This is the best hang podcast featuring Max German, Shane Cunningham and I and Mike German. Welcome to the best hang podcast. I'm like we got Max, we got Shane and we got the start of 2026, our first podcast back in the new year. It's very exciting.
I mean we're kind of in the middle of a massive snowstorm. Everybody was like the kids were home from school yesterday, no one came into the office. It's a 90s winter. It's a 90s winter.
Yeah. And I don't know if I've been to bargaining, you know, in earnest since the 90s, but I brought my kids yesterday. The word to bargaining school, I had to spell it in a text message the other day. It was text my sister.
I was like, to bargaining. I wonder what the origins of that word. Kind of like to, yeah, to bargaining. Is it indigenous or is it like Swedish?
I don't know. I don't know what you do with the spelling. I terribly. Is that funny when you get in a situation like that?
Yeah. You're texting somebody and you're like, good, Lord. I have no idea how to spell the word. Oh, it's originated with First Nations Peoples in Northeastern Canada.
You simple, so there we go. You set this up. No, no, no, no. But I'm joking.
But that ball learned something actually right at the Hill in my house. There's a sign that says no to bargaining. It's like that classic, like the Beatles sitting in the lawn or it says don't sit on the grass. Yeah.
So everybody to bargain is on the floor. Of course you must. Yes, I don't know if you got out to bargaining at all, but it was kind of a terrible debugging day because there was so much snow. It was like however many itches, you can't, you just kind of go a foot and then you're stuck in the snow.
Oh, it just kind of sinks right in there. Yeah. You know, it's like a forge, like a path. You know, so we got to go to GTS.
No racer. They were like sleds, classics, sleds. We don't have GTS. Like my kids don't yet.
They will though. Did you guys have GTS grown up? What's a GT? You don't know what a GT?
No racer is. Like your own personal like go-kart. It has a steering wheel. Oh, yeah.
We just have little saucers. Oh, yeah. Yeah, those are fine. So we used to have a ski hill.
You remember the Shiloh. Yes. We had like a local ski hill like near like where we grew up. It was like a part of the golf course.
But anyway, the kids would break in. There's a little hole in the fence. And after the skiing was done or an off times, you could like you to bargain on it. And I remember years ago, my friend of mine, when my best friend was growing up, Lee Penner was a dealer at R&P, he was a crazy guy.
And he literally, we saw these like older kids like snowboarding. We were probably like maybe like 14. And we saw about like 18 year olds like drinking 40s of old English and so on and cigarettes and snowboarding. And it is awesome ramp.
And but the ramp was like down at the bottom of like a half ski hill. You pick up a lot of speed and Lee trying to seem cool to the older kids is like, I'm going to take my GTs and all racer down the sail. And we're all like, yeah, you do it. Whatever.
You know, and so like they're like, you're crazy. And so Lee trudges up to the top of the ski hill and he gets on his GT and he starts to and we're all like at the bottom like, you know, like 10 feet off of this ramp. He's going to go off with his GT snow racer and he starts going and it's like our little 14 year old friends and all the 18 year old dudes smoking cigarettes and Lee's coming down the hill. It's like the fucking ski.
So they're going to come off like, Oh my God, he's going to do it. He literally hits the ramp, starts soaring through the air. Well, we're all like, yeah, it was honestly like we was triumphant. But because again, he's like 20 feet in the air, like 15 feet.
I don't know. To me, it felt like 50 feet as I was waking up. And he literally, but what happens is because he's soaring through the air, it is magical, but gravity starts to win. And the GT snow racer starts to like, uh, fall away from his ass and his feet because it's gravity.
So we're like, Oh my God, it's not like the GT snow racer stays attached to his back or something. Yeah. So he in this moment, as he soared through the air, just committed to this beautiful moment and he released the GT snow racer and then put both of his arms out like he was Jesus Christ and he like him, and then he flew through the air like the cross and then the GT snow racer fell away from him and he just soared through the air and we all just like watched an awe and then literally as he hit the ground, like his feet hit first and it was just as it was like, fuck, like he smacked on the ground and bounced seven times. How hard was the snow?
It was hard. It was as violent as you would imagine. It was the most like thudding end to this beautiful majestic break and he didn't, but he was like, couldn't speak for like a minute and a half. Like he was like kind of out cold and we all went running to him.
Even the 18 year olds were cool. Five minutes before we're scared. Like everyone's like, this kid died. And then he like sort of came to and he was confused, but it was a legendary moment.
Oh, wow. He was legendary. But anyway, you saying GT snow racer triggered that memory. Did you, you went out and toboggan with, you're just supervised.
I went down a couple of times with him. You know, got to get your own phone. Any injuries to report? No, everybody was good.
I mean, Roberta, who's just turned four. She's like, no, my face. She's like, I want to go because when I was like snowboarding on the sled, like she's kind of fearless in ways that I was not scared. Yeah.
So I'd be very afraid. I never had that. He was a kid. I'm not scared.
Just like when I came to physical things, like, I was never a climber. I was like, I'm not, I've never been on a rollercoaster. I just don't like, uh, high octane things. Were you?
That's that scared kid though. I would say. Yeah. Yeah.
It was the exact same. But what's funny, but I had a different kind of confidence because sometimes people say, Oh, Max, you're like so like unflinching in your confidence about like going, it's going on stage or hosting an assembly. Yeah. Socially fearless, but physically, like, well, yeah, very, very afraid.
Yeah. Yeah. You were scared kid? Yes.
I was both. The double whammy. Yeah. You were the best.
Well, yeah. Yeah. I was, but I was very scared on the court. Like I would, I was probably, I would think the best kid ever in my school.
But when I came to playing in a game, I was probably the worst just because of fear. Just because of fear, the fear would overtake me. Like I could beat probably anyone one on one. Like, you know, we did that other day, like even, even in our shitty record.
Yeah. I'm, I'm playing with people who are almost 40. And it's an intermediate league. It's not that good.
My sister's on the team. And I'm just scared. When I get the ball, I'm scared. Play one on one.
I could beat every one of those guys. Wow. Oh, weird. Yeah.
Like there's a guy on my team who's really good in the gameplay. I played him one on one. I beat him 11. I'm sitting right here.
No, no, no, you score some points on the one on one. You actually get the best. It's just because we know each other for so long. Yeah.
That's the only difference. Shane was basically running one on one and you just killing people like 707. And then I played him. And then I played him.
I don't know when I was there. So I want to embarrass myself. But also we've been playing each other for 20 years. You asked.
Yeah. It was 7.3 as opposed to like 7.0 for one else. But I got three buckets on. Yes.
Yeah. But I've been afraid my whole life. I'm afraid right now. My palms are like sweating.
We're in the pod. No, I don't know. I'm afraid right now. Okay.
Well, it's easy. We went to it. Let's talk about heated rivalry. That's really hard.
Really sweaty. It's an actual segue. He did robbery. It is.
Listen, this is a really sort of, it's a phenomenon. It's an exciting thing. We've known the show was coming. So I've, you know, full disclosure, Shane and I work for Bell Media.
Bell Media has craved. Crave is the, you know, the streamer that commissioned heated robbery. So it's really this massive, massive home grown success by Jacob Tierney who had worked on Letterkenny Shorty previously. Now this is this massive thing that everybody here I know was excited about.
Everyone was like, oh, this show was really good. They were high on the quality. They're all excited. And they knew it had like a big following from the books, the game changer.
Do you know what the following was with the books? I didn't realize it had much of an audience. I researched this yesterday actually because Popless was saying it was like a very niche thing. And I was like, no, it wasn't that niche.
It was super popular. But I guess it was super, super popular within the niche that is this romance series novel. So it was very popular. It was a best seller in that world.
Yeah. And so I think once we... It may not mainstream. It's not mainstream.
And I think even for, I think the engagement once they, the show was announced and started posting stuff, this is before the show aired or HBO, I think that was really promising. Like, oh, maybe these books, you know, that whole thing. So there was a lot of enthusiasm and excitement. However, what it's become where it's literally now, it's a global phenomenon.
Like it's transcended, anything. It's easily the most successful show ever come out of Canada. So it's like, aside from, like, we'll talk about the show, but it's just what a crazy, sort of unprecedented triumph for Canadian show. These guys are superstars.
I mean, they can, they get to call their next shot. Even though it's how their careers were built, they're obviously both incredibly talented. But this is sort of the most exciting point because the road is still wide open. What is the first guy?
The star, too. I think so. Scott Hunter, the New Rangers captain. I also refer to the teams by their like NHL.
The Bruins, the Canadians, and the Rangers. Yeah, the captain of the New York Rangers, Scott Hunter. I think he's a star. He's Canadian.
You just started me. I kind of want to get into the actual show in the episodes. Let's do it. I just finished it last night.
I finished it this morning at 5am. Did you do it for this spot? No, I just needed something to watch. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, okay, me. You two are film buffs, TV historians, much more than I might say. Six episodes is really, I like six episodes, eight episodes. That was a long episode, pretty much.
Yeah, yeah, but there were, you know, 45 minutes. Yeah, yeah. So it was all very digestible. And I think the common response is that episodes one and two are good, three, the standalone.
I really work for me. And then four ends on a banger at the nightclub scene. And then five is the best episode. That's the first conversation?
Yeah, the five is, and when he was Scott wins the championship. Oh, ends with the four, it's all great. Yeah, oh my God, which is so fucking good. Three, five and six, and those are the episodes.
Three, five and six, yeah. The rhythm, you know, sometimes when you think like your favorite shows of all time, and they're like, oh, episode four of the last year of succession. That's the one, I'm just making that up. But it's like, I found that the, is that common that the first couple of episodes in a lot of great series are not as good as the other ones?
Yeah, yeah. Even though, even the pilot for this, I think that you shoot it, like it's sometimes a huge gap, like if this is a prenal's pilot, like if you watch the sopranos pilot, I think they shot the pilot and then it took them like a whole year and a half to even start to do the next one. Oh, watch the first episode of Seinfeld, the Simpsons, anything. It's notoriously bad.
Uh-huh. Yeah, and also the other thing which you learn later and also we've learned because we've seen him in real life is a Hollander's character. In the first episode, it seems like a bad actor, like, because you don't, oh, his flatness is a little disconnected. He just connected.
It's not a choice. That's just how he's acting. Yeah, he's like, just like, just like, just like a great actor. He doesn't really light up the screen.
And then you kind of realize, like, no, he's doing a hockey player who might be a little autistic, is that sort of? That's how he plays it. Yeah, but that's officially part of the narrative. Right?
I didn't know that. Yeah. Wow. Okay.
So he's made a choice. If you ever watch an interview with this, the actor, when I played it, I was like, obviously Shane Hollander is in my head, but Ashness. What's it? Of course.
That's Canadian Hudson Williams. Also, Ash is in the room and Ash is all about this. She literally was like, on the last episode before the holidays, she was like, why did we talk about him? We haven't all caught up yet.
But here we are. So, yeah. So Hudson Williams is so different than his character. You really can appreciate what he's doing.
Yeah, this is it. Like, I, that's exactly what I saw in interviews. Like the red carpets. And he's saying, fuck AI.
Fuck AI up the ass. Like, what are we saying? He's like, yelling this in our workplace. Yeah, we were developing the way out.
What do we do? Oh, this guy is kind of a theater kid. Like, really? 100%.
and then you see how he acts in the show. Okay, no, it's totally a choice. Well, I was like in that first one, I'm like, I see him, because I was like, oh, he's really laying out, because you know, like Sidney Crosby, you know, they always say this is an aligas to Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechia. That's sort of the impetus for the book, so the novelizations.
So anyway, I was just like, oh, you know, because Sid is kind of, he's a very like low-key Canadian, like, I was just like, oh, he's kind of doing a version of that, but then I do think it's its own thing that transcends that, and then after he said like, the way he was playing it, oh, okay, see what he's doing here. Yeah, and then again, the more you learn, it's like, oh, the other dude, Connor, Connor, Connor, Connor, Connor, is from Texas, and he's playing this Russian, and he learned how to speak the language. How did he do that? How would he do that?
He's amazing. He's just super talented, and apparently he like, yeah, for the audition, I was reading like, because I was just like, how did he learn that as quick as he did? And he's just when he's guys that studied the shit out of it for like two weeks, and just committed for the audition, I guess, and then he went with a coach, and something like that, but it's really impressive. And obviously his character is the flashy role, like Russian accent to side speaking in Russian, all that stuff.
It's more obvious, like you get to be swagger. He's both, he's got the swagger, but then he's also just that Russian coldness. Yes, and then he's the charismatic part too. He kind of like jokes a lot.
Yeah. And it's just a lot more of a noticeable role. That's why I'm saying the thing that Hudson Williams is doing, it's just, it's hard to be the straight person sometimes. It's even the Jim Carrey, then to the person that has to just say and then let them play off of it, but yeah, the two of them together are incredible.
And I think too, I was talking to somebody, and they're like, oh, you know, this is a couple weeks ago, like he did robbery, and like, oh yeah, it's like a big deal, and everyone's talking about the phenomenon of it, and then seeing the show, yeah. And I was like, what's the deal? And I was like, the show really transcends, like the reason I think it's working for people aside from the elevator pitch, which is, you know, Gay Hockey Show or whatever, is I think there's something universal about longing to be with somebody and obstacles get in the way, you know, or to quote the, what is that song, you know, this is not enough. Like it's just like a relationship.
But sorry. You know, this is not enough. Oh yeah, of course, of course. It's literally every band called Tanaka or two.
Yeah, but it's like a cover anyway, long story long. Is like, what speaks to you in the show, and what all great shows do is you find the universal and specific, so it's like it's their love story. Now, you know, the love scenes are very graphic and all that stuff, but it's just like, I think it transcends because like anyone that's been in a push and pull relationship or has wanted to do with someone they don't know, wants to do with them. And it's like, all the text hesitation, things like that.
I think there's something really sort of relatable about it that is obviously connecting with people aside from the salacious shit. Yeah, I also think that there's a longing, I think from everybody to have a kind of relationship and intimate relationship like that, which feels very safe. You know, the word consent has come up a lot. It's like where it's like they're always talking each other through the sex.
And it's funny because even like hockey players who aren't particularly communicative, it's like they're kind of checking in on each other even in a kind of masculine, bro-y way. And I think that's been part of the appeal for like the show where you're like, oh, that's like what anybody wants in a good relationship. Like whether you're a guy, girl, straight, you know, gay, it doesn't matter. You just like want to feel safe with somebody.
And there's like so much care that there's not, there hasn't been, I should have talked about something over it. Like all the things that could have been in the show, they've just sort of like set aside. Like, you know, they don't hear the F word from like hockey players in the locker room. Yes.
You don't see like the blatant homophobia that a lot of men in sports would receive. Like, Terenny has deliberately said like, we're not going to really touch the stuff that's obvious. That could be such an easy choice for tension in the show. We're not going to touch it.
We can just like, it's cliche. Is that something true in the book? Or did he change that? I don't know.
I haven't read the book. But the other thing I think was a lot is, I think in life in general, we're all looking for like permission structures to do things. And that could be to act badly or to act in a way that is virtuous, right? And when you see somebody older than you do something, oh, maybe I could do that.
Or you see a friend, you know, go through something. Oh, okay. And so that scene, which is so ridiculous and fantastical of Scott Hunter winning the cup and then pointing at his secret boyfriend to come down. The 10% cynical part of me says, run, I was like, really?
Like, okay, we're doing this. We're really doing this scene. And then as he's making his way down through the aisles and it comes onto the ice, my heart is pounding. Oh my God.
And I'm crying, you know? And then- This song is perfect. And there's some marriage of song every thing. And it's a patient and build up.
And actually, as a side note, I find the music placements in so many shows and movies these days to be so fucking terrible. I find there's so many shows I want to get into. And in the first like 20 minutes, there's a weird needle drop and it's always shit. And I think that the music choice is here.
And obviously I'm biased because Canadian guy who's roughly R.H. No, he knows what he's doing. But yeah, it's such an, that wolf parade song. Yeah, but I don't know if I really knew that wolf parade this song.
Oh no. Maybe I love wolf parade, but I don't know if I totally knew that one. Anyway, he's obviously preaching the choir here with the song choices. But then- Well, even the tattoo poll.
The tattoo poll. Just a thousand. Not the Germans. No, no, sorry.
Maybe just the other can't con songs I looked at in there. Oh yeah, and the Russian video. Yeah, that's right. That's right.
The Russians, right? Yeah, but it's more like losing their minds in the moment. Yeah, but that choice to really use that scene, because those characters only really got one episode that's got Hunter and his boyfriend, right? But they earned the moment.
They totally earned the moment. This is why they started telling us so great though. So you get that stand one episode in three, right? We're Scott Hunter and they have their meet cute at the Smoothie shop and we've lived with them for a whole episode.
And then they go off the board until this moment where they come back in this sort of spectacular way. But it's also kind of like, I really like you said, are we really gonna do this at all the same thoughts? But it also serves such a major plot point for our two mains. No, this is the point I was getting to.
It's so amazing because you see the two main characters just watching it TV from home. And then the first thing they do is, I'm doing it. I'm doing it. I'm texting guy, I'm going to the cottage.
I'm going to the cottage. This is the permission structure. And I was thinking about how Jacob Tierney, who's Jacob Tierney's gay, right? Yeah.
He probably, I'm making this up, but I imagine for many young men who are gay, they just need someone older to look up to go, okay, this guy did it, this my uncle did it. My family friend did it. He's okay, he's okay, I'm gonna do it. And for hockey players, they've never had one person give him that permission structure.
And so I just love that. I think it's such a beautiful piece of writing where it's just like, the service of that scene is not for the majestic kiss on the ice, which is amazing in itself, it's to give permission. Yes. And then what you're talking about, the meta element of it's giving the other characters, Shane and what's the Russian guys in?
Ilya permission to almost get together and eventually get the courage to come out because that guy broke the ice. Brose the ice, yeah. And then people who are watching, maybe hockey players, maybe it gives someone permission from real life in the NHL maybe to come out or start to roll. And here's the thing to do with that fucking love, which I think is so genius about it, is that people sometimes wonder, what would that look like?
Because we're so used to hockey players embracing their hot blond wives on the ice and kissing them. We've seen that Instagram, we've seen that on times old, what would it look like if two men kissed on the ice? I guess we'll never know what it would actually look like. But Tyranny's like, no, this is exactly how it would look.
In an arena full of people, this is exactly how it would look. And this is exactly how it would make you feel. And how it would make you feel is fucking amazing. And how most people in React would go, they'd either be super happy for them or they'd go, which isn't even that bad, right?
No, it becomes normalization. It becomes the idea that it's not a big deal eventually, that it's like, if you want to bring your partner on the ice and you win the Stanley Cup and you want to make it, like you said, everything we've been seeing for decades, it's just it normalizes everything. And like you said, this is what it looks like. I'd love to ask Tyranny this.
It's like, where you just be like, hey, I just want to show everybody who's going to watch your show exactly how the world wouldn't burn. And it actually would make people feel great. You know, it's also, it's an interesting point, because you said when the scenes unfold, you're like, oh, are we really doing this sort of like tropey thing where you're going to open the stands? And this is a good example of like writing an execution.
Like I can see being in a writer's room and even being like, it's too much. He's going to point and the guys going to come down from the stands and you're just going to roll the ice. But then it's like, you know, Jacob, Tyranny's the writer and creator of the show, you know, and he's like, no, no, no, I know how this is going to look. He probably hears the song in his fucking head that he's going to do.
And it's like the execution becomes everything because on paper it might seem like too obvious or too like showy or something like that, or like schmaltzy or like it's too saccharine, you know? But then it's like the execution is everything. So you just got to have faith in it to such a big sort of like seeing the end of your mind to hear the soundtrack in your mind. This is probably a super question, but what is going on there when the guy who's pointed at, right, the guy works with a smoothie shop, his friend goes, it's okay to feel sad right now.
And he's like, I know, is that supposed to be something we don't know or what made him feel sad with them? They can't join the celebration. He's not like a partner like The Wives. Oh, the other wives were on the ice and stuff?
I think they didn't read that. They would be celebrated and sort of like, it's like he's got to say the secret essentially. Right, okay. Because we've assumed that they've decided to keep being together in secret, you know, at the sort of expensive kit and his name is his sort of happiness.
You know, I thought that was a great moment too at the end of that episode three where he goes, when he just hugs his dad. Yeah, like that's you two men, Father's not hugging, always gets me. Well, and just like the nicest, understanding dad who's like the biggest New York Rangers fan and I know the New York mentors or whatever. I like that too, that they didn't dip into the well of the parents being super disappointed.
Yes, I know. Like all of those, yeah, all of those cliches, which would have been like, oh, now my parents is like, no, everyone's kind of okay. Like the dad was, the dad left once he caught his son Shane, making out, he left not because he was mad. He left because he was like, oh, I've embarrassed my son and I'm hoping he didn't see me see him.
So he just kind of takes off. Like I invaded his son. I didn't tell his wife. Why did I not, why did I not touch?
No, it's not right. It's like, they come in and it's almost like the dad's like, because I do wonder, I almost shot to a scene in my head of later that night, which is like, why the fuck can you tell me? You came home, we sat here for 40 minutes. I'm a mister, tell me.
You're a mister, tell me. You're a mister, tell me. What am I nosed to tell? He probably got in trouble for that one.
Yeah, and actually another point, Ash had was that Iliad at the table. I don't know if I totally picked up on that, but after they come out to the parents, they're eating dinner together and Iliad just like hasn't had a loving family that's sort of accepting. He hasn't like sat at a table and just kind of nice, hearty meal. And seeing him be just sort of happy and comfortable just for that reason in itself.
Yeah. Really cool. You said something interesting in the group chat, me and John, about how the show really comes down to like four or five amazing scenes of like. Oh, 100%.
Like I was like, Max, first couple episodes, I'm like, it's not like I'm enduring this show, but I'm on the Peloton and I'm like, 60% Peloton, 40% show, glancing. The last three episodes, I'm barely looking at the Peloton. Yeah, 100% focus on the screen, crying. I'm working out faster because I'm getting like, you know, excited sounds weird, but I'm getting like pumped up at stuff.
And I felt like it just did that good, like lulling you to sleep and then waking you up and then kind of getting you into the story, hooking you into the characters. So there's like five moments that I was talking about in our chat, which would be when Smoothie guy stays the night at the hockey player. And the hockey player is like, I'm into you. I never do this.
And he gives that awesome speech. The chat at the island, the next morning. Yes. Yeah.
That is the best first best speech. Yeah. Then when Shane comes out to his girlfriend, the girlfriend kind of specs that he's gay. And the way he does that, I thought was so realistic.
And the way he was sheepish about coming out. Amazing. You eventually admitted that the sex is better with the man. That part was awesome.
Shane coming out to both his parents. And just saying how he loves him, how he worded that, how he acted that was perfect. And the best scene. In the bridge.
To me, it's like, the way he's speaking Russia. He's feeling it. Yes. And Shane says, how about you just say everything you just say to me in Russian.
And Elianos, you can say it and she won't understand it. But the tone of the voice, just the construct of that scene is I'm getting shivers because it's like, it's so brilliant. And it's also just executed perfectly. That was the one that got me where it was just like, holy fuck, you know.
And in so many micro versions at the cottage, like so many micro little moments, because you think, oh, normally, you know, they're just going to show the good times in montage. But when it's actually at the cottage and they're one on one, it's going to be kind of boring. And it's going to be awkward. But they found that good amount of, here's how it's a little awkward when you're with somebody and there's none of the other distractions.
But here's the awesome moments you can have too with them. And the pick and shows really good real moments. You know, it's a fun act. In the comedy of the loon, you know, what the fuck is that?
Yeah, I was like, that was like really good. And then let that scene bridge, it's just them looking into the fires like, so this, you just stare at this. It's like, yeah, kind of those fun. You know, and then it's that funny break.
And they had tons of those good moments at the cottage because I didn't think they were going to sustain my interest when they got to the cottage for that last episode. I'm like, oh, this show peaks at five. And then it's not going to be able to 100% stick. The landing is good.
I was just as into a five and six. Yeah, it does. It's so funny. It does turn into a bit of like a hangout show where it's like, you know, we're talking like, what are the stakes?
Where's the plot? You know, I mean, but there aren't a ton of stakes other than the secrecy of their, you know, it's like, and one thing I've always liked it just about meeting people in general is people's backstory and hearing about Iliad having lost his mom to pills and having a hard relationship with his brother and his dad. Family backstory stuff is great and interesting. But there isn't, it's a funny, it's just like, I guess that's one of the benefits of having a show writer, creator, you know, who just like has his hands all over everything.
So you know, just trust me that it's like, I'm going to have like 60% of this episode is going to be guys rolling around in bed. Like it's going to be close up to them texting each other. And it's going to be very effective. We actually very effective.
It's like, you're so into it. And when Shane's kind of typing and then erasing, you know, deleting his thoughts, it's like nothing. And then also they do a cool thing with time sometimes where it's like they jump around and they actually, what's, oh, that scene where he's, was it when he's giving a speech at the NHL Awards, but like it cuts back to him walking. They do a couple things where it's like they do voiceovers with other stuff happening.
It's cool. Yeah, the whole thing is. I just had a psychotic break. So I love it too much.
I can't watch anything else. Why do you love it so much? Why do you think women love it so much? Yeah, yeah.
It's honestly, I was thinking about it the other day because I feel like there should be a full like medical, like into answering that question. Cause I was telling Max that our friend Boba, she watched it this weekend and we were texting she so into it, et cetera. And I was like, just wait, like, don't blow through them. Give it time to really love it.
And she finished six and said, I can't, I feel so happy. She went down to the British, I was in Prince Edward County, set up a heated rivalry trivia night for this week. Like, and we're the same people. Like we're same people with no time.
Like, and then. So we have a friend in LA who's like from Boston. She's like, you know, maybe 30 or something. And she watched it 20 straight times.
How did you watch it? Not 20, but in a throw it on like, I don't necessarily watch it all the way through, but I've probably watched all of them like three or four times. And it stays with you after you watch it. It's like even though I'm not watching it right now, it's with me.
It's like in a world full of like shitty relationships and online this and that. And everything just feels like distance and gross and you're in a silo that like seeing a show like that. Just like, for women, especially women are such a big part of the demographic. It just feels like, oh, it's just so nice.
You sort of like alluded to that. Just makes you happy. You just want to hang out with them. You love everyone.
You believe the parents are the best, the girlfriends are the best, the guys are the best. There's no danger. There's no like. And when's the last time there was a show that's good?
Like it's hard to get. There's no fucking good shows. And giving them credit to the, I would say at least 25% press tour, if not 50. Like I've never seen two people on screen and off be more charismatic like ever.
Yeah, they give you gold all the time and they pull back and they're right there. If you could only have one, who would you have? Not like, you know what I mean? Like who's your favorite?
Only one of them because I can't pick one of them to exist. But I will say Connor because I'm so excited that he met with Luca Guadagnino in Paris yesterday. Oh, we want to see him in his real-ass actor. He's a great actor.
He's so happy. He's a great actor. He's so happy. Okay, you mentioned how the cry scenes, like once you get to episodes three, there's like so many great speeches.
And that's the thing with the TV shows that like, you need to give the first two episodes time. Like is it, but sometimes I'm like, no, just like, is there an example of a show that an episode one could make you cry? Or do you just need to spend time with the characters before you care enough about them? Trying to think like what's the, what's considered the best one?
We can look up a list of like, Sunset Strip is what that pilot's considered one of the best. He's still of the lost pilot. There's like, which one? Oh, baby reindeer.
Oh, baby reindeer. I've kind of forgotten that. Yeah, it's like, there's a list of all-time great pilots that I don't have, but if we sort of went through them, you'd be like, oh, they nailed it in that first episode. And that kind of like a little hook.
Yeah, it's a great pilot. Not crying though. Yeah, I don't know though. I think stuff just takes time.
Well, how do you make someone cry if they don't care about the character? Yeah, it's a wrong question. You can do that in the first episode, whether it's an hour, a half hour, I don't know. But you guys are mentioning, if you could pick one, who would you pick?
And early on when this thing's becoming a phenomenon before I'd watch the show, you know, you just sort of know the deal. They're everywhere, right? They're everywhere on Twitter, Connor and Hudson. And I think I made a joke in the pod chat about like, you know, like, I came out from the Wham, you know, or like, Hollen Oates or like any of these groups were like one guy becomes the guy, like, you know, George Michael or other guys being the, oh, so the inter-rigilate.
These are very modern references by the way, for people like Joe. I think you just have a garfunkel. You're further back. The original, the original.
One becomes Simon and one becomes Garfunkel. And so I made a joke about, oh, one of these guys gonna be, you know, the garfunkel earlier, inter-rigilate or whatever. And I just assumed it was going to be... It's a muscle guy.
No, I thought it was the other way. I thought that Hudson was going, and I thought that Connor, because I was like... So you thought Hudson would be the supposed to be? No.
Oh, sorry. I was going, I'm going, you guys were all saying the same thing. I thought that like, Connor, the Patrick Swayze, the fucking guy, would be the snooze guy. He's got the bigger muscles, the better body.
Yeah. If you don't watch the show, you're just like, oh, that guy is hotter. No, that's what I thought. I was like, he's gonna be, but I wasn't saying who would be the success.
I was going to be the inter-rigilate or the garfunkel. And I was like, it's gonna be, you know, Hudson Williams. He's like, I watched the show. And then I started seeing the press tour in a whole new light.
And then I'm like, oh my God, they're both rock stars. This is like, this is a two-hander. Like they're both like, you're saying, Ash, incredibly charismatic human beings outside of these characters. And I was like, oh, I was wrong.
They both are going to be like, it's like a boy band. We're like, a bunch of them can become successful, you know? And there's no Chris Kirk-Patrick's in this group. The actor's career, just the actor's in general, is such a strange beast because it's like, you know, two years ago, dude is whole sweet, factory-factory waiter, right?
Yeah. Like working in Vancouver. And the actors need a vehicle like this, you know, to become a star. But then, but it's like, could it only have been those two?
Or like, because I know that, you know, I'm not even casting directors that they went through a lot of tape and it was hard. But it's like- I just read today. So, you know, Iliya is like Russian, like boyfriend, like the guy he had to pass with. So they're in the bathroom during one of those Suarez.
He was like, he auditioned for Iliya. And I think he was like right there. And they were like, ah, we're going to go in this different direction, but we love you so much. We're going to bring you back for this other thing.
That sort of deal. But it's got to be bittersweet if you're that guy, because you're like, you're a part of it, you're great, he's great and he's part. But he's like, you're not the guy. But also it would have been a different show.
You know, it's like, but you're wondering if that guy was cast, would it still have been as good? If you were cast, you were cast in the show. Is it as the Russian? I was working on my Russian wall on the Peloton.
I'm like, this isn't that hard. I'm like, of all the accents, the Russian accent, probably is the easiest to adapt it for us. But then when he started speaking Russian and not just doing the Canadian accent with the Russian accent, I was like, okay, that is next level difficult. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Learning a language. I came to a French and we were taught in school. I think the two of them are lightning in a bottle. And I can't imagine it being anybody else.
Like even just like, they're both the same kind of height. They're both the same kind of build ones. But it's just like, there's something about the package of the two of them. And this is the choices that they're making when I'm sure they did chemistry reads with a bunch of different people and versions, you know, different actors with each one of those guys.
And then you get boil it down to that. But I don't know, it's just like, are you good at judging chemistry reads? I do have to do it a bit, right? I think we're good.
Yeah, I would think so. And we've like casted for commercials, which are lower stakes like for years. Yeah, I think it's one of our strengths identifying that. That's so cool.
Okay, another question I have. Is there another show that you can think of that just makes you feel this good? The thing I can find for me was friend day lights. Do you guys ever watch that show?
No, I know you and Dan Hamilton were very into it. Basically, he'll be here to right. I never watch one show, I think I'd be there. He was my brother and Dan.
I could have skipped a commercial. Yeah, because in friend day lights, you're kind of rooting for all the characters and they're flawed in different ways. And there's a bit more like heartache and scandal in that show. But you really feel for like, these are good people and you want them all to win.
And like the town is sticking together and we're gonna do the right thing. It was like Jesse Plemons start, right? Yeah, exactly. That's right.
So it's a lot more of a comedy. This is more of a drama. That last was a great example. Like when I watched the first season, you recommended it to me in COVID when we kind of needed that little bit of sunshine.
I thought that was a good show. Yeah, I think it was, yeah, that really does that. It's hard to recall, you know? Wait, what's it?
This is us or something, people like that show. Yeah, I don't know. I don't watch it. Yeah, it's like a good news.
I love it. Yeah, it was more sad too. And it's a gimmicky. I think they jumped through time.
I think they show you the future. The kids are growing up and then they keep going down to the growing up and then it reveals things as you go. But I don't know. I don't know.
I never watch that one. You've seen that Aubrey Plaza movie, My Old Dance? Yeah, yeah, yeah. That kind of made me feel good.
Yeah, it's emotional in a real way. Our friend, Brad's daughter is Mazy Stella. And Mazy is the young lead. Oh wow.
Yeah. Wait, I thought I was amazing. Didn't they used to be in like a music? Yeah, so Mazy Stella and Tianan employment seller who is an artist herself.
They were the sisters on Nashville and their singers. But their dad, Brad, is a really nice guy, because Brad is a musician himself from Oshawa. I grew up with Sarah Osgood, our brother. Yeah, she's actually great.
And they've built this great acting career and music career for both of them. You've seen My Old Dance? I told you to see that. I see that.
Not the movie, but yours. I have seen all of that. It's like it's on film. Invulgence, it's a apologize day.
It's good, it takes place in this great, small little movie. It's good. No, you have recommended, you can't even recommend it Train Dreams, which I did watch. Yes.
Which is a funny example, an interesting example. I think I'm not an infamous picture at the Oscar season. Oh yeah, I need to watch that. So it's interesting, you know, and I guess I won't reveal much of your plan to watch it.
Oh, but I watch it? You should, because I think it's a great film, but it's an interesting example that doesn't make you feel very good. There's times, because the character, he lives a long life and, you know, the turn of the century sort of deal. And he's like, he suffers a lot.
You know, it's like it's a tough life, but there's sort of a beautiful, I don't get Terence Malek film, I've never seen that at all. It's like experiential, but I don't want to ruin anything for you. But it's not really, really ruin, but I guess I would just say, it looks like a slog. By the end though, much like life, like life has ups and has downs and all that stuff.
And at the end, he'd ever reason to maybe be bitter. And instead he was sort of, there's appreciation for the journey that it's life. And I did not expect anything, because there's times I'm like, fuck, this is like, this is a tough watch. I saw Bazaar movie in sort of that category, which I did not enjoy that much.
The mastermind, do you guys have familiar with this movie? Oh, Josh O'Connor's in it, Alanna Heim's in it. It has a good Rotten Tomato score. It's written or is directed by an older female director.
I forget her name. I like Josh O'Connor too. I like Josh O'Connor too. Oh, he's challenges, but he's also the new knives out.
Gotcha. Curly hair, dude. And he's Charles in one of the, I know some people don't know. Yeah, I like him, but he's like, he takes like in the 1970s, and he's trying to steal some art from like a pretty like low level like art gallery in Massachusetts.
But it's called the mastermind, but he's kind of an idiot, but it's not particularly funny. It doesn't sound ironic title, right? Yeah, and it ends up like this is really how it's ending. It's like, it's basically like, catch me if you can't if it's like really boring.
Not done well. Yeah. I watched ET recently during the snow day with my kids. Just speaking of like amazingly crafted films, but it was very funny because I don't know if I hadn't seen ET in like 20 years, but I'm like, oh, let's watch with the kids and shocking the Roberta who was forced after anyone would go through it because she's like, sing a lot of movies and she can sit through a ton.
I was like, Roberta no way, Roberta is sitting through ET. Shockingly, she's after the whole thing. ET is like, you know, living on this earth is hard and they're trying to revive him. They got him on like this operating table and he looks bad.