sarah (48:51):
Yeah.
>> Will (48:52):
So, so, you know, so
as I was watching that scene, I was like, so, you know,
was she, you know, as far as his becoming a presidential
candidate, I mean, was she like, you know, was she a
chief of staff or something in the White House or, you know, some. Some kind
of role? but, you know, but, you know, but
this just seems to be the moment where,
(49:13):
you know, like, you know, she, you know, she. She hears that speech and
of course she does, you know, eventually chase after the. The
crazy guy talking about the ant, the ice
caps melting and stuff.
>> Sarah (49:25):
She chased. She. She just asked him a question about
what to do. To happen.
>> Will (49:30):
Yeah. What happened?
>> Sarah (49:32):
Yeah, yeah. What. What to do. And then that gives
her the idea.
>> Will (49:36):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (49:36):
To go more importantly,
he. He brought Cal, brought up Dylan, and
that's what she really needed to hear. But. But yeah,
finish.
>> Will (49:46):
Yeah, yeah. No, I'm glad you brought that. That's where I was going to go. He did
bring up Dylan and get to your point about a charm. And it was just like,
you know, I think it just really resonated with
her. And that's where I was just like. Oh, I could see where they
become very, you know, they become confidants
with one another. Especially, you know,
as she learned, you know, whatever
(50:07):
she gets the idea to, to like,
build a place that, you know, that as we see at the
beginning of the episode with, the flashback, you know, it's the size
of Toledo and, and. And we
get the, you know, we do you know, I like the way they,
they showed how the pro. After we get that big reveal, we get
sort of a backstory as far as, like, you know, how
(50:27):
this project came. It came into being.
as far as.
>> Sarah (50:33):
It's just, I'm just, I'm just saying somewhat
like they're, they're telling us, giving us
enough information to be satisfied, while at the same
time still there's a lot of things that
are cloudy and we're not. We're
not. This, this is not a straightforward
narrative, and it's not being told that way.
So, so we're getting pieces, right?
(50:56):
and I think they want us to color in, but at
this rate, I'm like, nope, I'm not coloring in yet.
Because I, I, I think if
you, if I were to color that red, I would find out three
episodes later I should have colored it blue. Okay, so
I'm, I'm like, I'm like, okay, I see what you're doing. I'm
gonna wait. I'm gonna hold my cards if you're gonna play them like
(51:16):
this.
>> Will (51:17):
Yeah, true, true. Yeah. I mean, yeah, you're right. I mean, I,
I tried not. As I was watching it, I was like, let me. Don't get too,
too far far, like, you know, like, as a,
too far ahead here, because like I said, I was already like,
oh, Kyle. And,
and, and Sinatra's
relationship here, Sam's relationship. I'm like, you know,
(51:37):
I was already having them, like, be
working together to do. You know, clearly, I think they did, but it's
just like, you know, I was trying to figure out how, you know, the how
of it all. And I think I'm just getting, getting
ahead of myself and just instead of, let's let the story play out, like
it, like, as it's going to.
>> Sarah (51:54):
Yeah, yeah. For a moment I thought you were going to say,
like, how they. I started to do fan
fiction about them.
I don't know if you should be doing about those two, because
apparently, like, it's very clear to us that Robinson
is sleeping with Cal. Right.
>> Will (52:09):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, that, that, yeah, that was very clear.
And, yeah, we, yeah, there was, you know, from
the very end of the episode one when, you know,
as, as, Xavier's, like, sizzling up the, the
scene, and, and the, earrings
there in the room. and then. Yeah, yeah.
So. But again, they, I love how they're just
(52:30):
building this mystery. I mean, it's just like this show has so many,
like, you could say it's this dystopian sci
fi thing. It could be a. Just a straightforward, like I said,
a mystery procedural. I mean it has so many genres that
it's like blending here. It's just, it's just so, so
great.
>> Sarah (52:45):
Yeah. Hopefully they don't go sci fi. I know.
I don't want them to go sci fi because I
will check out. I will check out
because it just reminds me of the
three people person problem.
>> Will (52:59):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (53:00):
Because I will admit my, my, my love
of that show dropped when I found out it was about
aliens.
>> Will (53:07):
I don't think we're going. I don't think we're going Aliens. I think it's maybe
more like Last of Us or Fallout
or you know that Dystopian. Yeah. Ah, yeah.
>> Sarah (53:15):
Fallout. Fallout. I do.
I. Is where my theory is. and
it's only because during,
in the first episode, during the scene between
Cal and Xavier the night of Cal's
death, he, he tells
him, like here he asks him, when are you going to
forgive me?
(53:37):
And then Xavier says, I'll forgive you when you're dead.
And. But, but.
So it's hard to say
if it's a natural disaster, why that would be
Cal's fault. Fault.
>> Will (53:51):
Unless he knows something that's part of the deep. The deep
secrets, you know?
>> Sarah (53:56):
Well, the deep secrets. But it's
also like. Okay,
I, I just, I just. I. I'll have to
understand. I. They have to
make sure to back
up how it's actually Kyle's fault.
Like Cal, like I said, like we said
before, like he was just. How, how long
(54:18):
between that scene between him and
Samantha when he was just a
senator.
>> Will (54:24):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (54:25):
And becoming president. Like we don't know
that official timeline. So,
so yeah. If it's a part of the deep secret, did he
inherit that secret? But anyway, we,
we could go. That's all speculation. That's neither
here nor there about this.
>> Will (54:42):
getting back to the episode.
>> Sarah (54:43):
I think if there's anything else I want to talk
about in the second episode. I'm not. As
the second episode, as I was on the first.
Just because the first, it's. It was really hard
to.
>> Will (54:55):
Yeah. I think the other. Yeah, well, I think the
other big thing. I think the second episode. Let's add a couple more
thoughts and then we can wrap it up. But whatever. The
entire Xavier's interrogation is going on
and of course, you know, we talked about
Samantha and Dr.
Robbie. Yeah, Robbie.
Robbie's. relationship. But also we
(55:18):
also Learned that Robbie, you know, was very instrumental
helping. You know, she did have the one session with. With Kyle,
with. Excuse me, with, Xavier after.
And, you know, and. And so when the interrogation is
happening and, you know, Xavier's
passing the lie detector test and everything, and then she, you know,
and clearly, things are going south of
(55:38):
Robinson. So she's like, well, let me stop this so we can go in here.
Let me get. You know, and. And. And then
she flashes his hands, like, answer
yes whenever the question comes up about whether or not he,
you know, he wanted him dead. I thought that was a very,
you know, again, it. It was very,
you know, clearly the way that things were recorded sort of
(55:59):
presented with this show was like, you know, it made it seem
like. And it still is. You know, Xavier's the
primary suspect, but, But I like,
you know, but her giving him the
assistant, and in that moment, him trusting
her, you know, again,
opens the door. You know, we'll get. I'm sure as the series
progresses, we'll get more information as far as why even
(56:21):
after just one session, they have this. This bond here.
And then the other thing is, like, the, you know,
the. With the cigarette that we talked about back in
the.
>> Sarah (56:31):
Wait, wait, wait. Can we. I just want to talk about
what you just said, because I just want to put my 2
cents in there on that scene. I don't
think that scene told me a lot
about her trying to
bond or save with Xavier, because it was only one
session in the past. Yeah, it was more
(56:51):
about. I think it has shown me more about
her dynamic with Samantha
because she knew the man
like he could have. Robinson could have
kept asking. He, we, we,
we there. All the signs were there. He's trained
to pass this.
>> Will (57:10):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
>> Sarah (57:11):
Like, he knows what to do. This
isn't gonna go anywhere and nobody's
gonna believe it. So. So she figured out
the only way to end this would be for him to
tell arguably the. The
truth and answer this question.
So then. And that's why you have that scene later where
she says, well, if. If
(57:33):
he's such a good liar, why would
he admit that he despised
Cow? Like, why wouldn't he just lie about
that as well? So she.
She knew he needed to know,
like, how to respond to that,
because he would have. He would have said no.
(57:54):
Which. And Sam, Samantha wouldn't have been convinced.
And I still don't think she fully is.
>> Will (57:59):
No, no.
>> Sarah (57:59):
and not in the least, but it at least
ended that and kind of just put him, on the Bench.
but. But it's also like,
I don't know how much really, if
Samantha's to blame either. Like, we.
We don't know, who.
There isn't some. It isn't very obvious at
(58:20):
this point who is behind the murder.
>> Will (58:22):
It's not. It's not at all.
No, it. Yeah, it's not at all. But, but
also, Yeah,
but, you know, but I think to your point about it showing Samantha's
relationship and also just overall with this whole. This whole
episode, especially seeing how she. Even though Kyle
was the president of this, of this. Of
paradise, you know,
(58:45):
she was clearly some of the. You know, she was the.
The engine that was sort of driving this thing. Especially when you see
her interactions with the. With the rest of the.
The right. Board of directors or whatever you
want to call them, who. Who were the
leaders, of the. Of the
council or whatever, you know, for.
>> Sarah (59:04):
For.
>> Will (59:06):
Yeah. Yeah. So. Yeah.
>> Sarah (59:08):
And you brought up the cigarettes.
>> Will (59:10):
Yeah, yeah. Just how. Just to bookend that from our
conversation from about episode one,
with the, With what? Whenever they have the town hall
and. And Kyle's son, you know, Xavier's,
daughter, go to the aircraft hangar and
whenever, you know, and they juxtapose the
scenes of. Of
(59:30):
Xavier, you know, lighting a cigarette and flashing
a number. And then they also they show the, the.
The flight. The plane registry number.
>> Sarah (59:38):
Yep.
>> Will (59:39):
And, also like. Ah, okay. And. And I think.
Was it. Was it. And I know you corrected me
earlier about this. Was the episode where we did get a
flash of the.
I took it as Kyle's wife. Not. Not Kyle,
Xavier's wife.
>> Sarah (59:56):
Yeah, you're right. You're right.
>> Will (59:57):
Yeah. and, you know, so, you
know, and tied everything
together. You know, was she on that plane? You know, was this. Was
this. Was this a, You know, was this a playing code? Was this, you
know, was she, like, going to another
paradise or, you know, another bunker or somewhere? I
mean, because there's. It seems like there.
(01:00:18):
There may be some of those things out. Other. Other cities
maybe out under. Underground cities out there.
>> Sarah (01:00:24):
Yeah, well, it's just like. Okay,
so in this episode, we learn.
We. We learn it's a. It's a
city that seemingly holds
25,000 people. We don't
know how many, like, if there are
other cities built or anything. We just know about
Paradise. Considering there's going to be a second
(01:00:47):
season, I kind of am suspicious.
I'm also like. I'm also like,
man, they just let
Xavier and his kids Go to paradise
and Billy. Like, like
what? For 25. I don't know.
There's. It's very weird. So I get what
you're saying about that.
(01:01:09):
and, and I, and I agree, it, it
has something to do with an airplane or
else they wouldn't have held on that shot of the registry
for so long.
>> Will (01:01:18):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (01:01:19):
But, but it, yeah. And,
and the wife mystery until
we see a body.
>> Will (01:01:26):
Yep.
>> Sarah (01:01:31):
I'm not gonna lie. Pardon me. Spent the first episode
being like, I wonder if Xavier's wife killed him.
I don't know.
It'll be, it'll be very interesting. I mean, we've
gone through two episodes, have yet to fully
see, see Flesh and blood.
(01:01:52):
Who. Xavier's wife is like
that there. The
significance is there. And we got, we got
six, ah, more episodes. We're gonna talk about
episodes three and four next week and then we're gonna go
on to a week by week basis with this
show. we probably
(01:02:12):
missed a ton. I still, I,
I'm looking forward to the whole
Xavier and Billy bromance
starting and how that's going to be different
from the Cal and Xavier
bromance because the Cal and Xavier one,
man, that's like, fighting
with your ex wife or something.
>> Will (01:02:33):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (01:02:36):
Because even at the end after talking to the
first lady about. And basically about how much
of a racist Cal is, I.
He still stands there and is with Billy and is
like, she's standing there
and she's. He's referring to Samantha
Redmond. And. And I'm watching her and I'm
(01:02:56):
listening to her and our man is
gone. Like it was such a bro moment.
>> Will (01:03:02):
It was, it was total. Yeah. He's like, I'm
a tick. And it's like I'm a, you know, I'm a
take her down.
>> Sarah (01:03:09):
And he was, yeah, I'm gonna take her down.
>> Will (01:03:11):
Yeah. And carefully. Yeah. How you gonna do that,
Will Polk? How are you gonna do that, boss? Carefully. I was just like,
oh, yeah. Oh yeah. And I think Vogue Women did
say that this, series. I think he has a three season plan
for the show. So.
>> Sarah (01:03:24):
Yeah, yeah, he
can't go. All right, well, on that note, Will, why don't
you tell our listeners where they can find you?
>> Will (01:03:32):
Yes, you can find me at, willmpolk
on all the socials at, W I L L M P O.
>> Sarah (01:03:38):
L K. Please follow our crew on
Twitter Formerly or X
formerly known as Twitter @Cena Nerd. Also, you can
find me there too at SJ Belmont. SJBLM M O
N t Please follow us on Blue sky at Scene N
Nerd Furnace on Facebook, false and
Instagram and threads at scene underscore n underscore nerd and
visit Visit our website
(01:03:59):
www.seniornerdpodcast.com. but most
importantly, rate following comment on Apple Podcast, Spotify,
YouTube, or wherever you get your podcast. Good night. Geek out. You're welcome.
Greetings, nerds. This is Scene N Nerd. I'm your host, Sarah Belmont, and with
me, as always, is our Mr. Producer, Will Polk How are you in tonight.
Will.
>> Will (00:06):
Doing very well, Sarah. Happy Thursday night.
>> Sarah (00:09):
Happy Thursday. And happy 8th
anniversary to us.
>> Will (00:14):
Yes, yes.
>> Sarah (00:15):
As we published our first podcast
in late January 2017.
>> Will (00:21):
Yes, we, yes, we did. Yes, we did. Here we are
eight years later. We. I think, I think
I sent you a message last night about it and,
you sent a message, message back to me that,
we've, we've gone through, high school and college, so I guess now we're
starting grad school.
>> Sarah (00:36):
Yeah, yeah, grad school.
What? Law school, whatever.
Like, we're going the distance on this thing. I, I, I'm
looking forward to the ten year.
>> Will (00:47):
Yeah, yeah, me too. Me too.
>> Sarah (00:50):
the, the decade that that will
be that has gone through many transitions. I was
also thinking how it's funny we're moving to, we've moved to
Thursday night. I feel like there are
long periods of time where we're on one night and
then because of content, like, eventually we'll get back to
Tuesday sooner than we did last
year because, April is on the
(01:13):
horizon. but, oh,
I, So
before we get into paradise and some of like
the one news item you have,
I have to tell you, over the weekend, I did a, I did
a binge. I did a binge watch
because I finally did it. I finally
(01:34):
committed to watching the first season of
Landman.
>> Will (01:38):
Oh, yeah, that's, it's on my list of things I want to
check out.
>> Sarah (01:43):
So I basically had it on my TV
from about 11am
M. To about 6, 7am and I think,
or 7pm and then I think I had to finish
the last episode or watch the
full last episode, the next night.
And I was.
(02:04):
It's an artsy show, so there's a lot
of, there's a lot of time
where I would, I was able to do
stuff while watching it.
>> Will (02:14):
Yeah. Yeah.
>> Sarah (02:14):
It's also not that complicated of a show.
Yeah, it's not bad. I understand why people
like it, especially if they like Yellowstone. I mean,
it's the same showrunner, same writer.
Yeah, Sheridan.
>> Will (02:28):
Yeah. Yeah.
>> Sarah (02:28):
but what was really funny, and I kid you
not, because I was talking to my parents about this
show over the weekend because they're the ones who were really
like, sir, you got to watch Lame Man. You got it. You got. When
are you going to watch Lame Man? For months. And then I
finally did because I finally got Paramount plus for
my Own purposes.
(02:49):
And in watching it, I thought to myself,
I need to look this up because
this score reminds me so
much of this Is Us.
Need to see if the composer is the same. It's
not. I was sitting there
and I did not look this up, but
(03:10):
I am 99% sure the
score of the same composer composed
score of Paradise. Same guys, this is Us. Because
there are themes that I just like.
Okay, that's very eerily similar,
but so. So, so
that apparently my mom was telling me my
(03:30):
dad said the same thing
and he wasn't even in. Like he. He
wasn't like a super fan of this Is Us. Okay.
He saw it on TV every once in a while while my mom
was watching it, but he did that. And
then I was telling her about how.
And then I had to figure out if
(03:52):
Sheridan is also behind Friday Night Lights
because I don't know what it is. Both shows take
places in Texas,
but there's something about the cinematography, there's something
about the writing that gave me so money.
Friday Night Lights vibes. And I. And I looked it
up and I didn't really see anything, but I.
(04:12):
I guess my mom heard in an interview
he was a part of their writer's room.
He did have something to do with the show. But, which,
which makes sense. It makes more sense to me
that he would, like, that would be a
starting point in his career at like a low level
position. And he worked his way up and. But
(04:33):
there's still, still. You learn from your mentors and everything,
but you can definitely see
how that whatever role he
had there helped shape him
for storytelling because there was just something
about the way it was shot. And I've never been to
Texas, but between this show
(04:53):
and Friday Night Lights, I
feel as though arguably they do a
good job about
really showing
you how big of a state is the state
is. And also how there's a lot of nothing.
There's, it's a lot of desert. And also the. And I
(05:15):
think that's also pertaining to the
places where. I mean, we're talking about the
oil fields.
>> Will (05:21):
Yeah, yeah.
>> Sarah (05:21):
Talking about like places where. Yeah, it's
not. It's not the big cities that we're focused
on. so. And I think Billy Bob
did a good job. But I,
like I said, I wasn't blown away by
anything. It was a very straightforward thing.
Things happen within the first three episode
(05:43):
that was like, okay, I'll figure out. I
want to see at least how this whole season
ends. but.
And, and overall, if, if you're like
me and grew up watching Friday
Night Lights and kind of miss it every now and
then. I feel like this is a good substitute for that.
It's, it's very similar
(06:05):
but different at the same time.
>> Will (06:07):
Well, I know. I'm just looking at his, his bio right
now. He was not a part of
Friday, Night Lights, but, whenever he was an actor,
he did have some acting roles as far as Walker, Texas
Ranger, and, and then as far, you
know, also as far as,
you know, TV at this. I guess there's Law. Oh,
(06:28):
yeah. Land Man, Lioness Football. These are more recent
shows. But,
>> Sarah (06:31):
Yeah, yeah, he's a big runner now.
>> Will (06:34):
Yeah, yeah. but also Mayor Kingstown. I
don't know if he did that one as well.
>> Sarah (06:39):
Yeah, I was, I, I. And it's funny
because I've watched maybe the first few episodes of
Mayor of Kingstown and it did not. I, I was
like, no, it's not. He seems
to have a deal with Paramount plus.
>> Will (06:52):
Yeah, yeah, he definitely does all, all those big
shows. Yeah. Yeah. And speaking of which, I guess he even had an
acting role. just. There is a tie into Star
Trek. I guess he was on Star Trek Enterprise whenever, Whenever. He
was still acting. And, speaking
of Paramount plus, I, I was also on that service, that platform
just this past weekend watching the,
(07:12):
Star, Trek section 31 film. And I did
a, I did a live review about it, so
I won't spend too much time on it here. But,
yeah, you know, it happened and I'll just leave it, I'll just leave it at
that.
>> Sarah (07:25):
Yeah. I think you sent out some tweets and you're like,
okay, that happened. That, that happen.
>> Will (07:31):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (07:32):
What, what is, expected to happen during
the Puppy bowl this year is the
Superman trailer will be dropped.
and, I'm. All I can say
is I feel like I've seen the trailer.
>> Will (07:47):
Yeah. Yeah, it's, it's so funny how, like,
with this, with this film, I mean, how the, I mean,
I don't know if people are just. The outrage machine
is just like, you know, the algorithm just drives it these
days. Because I was watching a football game Sunday
and, you know, I, I missed the, like, little
32nd spot that they had, where he's doing the
(08:07):
barrel roll. but I just started
seeing everything, like, you know, trying to, you know, just happen to jump on Twitter
while I was watching the, the championship games,
and everybody was just all pissed. Oh, like,
up in arms over, like, whether or not He.
If his face was CGI'd or not.
>> Sarah (08:27):
Guys, calm down.
>> Will (08:28):
Yes.
>> Sarah (08:29):
we live in a century where you see CGI
in some of the most bizarre places.
>> Will (08:34):
Yes.
>> Sarah (08:35):
But.
>> Will (08:35):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
>> Sarah (08:38):
I just. But who cares? And
also, post production is not done.
>> Will (08:44):
Exactly. And also. And
again, maybe James Glendis needs to get off social media, just pull
a Kevin Feige and just don't react to
the algorithm outrage machine,
because you can't win.
>> Sarah (08:59):
Huh? is he reacting?
>> Will (09:00):
Oh, yeah, yeah. I know you're not. I know you're not on Threads, but
he. Yeah, he went to Threads and, you know, basically was
like, look, the shot was just, you know, there's no
cgi. It was just. I think he had the camera
lens that he used just basically made,
you know, of course, wet face look that
way. And. And. And. And also.
>> Sarah (09:20):
Yeah, yeah, look that way, man.
>> Will (09:23):
Yeah, but I mean, just. But the fundamental point is
just like, dude. Really? But, yeah, yeah. But anyway. Yeah,
I just. It was kind of. I mean, there's, like, stuff going on,
but I know we had talked about,
wondering if the full, trailer was going to
drop on super, Bowl Sunday. And. And it
will, but, you know, the. The little
(09:43):
spot that says, go check it out online
will, be on the, Puppy bowl, which, you know,
obviously, with tie in with crypto and everything makes. Makes total
sense.
>> Sarah (09:53):
I think there's more speculation, though, not
about Superman, because we already got the teaser. Okay. We
already got teaser. So that's why people are being critical,
because I think the more expectation is when we're going to get first look
at Fantastic Four.
>> Will (10:06):
Oh, yeah, we'll get.
>> Sarah (10:07):
We'll get.
>> Will (10:07):
We're getting. Yeah, we're getting next weekend.
>> Sarah (10:10):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's.
I. I just. I know I'm not
aware about all this, but, if he's responding to
people, then it's like, yeah, dude, you're. You
realize the job you signed up for because,
like, this is only the start. Wait until
you're. What. How many. How many M. Movies has
(10:30):
Feige done?
>> Will (10:31):
Yeah, the 40s now.
>> Sarah (10:35):
Like. Like, just brace yourself for impact,
man. Like Snyder did. How many?
Five? Like, no,
we are. We are. As viewers and as
audiences, we are. We're
spoiled, and we are spoiled rotten.
And we're just. And. And we're
(10:55):
unfortunately very loud about it.
>> Will (10:57):
Yes, we are.
>> Sarah (10:59):
So buckle up.
>> Will (11:02):
Buckle up for sure. Buckle up for sure. Yeah, speaking.
Yeah, I, just happen to think about that as, you know, as I reflect
on how we've. How even we've
evolved and changed over time as far as how we approached a
lot of these stories and stuff. As, you know, as we've, you know,
we. We tried to not
always, like, fall into the outrage machine. And even to
(11:22):
the point where I know we're, you know, sometimes it's like, you know, you don't even watch some
of the trailers at this point because you're still worried about, learning too
much. But, it. It is funny, you know, I think, how
as we started, you know, we started with the Arrowverse,
and, and, now we've, you know, moved on to other things and,
you know, expanded our horizons. But, for
as far as they also.
>> Sarah (11:41):
They also shut down.
>> Will (11:43):
Yeah, well, no, no, but even before to shut down, even
before to shut down,
we're like, oh, yeah, we'll see where this is going. Let's.
>> Sarah (11:53):
We were like, Okay, so. So eventually
this will end. And eventually
either it'll end or we're like, how
do we make a quick exit?
I signed up for a trip, but this is
taking a left turn. And I don't know. I don't know if I
can. I can watch this all the way through this car
(12:15):
crash. we did bail out a few seasons there,
but you can't. You
gotta. You gotta do what's best for your mental health. And
people want to talk about things.
I feel like as podcasters, over the eight years,
we've learned how we get more
out of it when we are excited
(12:35):
to talk about it, whether that. Be excited
because we can have some really interesting conversations
about that are critical of, things,
and then also just excited because, like,
oh, my God, this is
amazing. A, B, C, Y.
But. But people. And I think
(12:56):
listeners respond well to
either of those kind of conversations. What I don't
think either us as, podcasters
or the listeners is when it's
too repetitious, when it's like they.
They've checked out, that makes listeners check out.
And like, I.
(13:17):
I just. I. And I don't want to do that to our
listeners. So even though I will
repeat things.
>> Will (13:25):
So I. But. But you're right. I mean, but if we're
checked out, then, you know, the audience can, you know,
pride ourselves on our authenticity. And.
And, I think that's whenever we are our
authentic selves and not trying to be something else or try
to, like, force content that, you know, doesn't resonate with
us. Like, you know, then. Then I think
(13:46):
it's hopefully, you know, we. We definitely
see that you all Respond as well as far as our listeners
and, and we definitely respond to each other, better
when it, and our better podcasters for, for when
we are genuinely like, interested in stuff. So
hopefully we appreciate y'all going with this on
this, Rod, as we, as we continue, for another
(14:06):
year. And yeah, let's hit that
10.
>> Sarah (14:11):
That, that is the goal right now.
Right now. So, so at this
point, I, I want to make it clear to our
listeners, stop listening if you
haven't watched Paradise. Yes, yes,
Stop listening now.
I kid you not. Please go watch
the, watch the episode. Watch both episodes and
(14:33):
come back. Like, I don't, I
don't, I, you don't. I went into
this having seen one trailer.
Okay, that was sufficient.
Will, did you see two trailers?
>> Will (14:48):
I saw two trailers, but it's still just as
Sarah cannot, emphasize it
more than what she just said. If you haven't watched the
episode, especially the pilot, go watch
it now.
>> Sarah (15:00):
Yeah.
>> Will (15:00):
And then come back and listen to us.
>> Sarah (15:02):
And then come back and listen to us. Okay.
And that is your warning. because,
yeah, I, I, I should
have known, Will.
I should have known. But here's the funny
thing because I told you this,
but I didn't, I didn't tell you this one
thing. Technically, I heard about the
(15:24):
pilot of this is Us before I watched it.
Okay.
>> Will (15:29):
So it wasn't me.
>> Sarah (15:32):
So this is Us.
It's been, it's like a eight year
old show.
>> Will (15:39):
Yeah, yeah.
>> Sarah (15:41):
So I'm not going to say this is
spoiler, but at the end of the
so this is Us, the pilot episode
was groundbreaking, viewer wise. And
also, and I heard about it because,
I was listening to like Kristian Harloff, I think he was
on Collider, and him and Roxy were talking about
it with Josh McCuga. Man, this show is
(16:04):
old, but, and they were
saying like, you're watching it and then
within the last half hour or last, the
last scene, there's a subtle movement
of the camera and you realize
that Jack and Rebecca
are the parents, of
these characters. So you, you're,
(16:26):
you've, you've just watched an episode of television
not realizing you're seeing three different points
in time.
>> Will (16:32):
Yep.
>> Sarah (16:34):
So, so like, and it was, and it
was a very bold statement.
Why did I not go into this?
I was sitting there
and I did
like early on,
Xavier is running, going on a jog,
(16:56):
going through the town. And I did think to myself, I was
like, man, I've been to
Hollywood and I've been on set Specific before.
Why does this town look like such a
set? Yeah, yeah, I,
but then it faded. And then it faded. It's
just there were. I, I have not
(17:16):
rewatched this episode, but
I had not.
I was capturing. They did such a
good job that they were subtle enough with all of
the context clues, but not
overly doing
anything that by the time
(17:37):
you're figuring it out right when they want you
to like figure out
that, oh,
it's not that we're in present day or anything,
it's also that we are literally in an
underground city because of
something that happens.
>> Will (17:56):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (17:56):
And it's just I, and
I will say, and then we can get some of your
thoughts on, on that big reveal.
But. And the whole episode.
But is that I did in the
back of my mind, all throughout the episode and even
leading up, I'm like, I still don't understand why this show is
called paradise.
(18:19):
Honestly. Why. Why Paradise?
And they were so, so at the point
when Cal mentions like how he's gonna
retire and go to paradise and everything, I
was like, oh, so that's Paradise.
>> Will (18:32):
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh yeah.
I mean, you know, this, this show because I mean,
and just a couple things from a
production standpoint, then I'll talk about the actual episode
too. you know, with the reveal. So, you know, I
wasn't this is US watcher, but I did watch
(18:53):
the, did watch the pilot and stuff because I think you, I think
you and I met about the time that when we first met, the show
was going on and I remember you talking about it. I remember you.
you know, and so I'll, you know, so. But maybe
I guess around 2019 or so, I probably finally did like
watched a couple of the pilot, the first few episodes and stuff.
So. But you know, but obviously you know, but I'm not
(19:13):
a. As far as Dan Fogelman's work. I mean it's
really, you know, I, I, I, by the
time I did watch it, it, the show was already
in I think it's third or fourth season. So it was too, you know, I
was way behind and there was just no way I could catch up.
but, but you know, but one of the things
that, with this to speaking of the
(19:34):
reveal at the end of paradise and,
and this show generally,
it was very vague as far as the
taglines what, what was, what
was going on here. And, and I think that was one of
the. So you know, from the start,
like you said, with, with when Xavier is jogging
(19:54):
and we're you know, he wakes up that morning,
and the, you know, it's like you said, all the little context
clues as far as, like, you just sort of explore, you know, exploring. Okay.
Realize that, okay, he's a widower. We get that.
>> Sarah (20:11):
I want to talk about that. But I think
what you're getting at, it's that
they forced focus on things
and kept certain things out of focus.
>> Will (20:24):
Yeah. Yeah.
>> Sarah (20:25):
If that makes sense. This pilot
episode is structured very much where going
into it, you're like, okay, his boss
is going to die and they're going to blame him.
Or. Or like there's some kind of conspiracy thing
going on. So that's what you're watching while
you're also picking up some things. Because,
(20:45):
like, if we want to start at the very beginning,
retrospectively, I find
the opening shot to be fascinating. Just
because it's like, him in bed,
dark, and that
there's clearly. He's
on his side of the bed, and he reaches over
(21:05):
and very poignantly, his hand is, like,
perfectly centered and it shows the wedding
ring.
>> Will (21:12):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (21:12):
Now the rest of the episode,
they don't verbatim, say she's dead.
No, I really. Right.
So part of you is also like, okay, so
now there's this other mystery about him and
his wife. What's going on there. And
you don't find out until the second episode that, yes,
(21:34):
she is deceased. Right. And
so that allows to, like. Okay,
so they want that to be like, a more
of a family story. But
yeah. Yeah. Cause the next
one comes with James and the giant
peach. And I warned you, Will,
that there's a few scenes that I have some
(21:57):
soapbox moment.
>> Will (21:59):
You warned me about that last Sunday night.
>> Sarah (22:01):
Yeah, I just had one of them. and my next one is
going to be about James and Giant Peach.
Just because I did
clock it. I was like, why. Why is he
so weird about that book?
that initially. But I just
love how
(22:22):
it We.
We. We fast forward
to towards when we find out
what his conversation, his last
conversation with Cal was about.
And during that conversation,
we learn about the significance of James and
(22:42):
Giant Peach. And it's
not. And
it was done so well because
he basically says his wife was obsessed
with the novel and he learned all of this
stuff about it, and then he drops the tidbit.
Did you know that it was going to be James and the Giant
(23:03):
Cherry? And now all I can think about is,
if that was the title,
what would the name of our son be?
Like, it wouldn't be James or would it?
And really, what that
story from the past
is telling the viewers is
(23:24):
currently in paradise. All he
can think to himself is, what
would have happened if
Cal had kept the
same lead agent. Yeah,
that's brilliant. Yeah, like. Like,
it's just. Oh, I could
(23:45):
go into so much about
why that is so substantial, and it's
mainly because it's a perfect example
of the use of a flashback.
Like, this whole show so far,
we're only two episodes in
that. But I am
loving their use of flashbacks to not
(24:07):
only contextualize the history of
the characters, but more importantly, to
contextualize the present day. I feel like
over the last years, we've watched several
shows, and the first one that comes to mind is Reacher.
This past season of Reacher, season two,
there was an entire Bee storyline
(24:27):
in flashback. And I complained
the entire time.
I was like, why are we
watching what feels like two different shows?
But, like, the flashbacks aren't really
saying anything significant about who these
characters were versus who they are now.
Like. Like, I understood how they were using
(24:50):
it. It just. It wasn't.
It wasn't anything special. But
Dan Fogelman, what he's doing with
this, and it makes all the sense in the world for what
he. How he played with time in this Is
Us. But the
flashbacks are really
showing you in very, unsurprising,
(25:12):
like, surprising ways about
why the characters are behaving. They are.
Way they are in present day.
>> Will (25:19):
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that was whenever I have that
moment, whenever. At the end of
pulling it, pulling the book
and the story and understanding
why Xavier had that reaction
when his son was. Was reading the book. So first I was like,
okay. I mean, I know Roald all. I mean, you know, so.
And I was like, so what's
(25:42):
so significant, you know, about
why. You know, because. Yeah. I mean, this book was banned and
stuff, so I was like, hey, you know, so I was trying to figure out, like, okay,
now what's about real doll. That's like.
Ronaldo was like. Calls him
just have that reaction. And. But then whenever, like you
said, the use of the flashback to, like, it
just really just contextualized everything
(26:05):
that. That. What. That
why Xavier reacted the way that he did.
And not only the,
you know, the story, but also there's that quick moment
when they flash as far as, you know, with the.
With Xavier's wife.
and. And of course, you know, and we get.
>> Sarah (26:25):
That's the second episode.
>> Will (26:27):
Oh, yeah. Second episode. Yeah. That's the only thing I'm glad we didn't do all three.
Yeah, I would have put it all three of this. Yeah. But,
but, but, but at least it did. Yeah, but I mean. But yeah,
that's to, to that point it does. Like, you know, when we do get
confirmation, it just like really explains their
relationship.
and, and why he was just so, why he was
(26:47):
just so, you know, bitter
towards him. you know, whenever that,
that, that last night before, Before Wildcat goes
down.
>> Sarah (26:56):
Wait, wait, wait, wait. So wait,
you gotta, you gotta.
>> Will (27:01):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (27:01):
I don't know if you ex. Expressed, your point.
>> Will (27:04):
Yeah, yeah. No, I guess the, I mean, I
guess it explains. Thanks for. Yeah, thanks. I was
getting the episodes conflated there.
hearing the story at the end of the episode makes it,
it really, it, it contextualize why for
me, why he was so.
His, his reaction that morning at breakfast whenever
(27:26):
the book came up. and to your point, it
does explain. You know, it's a great use of
flashback to just flesh out these characters and help
us understand their motivations and.
>> Sarah (27:37):
Right.
>> Will (27:38):
And you know, and we learn so much
about them, you know, with a natural flow of the
story instead of just, you know, just
exposition.
>> Sarah (27:47):
Dump of oh my God.
>> Will (27:49):
Telling us, you know, showing us instead of telling
us.
>> Sarah (27:52):
Yeah, yeah. I mean, you could argue
like this is all dialogue, but it's, it's
the way it's written where it feels like honest
conversations between people who have
history. Like I,
I. Again,
we've watched shows where there are
characters who are mainly
(28:15):
or pretty much have to be in the past.
those characters never stand out to me because I'm like, oh, you're
dead. Cal is amazing.
>> Will (28:24):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (28:24):
Oh, James Marsden, I'm
so glad that you are on the up and
up because you're you,
you are cast so well in this part.
>> Will (28:36):
Totally.
>> Sarah (28:36):
like you knew it from the moment Xavier went in for the
interview. Like I felt as a viewer,
I was interviewing James Marsden because
I know Sterling K. Brown. Like,
Sterling, arguably, he's doing
the same role as a lot of things, but whatever. It's Sterling
K. Brown, James Marsden. Though
I'm glad that it was clear to me he's not
(28:59):
necessarily poking fun at a
single president, but more of like
a few mixed together.
It's not an impression or anything. No,
but you also
over with all the scenes, especially in the
second episode, you do start to see the
(29:20):
charm. And I think that
why I, the casting
is so good because the chemistry between these two
and the just
the, the within the first beating
the. So you hired me because I was black.
>> Will (29:37):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (29:39):
No, no, I didn't. I.
I'm hired. You because you're good. It's a
bonus that you're black.
>> Will (29:45):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (29:46):
Yeah, it
is. It's just. It was just the way.
And then he. Of course, we. We see.
Which I thought initially was a bit premature
because we. We do see during the
opening montage that there's a bullet wound on
Xavier's back.
>> Will (30:04):
Yep.
>> Sarah (30:05):
And we learn within the first episode where that came from. It
came from saving the President from an
assassination attempt. And
I was like, whoa, whoa, we're. We're getting that this
early? But I.
I'm. I'm guessing that there's a lot more to tell than
just where that bullet wound came from. And it
(30:25):
allowed for another good
kind of past meets past present
situation, like James and Giant Peach. Because
this episode is called Wildcat Down.
But you hear when
Xavier in present day calls in
that. Or when he calls his,
(30:45):
other agent, Wallace. Billy.
>> Will (30:48):
Yep. Billy.
>> Sarah (30:49):
He doesn't say Wildcat Down.
He says, Lancaster.
Right? Yeah, yeah,
Lancaster. Leitner. Leitner. Kristian
Leitner.
>> Will (31:01):
Leitner, yeah. Kristian Leitner. Yeah. Basketball.
>> Sarah (31:04):
Yeah. Kristian Link. Laetner. And
we don't. And, and so for a moment I was
like, what, What? Why, why
you say that, babe? Like, again, people. I don't know.
I. I was paying attention.
>> Will (31:17):
Yep, yep.
>> Sarah (31:18):
And I did not see the end coming.
But. So, so then
fast forward to the flashback of
him getting shot and taking the bullet for Cal.
Cal is by his bedside. And
then we hear this great story
from Cal about the
(31:40):
Wildcats and, And what it
means to get Kristian Laettner.
And I'm just. I'm like, oh, my
God, the writing, the writing.
>> Will (31:51):
And, I will tell you someone who, yeah, so, so
good. As someone who lives on Tobacco Road where
Duke and North Carolina, and. And
I love the. I love the banter too, because, you know,
thinking back to, like the conversation of,
whenever. With the interview with Cal
and. And Xavier, you know, about
(32:12):
race and black and, and just the, you
know, you know, Cal just assume it just. Just
because Xavier is a black man. He.
He was a big basketball fan or big sports fan or whatever.
And, you know, and again, it just. Conversations like that
flesh out the character. Again, you know, it's, it's,
you know, to use a dialogue in, In a, in an
(32:33):
efficient and, and, and realistic
way.
>> Sarah (32:36):
Yeah.
>> Will (32:37):
Really, really works there. So. Yeah, so.
So whenever I heard a Kristian Latener remark, you know, the story.
And, and of course, remembering that, Remembering, that
shot, you know, because I'm a big sports fan and stuff, and it just,
again, it just like, it just added another level
for me as far as, like, all this show
gets it.
>> Sarah (32:56):
Oh, yeah. Like,
it's. It's not just that the show gets it, that the
show is doing some,
This is one of the best pilots I've seen in
arguably eight years.
>> Will (33:09):
Yeah. Yeah, I was hooked. I mean, I.
For moment, from the start to finish, finished. I was just like, I
couldn't wait, you know, because. Because, you know, I messaged you. I was
like, hey, the show, it dropped early because it was really going to
drop, you know, Tuesday, and it dropped it early on Sunday
night. So I was like, hey, let me. Let you. Let me
tell you now because I want to talk, especially
(33:29):
after, Especially after I watched it. I was like, okay, please watch it tonight,
please, so I can, like, say something to you.
>> Sarah (33:34):
Yeah, yeah. Because it's. It's also something you're like, I
don't want to spoil that for anybody, but it's
just the
execution from start to
finish is so good. And.
Yeah, and I kept thinking
about this. I'm like, it feels
different talking about the brilliance of this show
(33:56):
in this pilot episode versus when we
were ragging not only, a few months ago, talking
about the brilliance of Penguins pilot
or even, surprisingly, Agatha all
along. But those are different
legacy. I think what people
forget is
this is an original series.
>> Will (34:17):
Yes. Yes. Yeah.
>> Sarah (34:19):
An original series that is also
not technically not based in. In,
in steep mythology.
It's. It's so. So it, For all intents
and purposes, this should have been a very
simple and routine
procedural. But there's. Which.
There is enough of that to not
(34:42):
overcomplicate things. But there's
also this subtleness that just
makes it feel so much more
alive and refreshing
to hear actual
dialogue, not get exposition
dumps, not have to worry about, like, oh, man,
I have to know what happened 100 years back
(35:03):
prior. Like, yeah,
just five. Five years prior. We have to
figure out. But we'll get there eventually.
We're here for the. The ride. And.
And it's just a lot of things where
I didn't really even pick up on this until
I was sat down to watch the next. The second
(35:23):
episode, Sinatra. But
he. So he finds Cal's body,
and we're going to do a synopsis of the actual events
and then jump into the second episode, guys.
but I just want to get through this. These few
beats first that he finds Cal's
body and he doesn't call it
in. He looks for the safe and then
(35:45):
it's the mystery for the next 20 minutes is
like why is he so concerned about
this? Whatever was in the safe, we find out that
it was the tablet containing the world's
biggest darkest secrets, global
news, etc.
>> Will (36:01):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (36:02):
But the most importantly,
he takes a cigarette box from
Cap, right?
>> Will (36:10):
Yep.
>> Sarah (36:11):
And he find we. We see him running
back through town and that's when we start to
realize where they actually are and where
the setting in present day is
paradise and what paradise is.
And he
So I didn't. And then he picks
up, he pulls out the cigarette and it shows a
(36:33):
code. And that leads us into the next
episode. But here's my point
for bringing that up. Not just because of the code
and it's significant in episode two, but
that
the second flashback we see between Cal
and Xavier. Cal is
smoking and he
(36:57):
and Xavier like they have an
exchange because Cal, Cal. I feel like it wants
Xavier to smoke.
>> Will (37:04):
Yeah, he
wants him to drink and he wants him to smoke. But.
>> Sarah (37:09):
But, but what? What? Because what's in that
box will kill you.
>> Will (37:14):
Yep.
>> Sarah (37:14):
And. And it turns out that there's the
significance of this eight digit number
potentially could behind
it lead to have led to Cal's death.
And it's just like that subtleness again, I didn't even pick it
up in the moment it took me to watching the
second episode to make that connection between
(37:35):
that line and that,
that scene.
>> Will (37:39):
Yeah, yeah, that, that's a great point
also to you know,
not only with that scene where they are out on
the porch, there outside the Oval Office
and the
discussing whether about kids.
>> Sarah (37:55):
Yeah.
>> Will (37:56):
And, and, and, and
you know, they have this discussion as far as like you plan on
having any more. And then Kyle's like that's probably a good
idea. And then when you tie that into like whatever
is on that tablet, especially after the assassination attempt
and where you know
where. Because of that moment
(38:17):
and you know, and also with
whenever Xavier's recuperating in the hospital and
just you know, whenever they had
that, that unspoken
like realization of what, what has happened
and, and now that their bond really, you know,
just seeing how that relationship evolved and then that, that you know
(38:37):
he took a bullet for him literally. And,
and that opened the door
to
getting in, coming into office with all the
national security folks and stuff and they're like we have something
we want to tell you. And they let him in on the. What's going on with you
know, the box, you know, secrets and all that kind of stuff,
so.
>> Sarah (38:57):
Well, they let him on the plane.
>> Will (38:59):
And he let him on the plane.
>> Sarah (39:00):
Yeah. And his children on the plane. And
we'll find out eventually why the W wasn't there
either.
>> Will (39:07):
Yeah, yeah. and one of the things I was
thinking with the code is like, is it, you know, is this code tied
to. To the wife and stuff? Especially what we learned in the second
episode. But let me get back to the first episode. where
I was going with that is just with the line
about, you know, it's probably a good thing, not that you're probably
not having anymore, just, you
(39:27):
know, clearly shows that Cal knew
something. Something was afoot that was going to cause this global
catastrophe that led them all to go underground.
And so that's another one of those, again,
context clues and another, like, line of dialogue, that
at the moment you don't realize it in the flashback, but
then when you carry forward and see where, you know, when we get the big
(39:47):
reveal at the end, why it makes. All makes so
much great sense and how they just sort of
unpack this mystery that's taking place in the show.
>> Sarah (39:56):
Yeah, yeah, you
though those scenes and we are
going into the second episode lead us to
understand why.
How. How Xavier earned his
way to getting onto the plane, and saving
his family from whatever happened. But,
(40:17):
I just want to understand why Billy got on the plane
and why Billy seems to know a lot more.
Like anybody else curious about that. I would just
like from the opening scene between the two of
them, I was at first thinking they didn't really like each other,
but. No, no, no. Billy and Xavier are tight.
>> Will (40:36):
They're tight. Yeah. I mean, Billy. Yeah. Cause I think he wasn't.
I think Billy held onto that cigarette pack until Kyle
was like, walking out of the room. I think they just had that,
like a quick handoff. yeah, yeah, yeah.
So.
>> Sarah (40:49):
So. So the next
episode, Sinatra is all about Samantha
Redmond, who we. We learn about in
this episode. We meet briefly, when.
When it is finally called in that
Cal Wildcat is down.
but this episode is really about
her and how she.
(41:12):
What her role is in paradise.
and arguably it sets her up to be the
antagonist of, like,
we don't really know, but it does it
in this way where, yeah, something's
off I can understand.
But we also,
(41:32):
we also watch, her lose her
son.
>> Will (41:36):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (41:37):
And I laugh because
it's, The flashbacks are. Are
all tied to her and her,
her grief about that. Very poignant.
Poignantly. And then by the end
of the episode, it's basically. The implication
is she built paradise for her son.
>> Will (41:56):
Yeah. Oh, that's the. The. Whenever
I saw all those, mechanical horses.
Oh, yeah. I was just like. Oh, I just
like chef's kiss. I mean, just
pulling every. Pulling that together and, you know, from.
>> Sarah (42:11):
From how, you know, you can't hate her.
>> Will (42:14):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (42:14):
You, can't. No, no, you cannot. You cannot
hate her for having gone. Go.
Having to go through that and also
figure it out. It's. It's very weird that interaction
she had with her daughter, though, in present day, I was like, wow,
you're still fucked up.
>> Will (42:31):
Yeah. Yeah.
>> Sarah (42:33):
But not. You're not who you were. But
I. I just love the
dialogue, the line of dialogue that
stuck out to me, at least in the past,
besides her interaction with Cal, but we'll get
there. was when she was
sitting down with Dr.
(42:56):
Yeah. and she says, time is making it
worse because it's taking me further away from
when he was here. And I was like, you
know, I am a very fortunate person. I have not
dealt with a whole lot of grief, but,
man, is that not
what I can only imagine
(43:17):
it is to feel like when you're going
through that, like. And.
And yet. And yet, oddly enough, I never heard
somebody put it that way on screen.
>> Will (43:29):
Yeah. Yeah, that's. I mean, I have to.
Yeah. That I had to pause, like, you know, as I was
watching that. I mean, I didn't pause the episode, but it was
just. It. It touched me, you know,
someone, you know. You know, one
just. You know, as a parent, I just really.
That my heart just, like, went
out, like, to this character because
(43:51):
I could just. That's. That's the thing a parent never,
ever wants to, like, ever have to experience.
And. And
so that,
you know, hats off to Julian Nicholson for
that. That was so real. As far as. I don't know
where whatever she tapped into to convey that
(44:12):
scene, but it was just. It was just real
and so honest.
>> Sarah (44:17):
Yeah. And it also. It
was said. And then it led to almost a
breakdown of where it's like, I. I
don't want to heal. I just need to be functional.
>> Will (44:28):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (44:29):
And you have that. And it. Which is such a
different. I know it's
not contradictory, but it's the opposite of what
you see her as in present day, because in
present day, she is very functional.
Too functional.
>> Will (44:46):
Too functional. Yeah, but also.
Yeah. Yeah, very functional. But also. But
also when we see, you know, with the. Whenever she and her
husband meet, as she's like on the
rise as well.
>> Sarah (44:59):
Yeah.
>> Will (45:00):
it just like, you know, they did again, the
great use of the flashbacks and. And
you know, how they met and, you know, when she talks about how she's
so broken, you know, her.
My marriage is broken. My. You know, I just want to be
able to. Like you said, be able to function. And, you
know, so. And so part of me too. I was just like, wondering,
(45:21):
like, with the one scene you brought. You brought up about her daughter, I'm
like, now, is the daughter still with us?
Or did the daughter.
>> Sarah (45:28):
Yeah, they. They edited that so well
when he's at the end when it's her and
Xavier and she says, oh, I had two
children. Cut.
>> Will (45:38):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (45:39):
Added to a flashback. And I'm like. So I
Going into that flashlight, like, oh, great, we're gonna get another
child dead. But.
But no, no, they. They made sure
to do that and only to trick us because no,
the. The daughter's alive. It looked
like her and her husband are
(45:59):
somewhat still in. Like, there's
something. But she is definitely
still. She's not.
She's not all there. There is something off
now. I don't know what that has to do with
Cal, but I
do. I did find. I
(46:20):
did like how. As we
continue to talk about the interplay between
the past and the present in this show.
But I was thinking the whole episode
now, why. Why is this episode called Sinatra? And then it's
like, okay, okay, Samantha Redmond
is. Is Sinatra. And so
(46:40):
I like how she. She tells
Xavier, do you know why my
detail calls me m. Sinatra? And he's like, I
thought it was because the hats.
>> Will (46:50):
Yep.
>> Sarah (46:51):
And then. And I feel like that may be in the middle of
episode because I felt like it was scenes.
And then we get. We get in the past
again and her sitting in on this very
weird conference about the end of the world.
And Cal randomly is there too. And then
they meet and he takes. He's the one who
tells her about how his dad refers
(47:13):
to her as Sinatra.
>> Will (47:15):
Yep.
>> Sarah (47:16):
I can't wait to meet Cal's dad.
>> Will (47:18):
Yeah. yeah, we did get a glimpse. I think we did get a brief glimpse of.
We did father and you know, and his ex wife
and, you know, obviously the son. Yeah.
>> Sarah (47:26):
But it'll be. It's more. I.
I like how they're kind of putting that character in the
background because not only are we starting
to get bits about Cal's relationship with
him, but now there's this connection. It
seemed like Sam. Samantha knew
Cal through his father.
Like, so How. How did they
(47:49):
meet and then. And also, what did she
do to make her, like, give
off this instance that everyone looks to her
like she has this power, and
almost arguably stability
in her to lead. which is something
that. That his dad tells Cal
that he lacks. but. But
(48:11):
Samantha, it's funny because it's only taking
me two episodes. Like, Samantha doesn't have the
charm that Cald has. Right. And
which he says it's like, enough people just like
me.
>> Will (48:24):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean.
>> Sarah (48:26):
Yeah.
>> Will (48:26):
Ah, you're right. I mean, you know, he definitely, you know, he's
not. James Norstead is like, playing this character.
Like you said, it's not. It's a. It's a
modulation of like, multiple
personalities as far as, like, past presidents. I mean, he's got the
charm of Bill Clinton. You know, he, you
know, as far as the policy pieces, you know, nobody. He's like,
(48:46):
I'm a senator at that point. Whenever they first. Whenever we do
get that flashback at that point, he's still a senator.
>> Sarah (48:51):
Yeah.
>> Will (48:52):
So, so, you know, so
as I was watching that scene, I was like, so, you know,
was she, you know, as far as his becoming a presidential
candidate, I mean, was she like, you know, was she a
chief of staff or something in the White House or, you know, some. Some kind
of role? but, you know, but, you know, but
this just seems to be the moment where,
(49:13):
you know, like, you know, she, you know, she. She hears that speech and
of course she does, you know, eventually chase after the. The
crazy guy talking about the ant, the ice
caps melting and stuff.
>> Sarah (49:25):
She chased. She. She just asked him a question about
what to do. To happen.
>> Will (49:30):
Yeah. What happened?
>> Sarah (49:32):
Yeah, yeah. What. What to do. And then that gives
her the idea.
>> Will (49:36):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (49:36):
To go more importantly,
he. He brought Cal, brought up Dylan, and
that's what she really needed to hear. But. But yeah,
finish.
>> Will (49:46):
Yeah, yeah. No, I'm glad you brought that. That's where I was going to go. He did
bring up Dylan and get to your point about a charm. And it was just like,
you know, I think it just really resonated with
her. And that's where I was just like. Oh, I could see where they
become very, you know, they become confidants
with one another. Especially, you know,
as she learned, you know, whatever
(50:07):
she gets the idea to, to like,
build a place that, you know, that as we see at the
beginning of the episode with, the flashback, you know, it's the size
of Toledo and, and. And we
get the, you know, we do you know, I like the way they,
they showed how the pro. After we get that big reveal, we get
sort of a backstory as far as, like, you know, how
(50:27):
this project came. It came into being.
as far as.
>> Sarah (50:33):
It's just, I'm just, I'm just saying somewhat
like they're, they're telling us, giving us
enough information to be satisfied, while at the same
time still there's a lot of things that
are cloudy and we're not. We're
not. This, this is not a straightforward
narrative, and it's not being told that way.
So, so we're getting pieces, right?
(50:56):
and I think they want us to color in, but at
this rate, I'm like, nope, I'm not coloring in yet.
Because I, I, I think if
you, if I were to color that red, I would find out three
episodes later I should have colored it blue. Okay, so
I'm, I'm like, I'm like, okay, I see what you're doing. I'm
gonna wait. I'm gonna hold my cards if you're gonna play them like
(51:16):
this.
>> Will (51:17):
Yeah, true, true. Yeah. I mean, yeah, you're right. I mean, I,
I tried not. As I was watching it, I was like, let me. Don't get too,
too far far, like, you know, like, as a,
too far ahead here, because like I said, I was already like,
oh, Kyle. And,
and, and Sinatra's
relationship here, Sam's relationship. I'm like, you know,
(51:37):
I was already having them, like, be
working together to do. You know, clearly, I think they did, but it's
just like, you know, I was trying to figure out how, you know, the how
of it all. And I think I'm just getting, getting
ahead of myself and just instead of, let's let the story play out, like
it, like, as it's going to.
>> Sarah (51:54):
Yeah, yeah. For a moment I thought you were going to say,
like, how they. I started to do fan
fiction about them.
I don't know if you should be doing about those two, because
apparently, like, it's very clear to us that Robinson
is sleeping with Cal. Right.
>> Will (52:09):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, that, that, yeah, that was very clear.
And, yeah, we, yeah, there was, you know, from
the very end of the episode one when, you know,
as, as, Xavier's, like, sizzling up the, the
scene, and, and the, earrings
there in the room. and then. Yeah, yeah.
So. But again, they, I love how they're just
(52:30):
building this mystery. I mean, it's just like this show has so many,
like, you could say it's this dystopian sci
fi thing. It could be a. Just a straightforward, like I said,
a mystery procedural. I mean it has so many genres that
it's like blending here. It's just, it's just so, so
great.
>> Sarah (52:45):
Yeah. Hopefully they don't go sci fi. I know.
I don't want them to go sci fi because I
will check out. I will check out
because it just reminds me of the
three people person problem.
>> Will (52:59):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (53:00):
Because I will admit my, my, my love
of that show dropped when I found out it was about
aliens.
>> Will (53:07):
I don't think we're going. I don't think we're going Aliens. I think it's maybe
more like Last of Us or Fallout
or you know that Dystopian. Yeah. Ah, yeah.
>> Sarah (53:15):
Fallout. Fallout. I do.
I. Is where my theory is. and
it's only because during,
in the first episode, during the scene between
Cal and Xavier the night of Cal's
death, he, he tells
him, like here he asks him, when are you going to
forgive me?
(53:37):
And then Xavier says, I'll forgive you when you're dead.
And. But, but.
So it's hard to say
if it's a natural disaster, why that would be
Cal's fault. Fault.
>> Will (53:51):
Unless he knows something that's part of the deep. The deep
secrets, you know?
>> Sarah (53:56):
Well, the deep secrets. But it's
also like. Okay,
I, I just, I just. I. I'll have to
understand. I. They have to
make sure to back
up how it's actually Kyle's fault.
Like Cal, like I said, like we said
before, like he was just. How, how long
(54:18):
between that scene between him and
Samantha when he was just a
senator.
>> Will (54:24):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (54:25):
And becoming president. Like we don't know
that official timeline. So,
so yeah. If it's a part of the deep secret, did he
inherit that secret? But anyway, we,
we could go. That's all speculation. That's neither
here nor there about this.
>> Will (54:42):
getting back to the episode.
>> Sarah (54:43):
I think if there's anything else I want to talk
about in the second episode. I'm not. As
the second episode, as I was on the first.
Just because the first, it's. It was really hard
to.
>> Will (54:55):
Yeah. I think the other. Yeah, well, I think the
other big thing. I think the second episode. Let's add a couple more
thoughts and then we can wrap it up. But whatever. The
entire Xavier's interrogation is going on
and of course, you know, we talked about
Samantha and Dr.
Robbie. Yeah, Robbie.
Robbie's. relationship. But also we
(55:18):
also Learned that Robbie, you know, was very instrumental
helping. You know, she did have the one session with. With Kyle,
with. Excuse me, with, Xavier after.
And, you know, and. And so when the interrogation is
happening and, you know, Xavier's
passing the lie detector test and everything, and then she, you know,
and clearly, things are going south of
(55:38):
Robinson. So she's like, well, let me stop this so we can go in here.
Let me get. You know, and. And. And then
she flashes his hands, like, answer
yes whenever the question comes up about whether or not he,
you know, he wanted him dead. I thought that was a very,
you know, again, it. It was very,
you know, clearly the way that things were recorded sort of
(55:59):
presented with this show was like, you know, it made it seem
like. And it still is. You know, Xavier's the
primary suspect, but, But I like,
you know, but her giving him the
assistant, and in that moment, him trusting
her, you know, again,
opens the door. You know, we'll get. I'm sure as the series
progresses, we'll get more information as far as why even
(56:21):
after just one session, they have this. This bond here.
And then the other thing is, like, the, you know,
the. With the cigarette that we talked about back in
the.
>> Sarah (56:31):
Wait, wait, wait. Can we. I just want to talk about
what you just said, because I just want to put my 2
cents in there on that scene. I don't
think that scene told me a lot
about her trying to
bond or save with Xavier, because it was only one
session in the past. Yeah, it was more
(56:51):
about. I think it has shown me more about
her dynamic with Samantha
because she knew the man
like he could have. Robinson could have
kept asking. He, we, we,
we there. All the signs were there. He's trained
to pass this.
>> Will (57:10):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
>> Sarah (57:11):
Like, he knows what to do. This
isn't gonna go anywhere and nobody's
gonna believe it. So. So she figured out
the only way to end this would be for him to
tell arguably the. The
truth and answer this question.
So then. And that's why you have that scene later where
she says, well, if. If
(57:33):
he's such a good liar, why would
he admit that he despised
Cow? Like, why wouldn't he just lie about
that as well? So she.
She knew he needed to know,
like, how to respond to that,
because he would have. He would have said no.
(57:54):
Which. And Sam, Samantha wouldn't have been convinced.
And I still don't think she fully is.
>> Will (57:59):
No, no.
>> Sarah (57:59):
and not in the least, but it at least
ended that and kind of just put him, on the Bench.
but. But it's also like,
I don't know how much really, if
Samantha's to blame either. Like, we.
We don't know, who.
There isn't some. It isn't very obvious at
(58:20):
this point who is behind the murder.
>> Will (58:22):
It's not. It's not at all.
No, it. Yeah, it's not at all. But, but
also, Yeah,
but, you know, but I think to your point about it showing Samantha's
relationship and also just overall with this whole. This whole
episode, especially seeing how she. Even though Kyle
was the president of this, of this. Of
paradise, you know,
(58:45):
she was clearly some of the. You know, she was the.
The engine that was sort of driving this thing. Especially when you see
her interactions with the. With the rest of the.
The right. Board of directors or whatever you
want to call them, who. Who were the
leaders, of the. Of the
council or whatever, you know, for.
>> Sarah (59:04):
For.
>> Will (59:06):
Yeah. Yeah. So. Yeah.
>> Sarah (59:08):
And you brought up the cigarettes.
>> Will (59:10):
Yeah, yeah. Just how. Just to bookend that from our
conversation from about episode one,
with the, With what? Whenever they have the town hall
and. And Kyle's son, you know, Xavier's,
daughter, go to the aircraft hangar and
whenever, you know, and they juxtapose the
scenes of. Of
(59:30):
Xavier, you know, lighting a cigarette and flashing
a number. And then they also they show the, the.
The flight. The plane registry number.
>> Sarah (59:38):
Yep.
>> Will (59:39):
And, also like. Ah, okay. And. And I think.
Was it. Was it. And I know you corrected me
earlier about this. Was the episode where we did get a
flash of the.
I took it as Kyle's wife. Not. Not Kyle,
Xavier's wife.
>> Sarah (59:56):
Yeah, you're right. You're right.
>> Will (59:57):
Yeah. and, you know, so, you
know, and tied everything
together. You know, was she on that plane? You know, was this. Was
this. Was this a, You know, was this a playing code? Was this, you
know, was she, like, going to another
paradise or, you know, another bunker or somewhere? I
mean, because there's. It seems like there.
(01:00:18):
There may be some of those things out. Other. Other cities
maybe out under. Underground cities out there.
>> Sarah (01:00:24):
Yeah, well, it's just like. Okay,
so in this episode, we learn.
We. We learn it's a. It's a
city that seemingly holds
25,000 people. We don't
know how many, like, if there are
other cities built or anything. We just know about
Paradise. Considering there's going to be a second
(01:00:47):
season, I kind of am suspicious.
I'm also like. I'm also like,
man, they just let
Xavier and his kids Go to paradise
and Billy. Like, like
what? For 25. I don't know.
There's. It's very weird. So I get what
you're saying about that.
(01:01:09):
and, and I, and I agree, it, it
has something to do with an airplane or
else they wouldn't have held on that shot of the registry
for so long.
>> Will (01:01:18):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (01:01:19):
But, but it, yeah. And,
and the wife mystery until
we see a body.
>> Will (01:01:26):
Yep.
>> Sarah (01:01:31):
I'm not gonna lie. Pardon me. Spent the first episode
being like, I wonder if Xavier's wife killed him.
I don't know.
It'll be, it'll be very interesting. I mean, we've
gone through two episodes, have yet to fully
see, see Flesh and blood.
(01:01:52):
Who. Xavier's wife is like
that there. The
significance is there. And we got, we got
six, ah, more episodes. We're gonna talk about
episodes three and four next week and then we're gonna go
on to a week by week basis with this
show. we probably
(01:02:12):
missed a ton. I still, I,
I'm looking forward to the whole
Xavier and Billy bromance
starting and how that's going to be different
from the Cal and Xavier
bromance because the Cal and Xavier one,
man, that's like, fighting
with your ex wife or something.
>> Will (01:02:33):
Yeah.
>> Sarah (01:02:36):
Because even at the end after talking to the
first lady about. And basically about how much
of a racist Cal is, I.
He still stands there and is with Billy and is
like, she's standing there
and she's. He's referring to Samantha
Redmond. And. And I'm watching her and I'm
(01:02:56):
listening to her and our man is
gone. Like it was such a bro moment.
>> Will (01:03:02):
It was, it was total. Yeah. He's like, I'm
a tick. And it's like I'm a, you know, I'm a
take her down.
>> Sarah (01:03:09):
And he was, yeah, I'm gonna take her down.
>> Will (01:03:11):
Yeah. And carefully. Yeah. How you gonna do that,
Will Polk? How are you gonna do that, boss? Carefully. I was just like,
oh, yeah. Oh yeah. And I think Vogue Women did
say that this, series. I think he has a three season plan
for the show. So.
>> Sarah (01:03:24):
Yeah, yeah, he
can't go. All right, well, on that note, Will, why don't
you tell our listeners where they can find you?
>> Will (01:03:32):
Yes, you can find me at, willmpolk
on all the socials at, W I L L M P O.
>> Sarah (01:03:38):
L K. Please follow our crew on
Twitter Formerly or X
formerly known as Twitter @Cena Nerd. Also, you can
find me there too at SJ Belmont. SJBLM M O
N t Please follow us on Blue sky at Scene N
Nerd Furnace on Facebook, false and
Instagram and threads at scene underscore n underscore nerd and
visit Visit our website
(01:03:59):
www.seniornerdpodcast.com. but most
importantly, rate following comment on Apple Podcast, Spotify,
YouTube, or wherever you get your podcast. Good night. Geek out. You're welcome.
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