It's only appropriate that for the landmark twentieth episode of BF we have our therapist on to explain why he doesn't wear shoes and convince us of our podcast's charm. In our longest (and coincidentally palindromic) ep to date we discuss Meryl Streep's nerves, luxury on a budget, bulk billing, the pain theory of happiness, podcasting as opprobrium, emotional honesty, how to manage the bears, careers, creativity and the importance of avoiding irony.

Victimised by the same 24 hours in a day as everyone else, the BF hosts question the validity of John Wick, dental assistants and the Holy Trinity of eyelash curlers.

Having returned from Japan, Lucy and Ben give Gigi a rundown of their purchases. They are sort of joined by their new unofficial fact-checker, Gigi's bf (BF).

It's Benevolent Forces o'clock, do you know where your adult children are? They're reading books on their iPhones, attending their tattoo removal sessions, getting high off going to the supermarket, soothing the ulcers in their mouths, cooking while following recipes, annoying their boyfriends while not following maps, paying for insurance, ordering the kid's spaghetti bolognese and calling their moms. At least that's what Lucy, Gigi and Ben are doing.

Welcome to our Sweet Sixteenth. In celebration of IWD we discuss skincare and our favourite horny teen novelist Meg Cabot. 

Ben returns to the fore with a renewed sense of purpose and (probationary) creative control. Lucy espouses the virtues of self-imposed obligation, Gigi explains why she spent 20 dollars to back up her text messages, and a sordid Christmas story set at Maggie Beer’s private manor is told for the first time on record.

Back by debatable demand, Lucy White and Gigi Perry sit down with BF certified Perfect Woman and New Jersey's fondest memory, Stephanie. In a conversation that will remind you what girls sound like (in case you had forgotten) the three detail their short but very ~exclusive time spent perusing 'The Corporate Store' and reach hysterics telling online shopping ghost stories. 

This week on Benevolent Forces (spoiler alert/trigger warning) Lucy spends a total of $50, Gigi spends the same amount on a steak (worth it) and Ben's purchases remain a mystery as the women he is so fondly flanked by get into the nitty (perhaps even the gritty) of how they categorise their transactions / the number of bank accounts they each have. 

Recorded directly under a busy flight path in the Inn*r W*st, this episode carries on last week's tirade against indulgent filmmaking (Lucy reads a long Letterboxd review). Ben is taken advantage of by a mechanic, and Gigi embraces her OCD (Obsessive Clothing Delineation). 

This week Lucy, Gigi and Ben promote a 'less is more' approach. Less beer (drinking middies is in), less comprehensive advice (the extent of Lucy's saving strategy is 'bring lunch to work') and less time watching rich scumbags on holiday (Ruben Östlund's newest film is giving genre burnout).